Vadodara: The Anjali Memorial Committee from Vadodara will represent Indian classical dance at the 77th Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Jan 26, marking a rare national-level cultural presence from Gujarat.The group is believed to be the only Bharatanatyam troupe from Vadodara and Gujarat selected for this year’s national parade. Prof. Parul Shah, former head and dean of the faculty of performing arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), confirmed the development after receiving an official invitation from the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi.The troupe includes Divya Patel, faculty member at the faculty of performing arts, along with Bharatanatyam students Devanshi, Prachi, Priyanshi, Kavya, Swechchha, Diya, Bhagyashree, Preetha and Nishtha.“The team has already reached New Delhi and is currently participating in rehearsals for the parade,” Shah said.She added that this year’s celebrations also mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, and the students will be part of the special cultural programme commemorating the occasion.
