Tenth anniversary issue of attendance released 
 
April 12, 2008 

On April 4, 2008, the national launch of attendance 2007/8 issue - the tenth anniversary issue - took place in Delhi.  
  
Hosted by senior art-writer, Shanta Serbjeet Singh, Chair-APPAN, Ex-President IWPC, the chief guest was Dr. Karan Singh, M.P., Chairman Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee, President, ICCR and Auroville and H.E Mr. Lalit Mansingh, former Foreign Sect. and Ambassador to USA, received the first copy. 
  
While Shanta Serbjeet Singh set the tone by commenting on the importance of the written word, Dr. Karan Singh next recited meaningful shlokas in praise of Goddess Saraswati and felt attendance needed all the support for it to survive another decade, having somehow managed to keep alive for the last ten years. To ensure that, he concluded with an ode to Goddess Lakshmi. The distinguished diplomat Mr. Lalit Mansingh, himself a connoisseur, praised the courage and commitment of the editor-publisher and later said, he had never before attended such a dance function where there was so much camaraderie and goodwill. 
  

Guru Birju Maharaj came and blessed the occasion and saw young performer Shikhar Agarwal, student of flautist Kailash Sharma; senior Kathak talent Saswati Sen did an impromptu depiction of Thumak Chalat Ramchandra...many dancers and dance lovers were in attendance including Navtej Johar, Rama Vaidyanathan, Geeta Chandran, Kavita Behera, Ambika Paniker, Dr. Shanno Khuranna, GS Rajan, Shambhu Maharaj family (Pt. Kishan Mohan and daughter Ipshita). The press and many connoisseurs were in attendance, despite heavy rains. 
  
The entire stock displayed was sold out and demand from all other centres/cities/dancers has just begun. Please see www.attendance-india.com for closest access to you in case you wish for copies. 
  
Two days later, in Madras, the first copy was presented to Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam who was very happy and recommended it immediately to all her teachers in various centres all over India. She also asked the visiting MD of Jaya TV hosting the popular dance TV show Taka Dhimi Ta...to give attendance as gift to contestants. Panelist Anita Ratnam too received a copy. Priya Govind was happy to get a copy from her French student Bernier and all copies placed at the local outlet Karnatic Music Book Centre, were sold in a day! 
  
attendance will be released in Bangalore end-May; Malaysia in mid-June at the Stirring Odissi event of Sutra; Hyderabad in mid-July at the Nritya Sankhya festival, in Chennai in mid August; Baroda-Bombay-Ahmedabad in August end, in USA in September, Orissa and Bengal in December.