- From the heritage of the Raigarh Gharana to the folk tunes of Bastar, the Chakradhar Festival will showcase Chhattisgarh’s vibrant culture.
- Artists from the state including Raigarh will give captivating performances.
- The event will be held at Ramlila Maidan from September 14th to 23rd, and will resonate for 10 days with unique melodies, rhythms and dance.
The world-famous Chakradhar Samaroh 2026 will be organised in a grand manner from September 14 to 23 at Ramlila Maidan in Raigarh, the cultural capital of art and music. This 10-day cultural extravaganza will witness a wonderful confluence of Chhattisgarh’s folk and classical art along with various cultural forms from across the country. A total of 42 performances are proposed in the festival, of which 24 will be by artists from Raigarh and Chhattisgarh. This will provide local and state talents an opportunity to showcase their art on a national level platform.
- Performances by Padma Shri dignitaries will be a special attraction.
Among the major attractions of the Chakradhar Samaroh 2026 are performances by artists decorated with the prestigious Padma Shri award from the country and the state. A special Kathak performance will be presented under the direction of Padma Shri Ramlal Bareth, the flag-bearer of the glorious tradition of the Raigarh Kathak Gharana. Padma Shri Dr. Usha Barle, who has brought international recognition to Pandavani, will also perform. Besides, Padma Shri Bharti Bandhu, a renowned figure in Sufi and Kabir singing, and Padma Shri Anuj Sharma, a popular artist of Chhattisgarhi folk art and culture, will also showcase their art at the festival. In a special poetry evening, senior poets from the country, including Padma Shri Surendra Sharma, will enthrall the audience with their compositions. The presence of these renowned artists will give the festival a special national recognition.
- Seven performances by artists from Raigarh will showcase the rich tradition of the gharana.
The festival places special emphasis on the local talent and cultural heritage of Raigarh. The event will begin with a traditional Ganesh Vandana by the disciples of Shri Vedmani Maharaj. Following this, artists carrying forward the Kathak tradition of Raigarh will grace the stage with their performances. Under the guidance of Padmashree Ramlal Bareth, Bhupendra Bareth and group, Ms. Vibhuti Sharma, Vasanti Vaishnav and group, and Nrityanjali (Kathak Banaras Gharana) will deliver soulful performances of classical Kathak. Rakesh Sharma will provide a spiritual experience through Sufi singing, while Sonu Gupta and group (Lok Kala Manch) will present a vibrant rendition of Chhattisgarhi folk music. This will showcase the unique style of Kathak, folk music, and Sufi singing, developed in Raigarh, on a single stage. These performances by local artists will further highlight Raigarh’s cultural identity.
- From Bastar to Surguja and Bilaspur, the Chakradhar Festival, a showcase of Chhattisgarh’s folk culture,
also features extensive representation of the arts and culture of various regions of the state. Artists from the Bastar Academy of Dance, Arts and Literature (Badal) will present a vibrant glimpse of Bastar’s folk heritage and tribal culture. Bhupendra Sahu (Gariaband), a member of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, will present a Chhattisgarhi folk dance. Taruna Sahu (Raipur) will present Pandavani. Payal Sahu (Durg), Anurag Sharma (Raipur), and Laharganga Punrik Sahu (Balod) will bring the folk music tradition of the soil to life. Among the state’s classical and contemporary talents, the light singing of Indian Idol fame Amit Sana (Bhilai) will be a special attraction. Students from Indira Kala Sangeet University, Khairagarh, will present a group dance performance. Prof. Dr. Lovely Sharma will present sitar playing. Diksha Rath (Sarangarh) will present Odissi, Shweta Nayak (Bilaspur) Kuchipudi, and Anushka Sultania (Raipur) and Shiv Shakti Kala Sansthan (Bilaspur) will present Kathak. Thus, art forms from different regions of Chhattisgarh will be showcased together on the festival stage.
- Classical and folk arts from across the country will also be
showcased at the Chakradhar Festival, a grand gathering of Chhattisgarh and art traditions from various states across the country. Guru Kottkal Nandakumaran Nair of Kerala will present Kathakali, while Dr. Manju Ilangbam of Manipur will introduce the audience to Manipuri dance. T. Lakshmi Reddy of Delhi will present Kuchipudi, while Srividya Shailesh of Chennai and Shivranjani Harish of Bengaluru will present Bharatanatyam. Janhavi Behera, Reela Hota, and Shri Gauri Shankar Dash from Odisha and Delhi will present Odissi dance. Shri B. Sahu of Bhubaneswar will present Gotipua art. Moumala Nayak, Subrata Pandit, and Rudrashankar Mishra from Kolkata, Delhi, and Varanasi will perform Kathak. A variety of folk music and instrumental music will also be a major attraction. The Stark Society of Barmer, Rajasthan will present Rajasthani folk music. Sanskar Kala Sangha, Jabalpur will present a dance drama. Nishit Gangani from Delhi will play the tabla, while Madhavaras Band from Vrindavan and Triveni Sangam from Banaras will mesmerise the audience with a rare fusion of santoor, pakhawaj and tabla.
- Chakradhar Samaroh 2026 will become a national platform for the preservation of art, culture and tradition.
By giving place to local artists as well as established national level artists in the presentations, this event will provide a wide platform to the cultural identity of Chhattisgarh. The Kathak tradition of Raigarh Gharana, Chhattisgarhi folk music, Pandwani, folk heritage of Bastar and the new generation artists of the state along with classical dance and music traditions from different parts of the country will be seen on a single platform. The organizing committee has called upon art lovers, artists, researchers, culture scholars and citizens from India and abroad to participate in this cultural mega festival Chakradhar Samaroh.