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Bhup Deo Singh, the King of Raigarh, (in Chattisgarh) was a great lover of art and literature. His son Chakradhar Singh was also well versed in art, music and literature. He revived Indian classical dance and music, way back in the 1930's when World War II was going on and artists lost patronage. While the people were braving the consequences of war, the royal palace of Raigarh was busy promoting the glorious tradition of art and literature. |
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Chakradhar Singh penned the voluminous "Nartamsarvasvam", a comprehensive documentation of emotions and movements of a dancer, a musician or any other artiste, apart from other masterpieces of Indian literature. This priceless work is still in the possession of the royal family. |
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King Chakradhar Singh was a writer, played the tabla and mastered the art of Kathak. The Raigarh form of Kathak originated here. It is a combination of Jaipur and Lucknow forms of Kathak and was the creation of the King himself. The King used to honor artists and donate villages to them to help them and keep their art alive. |
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After the creation of Chattisgarh in 2000, the Madhya Pradesh government has instituted the Chakradhar Puraskar in the field of art and culture, which went to classical musician Kishori Amonkar in 2001. |
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