When "Choosing Not to Choose" is not a Choice

It's election time. Unfortunately, in many circles, "Politics" is considered a bad word. Anyone with interest in Electoral issues is considered "Political" and are cast in a khadi-wearing, slogan-shouting stereotype. There is even a notion that no-one who is "political" can remain clean for too long. So what is the safest bet? Remain clean; stay off politics. And strangely we chose to  remain paralyzed by a perceived helplessness, imposed by what I can only put down to conditioning.
But here it is: By not taking a stance, I implicitly bless the victory of some candidate. So my inaction can result in the victory of a bad candidate. And then it came crashing on me: If I abstained from voting, I don't stay clean; Instead I might be supporting the dirtiest of candidates. When the law fails us, someone CAN point fingers at me and say "You did not vote. So this guy won and now look at where we are". This is the good and bad of democracy. Eventually, when the law fails me, someone CAN point fingers at me and say "Your fault".

I stayed away from voting all these years because of a few reasons:

1. I felt that by voting I was just picking the best among the worst and that it did not make a difference
2. I felt that the elected MLA would open no channels for me to communicate with him/her, thus making my needs a non-issue. So I never felt personally invested in the action
3. I did not know how to find out about any particular candidate. So what would I be basing my votes on? 
4. This one is the most embarrassing of all. But I'll admit it. I was lazy to get through the process

This year, a few things have changed. They have given me no excuse to hide behind

1.  As with all years, I got a year older and a bit wiser. At least one good thing came of that increased wrinkle near my eye
2. The process for registering to vote and to find out about the candidates and their stance has gotten so simple, that I cannot sit back and not give my sloth a kick in the derriere. I will provide the necessary links below
3. The place in live in has a wonderfully active RWA that creates the necessary channels for me to communicate with my MLA. So now it's like the phone lines are open and hence who is talking & listening on the other end matters
4. All candidates are getting technology savvy. More and more of them are speaking up online. So knowing the stance of these candidates on issues is getting easier. I will list these information sources below.
5. And last but not the least...I have a personal favorite this time. I don't feel like I am picking the best of the worst. Now I am motivated to see these specific candidates win because I have faith in their ability to lead well. I pride myself enough to say "I don't want some idiot to represent me. I want this person, because he is worthy enough of representing me". In short I have selected. But it's a secret ballot and you don't need to know who that is ;-)

So, let me share some of the information that made it easier for me to get on the bandwagon. It is in my vested interest that I request people living in Koramangala to vote and vote wisely, because your decisions, your action or in-action will affect me profusely.

Register to vote

I woke-up a bit too late, on this issue. Though, thanks to my parents, I am registered to vote, it is in the constituency I grew up in. Changing it would have enabled me to have a say in who should win in my constituency - B.T.M. Layout. But I was too late. So, these elections, I will be returning to my earlier constituency. 

If you have not registered to vote, or like me, are registered in a different constituency, it's a bit late now. But for future elections, please remember it's very simple and can be done online, via this website: http://www.voterreg.kar.nic.in/

Which constituency do you belong to?

If you are not sure of your constituency, but have a voter ID, then finding out your constituency is easy-peasy.

Who are your Candidates

Now, if you know your constituency, then finding out the candidates, then the candidate list has been generously compiled for you by several people. I got mine from the horses mouth. Download your pdf today: http://ceokarnataka.kar.nic.in/ContestingCandidates.aspx

List of Candidates from B.T.M. Constituency  

For my dear residents of Koramangala, who I am almost begging to go vote, I have gone a head and done the research to make it one step easier. These are the candidates and I have found as much information as I can about each of them. Happy reading. 

You have less than a week to make up your mind. If you don't then your neighbours will make up their mind and it just might be the most stupid decision they take, on your behalf. So please, please do put your mind to use and make an active good choice, not a passive bad one. Sadly, not choosing, is not an option...

