European Marathi Sammelan 2016 promises to be a grand affair in Netherlands.
PUNE: Amsterdam will be a beehive of activity as lovers and practitioners of Marathi Language , Literature and drama will converge in the Dutch capital of Netherlands in April 2016 for the world acclaimed European Marathi Sammelan (EMS).The 11th edition of European Marathi Sammelan (EMS) will take place held in Amsterdam on 15-16-17 April 2016. EMS 2016 is currently registered as an (NGO) Non Government Organisation at Dutch Chamber of Commerce.
The European Marathi Sammelan (EMS) was established with the sole purpose to bring together all marathi speaking people residing in Europe and relish the rich Maharashtrian culture by organsing programs. The idea of EMS was nurtured and incubated by Late Dr. Anand Pandav from the Netherlands. The concept of EMS was incubated in 1997/1998 and the first EMS program was conducted in 1998 in the Netherlands.
The main agenda of EMS is to showcase and promote Marathi culture through its rich and varied arts, literature and drama for the people residing in Europe keeping Marathi language alive in their hearts. Since 1998, EMS has conducted the cultural programmmes once every 2 years in various countries across Europe.
The Dutch Maharashtrian community has once again taken the lead to organize the European Marathi Sammelan in 2016 for the third time in the Netherlands. The core team which hosted the first EMS in 1998 was also involved in organizing EMS 2006 and the same team together with new young volunteers is leaving no stone unturned to make the EMS 2016 a world success for the third time.
The organizing committee has also launched a high voltage campaign on the social media to spread awareness about the event. Its key office bearer Vrinda Thakur who was in Pune recently said that thirty years ago only thirty families resided in the Netherlands and the figure had climbed to as many as 250 families in 2015. Thakur has been busy contacting corporate and government officials seeking wider dissemination and publicity of the event in the state of Maharashtra.
Thakur was also invited as a represntative of European Marathi Sammelan and European Marathi community by Maharashtra Government, which was attended by the likes of Bollywood Superstar Amitabh Bacchan and Chief Minister Devendra Phadnavis recently.
Explaining the rationale behind organizing the festival, Thakur added that it was the vital connect between the local Marathi people and those coming from Maharashtra. “ It is an atmosphere of festivity, connectedness with our Maharashtrian roots which in turn brings immense happiness. Our minds are tuned to a different kind of experience as people from Maharashtra are with us in Netherlands and the feeling is awesome during the festival ,” she exclaimed
Thakur further said that the sammelan was an international platform to discuss ways and means to promote language , literature and business between Maharashtra and Netherlands.I am proud to be Maharashtrian and very passionate about the language and culture.
The cultural extravaganza,will bring together Marathi stars from the field of music, film and theatre on one platform. Some highlights of the programme include staging of the much acclaimed play ‘ Vyakti and Valli ’ penned by doyen of Marathi literature Pu La Deshpande.
The play has been directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni and produced by Mahesh Manjrekar. Popular Marathi actors comprising of Pushkar Shotri,Bhau Kadam, Anand Ingale, Sunil Barve, Rajan Bhise, Sandeep Pathak, Vaibhav Mangle, Medha Manjrekar and Sumit Raghvan will be displaying their acting prowess.Besides, reknowned Marathi personalities like Dr Anil Avachat, Bhimrao Panchale, Guru Thakur, Mangala Khadilkar and Vijay Kenkare would add to the spice of language and literature during the three day fest.
Marathi poet and Ghazal singer Bhimmrao Panchale will be the Guest of Honor at EMS 2016 .Panchale is known as Ghazal Nawaz (Prince of Ghazals) for his exposition of the ghazal form of poetry and its adaptation to the Marathi language.
