IGNCA celebrates Independence Day and Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo

New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts celebrated country’s Independence Day with gaiety and fervor. In the morning of 15th August, Shri Rambahadur Rai, President, IGNCA hoisted the national flag. Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, Dr. Priyanka Mishra, Director, (Administration) IGNCA and other officials and staff members of IGNCA were also present on the occasion. IGNCA family after the flag hoisting celebrated India’s freedom by dancing to the tunes of patriotic songs.
Later in the afternoon to mark Sri Aurobindo’s 151st birth anniversary the film ‘Sri Aurobindo: Beginning of a Spiritual journey’ which is directed by Shri Suraj Kumar was held by Media Centre, IGNCA. The special guest at the screening was His excellency Mr.Vincenzo De Luca,honourable Ambassador of Italy to India. The screening was attended by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Dr. Priyanka Mishra and many other dignitaries and visitors.
The film showcases Sri Aurobindo’s prison life (1908-1909) in Alipore Jail, Kolkata, from where his spiritual journey had started. The screening of the film was followed by a short panel discussion. The panelist were Shri Suraj Kumar, an award winning Indian filmmaker known for his films like “Thinking of Him”, A India-Argentina Co-production based on Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Victoria Ocampo. The other panelist was Shri Abhay who is a poet, diplomat, editor and translator. He is the author of a dozen poetry books including Monsoon and the editor of The Book of Bihari Literature (HarperCollins India). The panel discussion was moderated by Shri Murtaza Ali Khan who is an independent film critic. The discussion ensued reactions from the guests and audience of the film on different aspects of Sri Aurobindo’s life, philosophy and thoughts.