Symbol	Candidate	Info Links
Lok Satta	Ravi Krishna Reddy	Website Party Website  Facebook Profile Interview with candidate
Janata Dal (Secular)	J. Rameshreddy	http://www.rameshreddy.org/ Party Website
Indian National Congress	Ramalinga Reddy	http://ramalingareddy.com/ Party Website
B.J.P.	N. Sudhakar	BJP Candidates list
B.S.P.	Hariram A.	Party Website
Sewing Machine Bharatiya Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Janatha Party	Thayagaraj
KJP	Srinivasa	KJP Candidates List
Kite Independent	Mohammed Sadiq
Auto Rickshaw Independent	R. Ravindrakumar	Facebook Profile http://bangalorecitizensforum.org/

Know what your MLA has been up to 

And finally, you might want to get familiar with what your current MLA has done for you. Oh yeah! Done for you. We can demand they do stuff for us. That, my dear friends is democracy...woohooo!
http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/MLA-bangalore-2008-2013

Preservation or Nurture? What should the fate of our Art be?

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August, 2011

Do you think that our art forms need to be preserved? Wait! Before you dismiss this as a question of a sceptic, let me assure that I am an ardent worshiper of dance, devoted enough to make an entire career of it. So before you ignore the question all together, do give this article a read and reconsider the question once more.

The context for this question is an interesting weekend show by Bharatagama Pratishtana & Sangeet Natak Academy. On 23rd and 24th of July, this organization put together a rather interesting program that featured all the styles of Bharatanatyam indigenous to Karnataka. The event spanned two whole days, morning and evening, including presentations, discussions and performances, all aimed at showcasing to Bangalore audiences the rich heritage of Bharatanatyam in Karnataka. I had three realizations during this event. The first was just awe at the antiquity of the tradition in Karnataka, the second- an epiphany about an alternative view on our identity and the third, and the most thought provoking of all, was this question on preservation. I will explain each of these in a little bit of detail before diving deep into this intriguing question of mine.

The first thing that struck me at this event was how far back in the past this journey leads us. The Bharatanatyam culture in Karanataka seems to date well into the medieval ages.

Guru Lalitha Srinivasans’s students presented a highly polished Suladi belonging to Mysore tradition. These pieces go back to the Vijaynagar Empire. Similarly Smt. Radhika Nandakumar presented a Goundali , which is a repertoire exclusive to Karnataka. Dr. Tulasi Ramachandra presented a Perani, pieces that were prevalent in Karnataka & Andhra and now extensively reconstructed in both states. All these pieces are ancient, predating the Tanjore Quartet.

Add to the above rarities, were unique pieces called the Poorvaranga Vidhi. These are unique items very unique to this school of Bharatanatyam and include a Sholaka, some jatis and a Choornike, which is often in praise of the king. Disciples of Guru Shakuntala, grand daughter of K. Venkatalakshamma, presented a Poorvaranga Vidhi that were being frequently performed at the courts of Mysore. Students of Guru Lalitha Srinivasan also presented a Poorvaranga Vidhi that seems to have similar ancestry, but this time part of the Moogoru tradition. To the uninitiated, the variety of the repertoire of the styles in Karnataka was a pleasant surprise.

The second thing that caught my attention was a very different aspect of these presentations – the attitude of medieval Karnataka. It seems like medieval Karnataka was nothing short of Cosmopolitan. Through the two days, we saw presentations in Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Sanskrit. Bharatakalamani Guru Radhakrishna’s students presented an actual Thumri. Thumri’s are pieces performed in Kathak and it was such a pleasant surprise to see it being rendered in Bharatanatyam style. Guru Lalitha Srinivasan’s students presented an Ashtapadi that seemed to be heavily inspired by Odissi. On one piece I even saw a head piece that resembled the one’s used in Kathak!

I hear many argue that in order to establish our identity, we need to focus on use of Kannada. But medieval Karnataka seemed to draw its identity, not by use of a single language but by it’s open minded, cosmopolitan attitude. Makes me wonder why we in modern Karnataka feel the need to clutch on to our language as a source of our identity. So what if other states stick to one language or another? Why can our identity not be our ability to be absolutely broad minded, adventurous, avant garde and an embodiment of national integration?

