Routes 2 Roots Designs Cultural Showcases for Bal Bharti’s CES Vidya Utsav

The 4^th Child Education Society Vidya Utsav was celebrated by Bal Bharti School in Delhi’s Manekshaw Centre Auditorium. The event is designed to celebrate the various aspects of education in all their glory and to bring together the institution’s different branches and its alumni. Vidya Utsav 2026 held on 7^th February was a magnum opus featuring an assortment of cultural performances, an award ceremony, panel discussions on education and its developing pedagogies as well as talks on the way forward for students, which kept everyone regaled through the day.

The event’s cultural afternoon was inaugurated by celebrated Film and TV Actor, Author & Philanthropist Ashutosh Rana, who was the chief guest and keynote speaker for the occasion along with President CES Nikhil Channa. The inaugural lighting of the lamp was followed by a musical showcase, designed by Routes 2 Roots gurus, celebrated Sarod exponent Pandit Mukesh Sharma and Gwalior & Kirana Gharana musicologist Shreya Aggarwal. This was a stunning 10-minute piece bringing together student vocalists and instrumentalists from the school as well as ragas from the eight different prahar-s or time phases of the day. Labyrinths of classical compositions and sargam-s converged with santoor, tabla, violins, sitars, guitars, keyboards and percussions as the vocal alaaap-s, sargam-s and tihai-s navigated the whole raga mala consisting of eight different ragas. This awe-inspiring performance was just the banger to set the tone for the evening, which was followed by a speech by President Nikhil Channa.

The dance showcase, which came next and preceded Keynote speaker Ashutosh Rana’s session was an exquisite celebration of colours and sensations. Spectacularly choreographed by Routes 2 Roots Board of Advisor and Odissi, Manipuri and Chhau legend Sharon Lowen, the dance showcase featured movements from the Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi and Western Ballet traditions designed on an electrifying fusion music composition. The intricate dance pieces performed by over 30 students, along with the strikingly magnificent costumes on a backdrop of nature art by the children and brilliant lighting created a showcase that took everyone’s breath away and inspired a standing ovation by Chief Guest Ashutosh Rana and the equally mesmerised members of the audience. Before taking the stage for his own session, Rana made it a point to meet the music and dance students backstage and congratulate them for their equally powerful performances, as he posed to click photographs with them. A look at some of the most memorable moments from the day!