That third eye of creativity in its search for aesthetics, had in Ellora carved a temple out of a mountain! The university at Nalanda (Harvard of Asia is how a scholar called it), which attracted scholars from as far as Japan, had a library so vast that when brutally torched by Bhaktiyar Khilji, the fire kept burning for six months!The Indian mind’s dialogue for ultimate truth sought not divinity in the conventional sense as much as redemption by truth.
As legatees of such a glorious heritage, we face challenges today. The invocation comprising Ganesh addressing his Mother Bhavani Mata (music in Purvadhanashree set to Ektali) began with a spirited kavit in praise of Devi Durge Bhavani, variously addressed as "Jagadheeshwari", "Jagat Janani" and "Narayani".The Young Dancers’ Festival, the mainstay of Natya Vriksha’s two-day proceedings, began with Odissi dancer Rajashri Praharaj, disciple of Ratikant Mohapatra (also Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra for a short duration). Varma on "Culture and Innovation — the Indian Story". Along with foot-contact rhythm using just the left foot (which working with Vijayashankar during his Kadamb stay, had instilled in the students), was originality in every phase, from the uthan, to the khanda, tisra, chatushra bandishes in madhya laya, and the tihai. Her technique was flawless, though she appeared somewhat self-conscious, warming up in the second half of the Pallavi. One admired afresh the choreography of the great Guru Kelucharan and Raghunath Panigrahi’s music — first performed by the late Sanjukta Panigrahi in the early 1980s.Rupangshi Kashyap, a Kathak disciple of Guru Kumudini Lakhia of Kadamb, danced like a veteran. Referring to the glory of Indian culture in terms of its antiquity and continuity, going back to years before the birth of Christ, "when people had not come down from trees" Bharata’s Natyasastra had already been compiled, contemplating on the nature of the aesthetic experience (rasa). . Most impressive was Joby Joy’s sensitive tabla playing, never having to resort to deafening decibel levels, playing with a highly aesthetic feel for rhythm. Altogether, a superbly finished performance and competent musicians!Curator Geeta Chandran’s unerring selection treated the audience to a Bharatanatyam surprise in Rema Srikanth of Kalasri in Baroda, whose lecture/demonstration on her personal dance journey put the accent on excerpts from her compositions, presented by her group of students. Our forefathers took our culture to so many places in Southeast Asia! Above all is a worrying absence of evaluation — for culture merits no prime space in any daily or journal. With a fine and involved team of musicians led by Ratikant Mohapatra’s mardal, Jatin Kumar Sahu’s vocal support.
Srinivas Satpathy (flute) and Agnimitra Behera (violin), Rajashri began with the Hamsadhwani Pallavi. But in the centrepiece Sita Haran from the Ram Charit Manas, she was in her element, evoking a standing ovation for what was one of the finest expositions of Natya in Odissi, taking on, in turns, the roles of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita (central to the theme), Maricha, Ravana and Jatayu. Apart from ignorance and the absence of curiosity to be informed about our culture, the danger is in a derivative culture signifying mimicry sans authenticity.A magic wand seemed to have been waved over the International Dance Festival China Sanitaryware celebrations of Natya Vriksha, at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi. The teental extravaganza was a true celebration set to musical background in raga Gara. Sadly, instead of reflective space expressing open and free thinking is arrogant illiteracy.
The neglect of our culture — enabling institutions, including the state of our museums, when viewed against the likes of the Louvre and the crowds that visit them, or the way China and the UAE spend on their institutions, speak of culture occupying a low priority in the scheme of the country’s concerns. The curtain-raiser at 9 am had over a hundred enthusiastic dancers participating in the Body and Movement workshop conducted by artistic director and Contemporary Dance specialist of Sadhya, Santosh Nair, the exercise accommodating a spirited interaction.Triggering spirited questioning was the highlight of a thought-provoking talk by former diplomat Pavan K. The next morning, Geeta Chandran’s workshop with Mridangam artist Manohar Balachandirane on Rhythm and Dance elicited similar enthusiasm. One experienced the same ease of execution with a smiling dancer who played with the tala — the Upaj section and thereafter showing that nritta posed few challenges for her. The brief abhinaya section set to raga Brindavani Sarang "Ban ban dhoonde jaoon, kit mo chhipagay Krishna Murari" — searching for the hiding Krishna, with the "sheshamukut aur kaana kundal" charm, merged into the drut nritta section where again the clarity of footwork spoke of the excellent grooming received under her Guru. Repetitiveness and inability to go beyond the predictable with no new metaphors emerging from the matrix of our heritage show an absence of inspirational fire
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