My third realization sprung off the pieces Guru Lalitha Srinivasan’s students presented - several modern pieces, under the same banner of this festival. This was the most heartening part of the entire event for me. I often find that when we talk about our dance form, there is immense focus on the traditional pieces and new pieces are almost blasphemous. I almost see trepidation in dancers to do something new.

Sometimes I wonder if the worst part of the British rule was to alienate us from our own ancestors. Often I hear of people talk about our ancestors as “them”. Many of us seem to view our arts as a hand down from “them” to “us”, that we need to “preserve”. This evokes the image of a museum piece in my mind, that sits on a shelf collecting dust. To my mind, we are a part of a continuum, one with our ancestors and Art is a co-passenger in our journey of life, helping us effectively and beautifully package relevant social messages in a powerful way. I see Art as something that empowers us and as something we need to nurture along the way – an ever-evolving medium that travels with us, speaking to us and on behalf of us. If we view it as a delicate relic that needs just to be preserved, are we not in the danger of allowing it to stagnate and gradually losing relevance all together?

So, back to my three realizations – The immense sense of pride on the age old rich Bharatanatyam legacy of Karnataka; The joy at seeing how progressive and open minded our ancestors were and a yearning to carry on that tradition, instead of a seemingly jingoistic language based politics in our art; and finally, a provocative question of “preservation” Vs. “nurture” being the right attitude towards this Art of ours. In my mind, I am clear on how I want to embrace my Art and I request you, rasikas, what would you like to do? Put Art in a proverbial museum or become custodians of a historically powerful medium and nurture it to grow with you and the society around you?

This Article was Published in Ananya Kala Sinchana September 2011 Issue. Click here to read article on page 34

A Train of Thought that Started at Nitya Nritya

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May, 2011

Nupura School of Bharatanatyam recently conducted the 20th edition of Nitya Nritya, an international dance festival in Bangalore. Being the pioneer of such festivals in Karnataka, the festival boasts of iconic dancers as participants. This year, dance enthusiasts of Bangalore were treated to three whole days of dance, covering different styles, featuring artists from all over the country and even feeding their intellect with a though provoking seminar.

Handicapped by my busy schedule, I managed to attend two days of performances and I loved every minute of it. I was immersed in a world of glitter, glamour, beauty and art. As I sat there, allowing myself to be transported from one fantasy world to another, a small thought occurred to me – a little voice asking a little question. But this little question has just been getting several of my grey cells to jump around with excitement. The question was “why?” Let me elaborate.

It all started as I watched Sujata Mohapatra strike the sculpturesque poses so typical to Odissi. She was effortlessly creating beauty of such magnitude on stage that I was just in love with humanity for our ability to create such beauty. I thought of when it might have started. Now, while the age of Natyasastra might be a topic of heated debate, one of it's messages is undisputed

– we are obsessed with our dance, our art and the beauty created thereof; and this obsession goes back a very long way. So the little voice asked the little question: Why? Why do we indulge in art?

Some say that art brings joy. Gowdara Malli, the concluding piece of the festival, told the story of the life of a village girl. It was not a fairy tale story and did not have a Walt Disney ending of “they lived happily ever after”. Malli struggles to gain acceptance into the family she marries. She suffers the loss of her children and her husband. It is a realistic story filled with real moments that perhaps many of us relate to. Some might relate to her struggle for acceptance. Some might relate to her internal quest for strength to cope with the tribulations of life. I am certain that Gowdara Malli struck an emotional chord in the hearts of many in the audience, but joy might not have been the one for all. Joy as the sole purpose of art, does not seem so convincing. Moreover, in our current age of retail therapy & spa therapies, there does not seem to be a dearth of sources of joy. So, there is that little question again: Why do we put so much effort into art?

These days, emotional outlet seems a popular reason cited for the raison d’etre of art. As I observe co-workers spend their coffee breaks, watching YouTube videos, I am in no doubt about the empathetic emotional evocative power of these videos. Just a cricket match alone can evoke a plethora of emotions. Then we have videos of cute children doing cute things, of natural calamities, of the wonders of nature...no matter how stoic one claims to be, I doubt there is not a video on YouTube that might elicit an emotional reaction. So, as it turns out, anyone with a decent camera phone and a decent internet connection could create an emotional outlet. So, there is that little question, still hanging in the air and taunting me.

