Art and Culture of Dewas
Dewas also famous as the holy city of Madhya Pradesh and boosts of rich cultural heritage dating back to hundreds of years. Influence of the Maratha culture & architecture can clearly be seen in the region be it food, buildings or lifestyle. Today people are adapting to changing times and modern ways of living, but they remain rooted to their ancient traditions. The unique folk dances, music and handicrafts are a visitor’s delight and give a glimpse of the art & craft of Dewas. During festival times and on other special occasions, residents of Dewas dress up in traditional costumes and sing & dance to the local music. Dewas also holds the pride of organising several music & cultural programmes like the Kumar Gandharva Samaroh which is held anually.Folk Songs & Dance Forms of Dewas
The traditional folk songs of Dewas are the Malvi Songs which are sung with great joy in the local dialect during marriages, festivals and village fairs. People not only love to sing and dance on the local folk music of the region but also have a keen interest in classical music. Dewas is known to be a major center of Indian Classical Music with Two National level Classical Music programs organized here every year. Kumar Gandharva Samaroh is one such program is organised by the Ustad Alladuddin Khan Sangeet Academy, Bhopal in coordination with the MP Government every year. Young Artists are awarded with Kumar Gandharva Samman and an amount of Rs. 51,000/- in this program. The second Program is organised by Kumar Gandharva Sangeet Academy, Dewas in which hundreds of music lovers participate. Pandit Kumar Gandharva Ustad Razzab Ali khan, Shri Babulal Verma, Smt. Vasundhara Komkali are some of the famous personalities associated with dance & music of Dewas city.Religions and Festivals in Dewas
Dewas city is having a population of nearly 1,563,107 and majorly comprises of Hindus, though a considerable number of Muslims, Christians & Sikhs also reside in the city. The residents of Dewas have a mutual respect for each other, and live in complete peace and harmony. A large number of people in Dewas are staunch devotees of Maa Chamunda and Lord Shiva and regularly visit the temples of the deities present in the City. The idol of Goddess Chamunda is established in different parts of the city during the festival of Navratiris, and people do Garba on this occasion.People of Dewas city in MP celebrate all major festivals with great joy & enthusiasm. Diwali, Holi, Mohaaram, Id- ul-Fitr, Raksha-Bandhan, Makar Sankranti, Shivaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. are some of the main festivals celebrated in Dewas. Due to presence of a number of temples in the area, regular fairs are also organised on festivals in Dewas attracting a large number of pilgrims from adjoining areas. National Festivals like Independence Day and Republic Day are also celebrated with equal enthusiasm & fervour.