Kolkata to host ‘Flame of Hope’ on Jan 21

To kick off at sunset at Princep Ghat along the Hooghly river, the event will pay tribute to art, artists, and art enthusiasts and will help raise funds for underprivileged cancer patients.

‘Flame of Hope’, an evening of ethereal ensemble inspired by the Ganges, will commence with a mesmeric resonance of Vedic Chants, Hymns, Azaan and Gurbani.

Classical music maestro Ustaad Rashid Khan’s alaap, infused with beats of Tabla by noted percussionist Pandit Bickram Ghosh, will recreate the images of the Himalayan origin of the Ganges and echoing the rise and ebb of the river. Bharatnatyam danseuse Padma Shri Malavika Sarukkai will invoke peace with an Aarti following a dance performance that reflects on life and death.

Usha Uthup, the popular and versatile singer will be serenading the hymns.

Deeply influenced by Benares, Padma Shri Paresh Maity will create magic on canvas at Princep Ghat, drawing inspiration from the innumerable diyas floating on the mighty Ganga that keeps the light of hope alive. His work of art, to be named Flame of Hope - eponymous with the ensemble event, will be auctioned to raise funds for the treatment of underprivileged cancer patients at Tata Medical Center. Paresh Maity, who has also created the logo for ‘Flame of Hope’, has been supporting Tata Medical Center since its inception by donating many of his paintings to raise funds for the hospital in the past.

Ravi Shastri, ex-cricketer, will be the guest-of-honour for the event.

Established in Kolkata in 2011, The Tata Medical Center has treated more than 65,000 patients till date. This state-of-the-art hospital was set up with a strategic alliance and assistance from the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, which is one of the premier national institutions for cancer prevention, treatment, education, and research with 75 years of experience. It has been built on carefully landscaped grounds to emphasize the holistic approach in its crusade against cancer.

Envisaged by  Geeta Gopalakrishnan, Director – Donor Relations, Tata Medical Center, ‘Flame of Hope’ is an experience designed to reach out to the larger society, and raise funds for underprivileged cancer patients.

Commenting on the vision behind this, Gopalakrishnan said, “The flame of hope & optimism has been lit in the hearts of parents of so many little children with cancer at Tata Medical Center, Kolkata. To keep this flame of hope burning bright, we at Tata Medical Center, have conceived of a spiritually uplifting evening where music art & dance come together to help raise funds for the expansion of the hospital. This will provide treatment to larger numbers of underprivileged patients with cancer that pour into the hospital every single day. I am thankful to our pantheon of eminent artists this evening -- Ustaad Rashid Khan, Pt. Bickram Ghosh, Malavika Sarukkai, Usha Uthup and Paresh Maity. The banks of Princep Ghat where the Ganges flows in her gentle avatar, will be alight with the Flame of Hope.”

Commenting on the upcoming fund-raiser evening, Mammen Chandy, Director, Tata Medical Center, said, “Cancer is a very expensive disease for people from low economic background. Tata Medical Center has been consistently providing the required treatment to cancer patients. Contributing to this cause will help us tremendously to expand our infrastructure and meet the needs of these patients.”