Beyond palaces, princes & power: Vikramaditya’s saga springs alive

Bhopal: The second day of 'Abhyuday Madhya Pradesh' at Bhopal's Lal Parade Ground swelled with colour, drama and epic scale. Over 200 artistes and 25 live animals—camels, elephants, horses —danced across three colossal stage-sets, bringing the saga of Vikramaditya to vivid life on Sunday. From the hush of hermit groves to the roar of battle, from a jungled wild to the grandeur of the Mahakaal temple, the theatrical production was immersive and grand. Directed by Sanjeev Malviya for the Ujjain-based institution Vishala Cultural & Lokhit Committee, the mega play ‘Samrat Vikramaditya' merged myth, history and spectacle in one sweeping motion.This was not mere entertainment; it was a declaration - that MP's cultural roots are as deep as its developmental ambitions. As the animals marched the stage, the audience glimpsed an ancient world brought to the modern moment.In its design and execution, the performance reminded us of Vikramaditya's legend—his justice, his valour, his fostering of arts—and showed how those virtues still guide us today. With camels and elephants beside heroic princes, with forests and palaces existing side by side, the spectacle captured a past that pulses into the present. Later, Hansraj Raghuvanshi's devotional songs were life a whisper of spirituality that calmed the senses. Folk dances presented on day-2 of the event also got rave reviews from the discerning audience.