Ninth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

This paper focuses on an interdisciplinary study of dance festivals organized at the World Heritage Site in Khajuraho, India. The Khajuraho Dance Festival began in 1975 and I propose it significantly contributed to the inter/national attention towards the Khajuraho Monuments, which was recognized as a WHS by UNESCO in 1986. Amongst the plethora of scholarly and documentary works centered around Khajuraho, its annual dance festival, despite its long-standing repute, have not been thoroughly considered. Studies have foregrounded the revenue-generative properties of the dance festivals, without deeply engaging with the prolonged, cyclical, transactional relationship dance festivals foster between the tourists and the site. My study would like to pronounce how the popularity and value of these sites are secured and maintained through the annual, and thereby continual, performances advanced by dance festivals. Moreover, it is crucial to note that the importance of these representations extends beyond the festival period and site locations. They enter the global media and market and (re)produce cultural imaginaries of the nation. Khajuraho Dance Festival is the earliest and among the most reputed cultural programs held in postcolonial India. Therefore, this study proffers a template for touristic festivals that subsequently took shape within India and other transnational contexts. Khajuraho Dance Festival marks its 50th year in February 2024, and it is a crucial time to look at its historical trajectory and contemporary relevance.