One might suggest that dance was an effective tool for education and story telling in the yester-years. In our current age of state of the art educational tools, would dance then not render itself out-dated? And yet, there I was, at Nitya Nritya, watching Gayathri & Balagurunathan unravel the tales of Narasimha. The audience watched spell bound Sujata Mohapatra bring to life the tale or Mareecha and Jatayu. Why is that we are not content with Cartoon Network tell our tales and fables? Why do we spend years perfecting our adavus & mudras and fine tune our abhinaya? Why do people leave the comfort of their couches, brave the Bangalore traffic, to attend such festivals, to watch the stories that they are so familiar with?

There is no doubt in my mind that art is still alive and thriving in this age of animations and YouTube. Take a look at the burgeoning number of dance & music festivals around the country and, as they say in marketing parlance, there is a growing market for art. Take another look, this time at what is being presented in these festivals, and it will lay all doubts to rest about art being part of the modern day world. Atah Kim was a piece presented in Nitya Nritya, by Kumudini Lakhiya’s group of Kathak dancers. The piece was modern in its choice of music & costume. It is an attempt at an onward journey in dance, towards modernity. Atah Kim, loosely translated means “where do we go from here”. Forward looking pieces like this stand at the vanguard of this artistic journey and assure us that, regardless of technological advances, regardless of the multitude of recreational options, regardless of state of the art educational tools, art will still forge on, creating beauty all along. But why?

Is “beauty” in itself an end goal? Do we, as humans have an inherent need to experience beauty, irrespective of the emotions it evokes, of the lessons it teaches, of the stories it tells? People dedicate their lives to several causes: poverty, environment, education etc. While art might not, in any obvious way, seem as grave as any of these, it still manages to find people who dedicate their whole lives it. I watch my guru, Smt. Lalitha Srinivasan, as I practise in class. I see in her eyes an ardent dedication to dance. I watched as all her students come together to make Nitya Nritya happen. It was evident that their love for their guru motivated them. But their love for dance was unmistakable. A lifetime dedicated to art! How does art elicit such dedication from us? It is perhaps because, as humans, we need beauty to feed our soul and remain human.

As I drove home after Nitya Nritya, I wondered. We might perhaps not know what exact need art meets in us. But it is more than evident that we need it. And this revelation in itself should be enough for us to consciously bring art into our world. Learn & practice more of it, expose ourselves to more of it, learn to appreciate more of it. While I busy myself with more practice and more learning, this question will continue to linger in my mind: Why? Anthropologist the world over might continue to ponder about the exact need that drives our unrelenting efforts to promulgate art. It might make for interesting discussions among intellectuals. Even if we never know what exact need in us that craves art, we do know that, in some in-explicable way, art leaves us happier and more content.

Ambassadors of Our Art

January, 2011

Recently I was doing some research on dance festivals across the world. As with all research, I started my search on Google. I typed “dance festival” and was quite surprised by what I found. Almost all the results on the first page were links to dance festivals in India. Be it on the internet or in the real world, India seems to have no dearth of dance festivals.

I was recently at Sai Nrityotsav in Bangalore. The festival showcased several budding dancers of different styles. The concluding Odissi performance, choreographed by Smt. Sharmila Mukharjee, reminded me of the Konark Dance festival I attended last February. Konark was a magical experience for me, with its larger than life stage set up and artists of even larger repute. Listening to the magical voice of Dr. Balamurali Krishna or watching the mesmerising performance of Smt. Sujata Mohpatra transported me an indescribable world of beauty and joy. As I watched the emerging artists at Sai Nrityotsav, it brought just as much joy. While Konark was showcasing the grandeur of Indian art and the greatness of its practitioners, Sai Nrityotsav was giving a glimpse into the future of our art. The range of availability of such platforms is indeed heart-warming.

However, what bothered me about both these festivals is the audience availability. The audience seems to be rather abundant and enthusiastic at the performances of the most popular artists or those of their own kith and kin. As the other performers hit the stage, the audience seems to start thinning out. As I saw, in both festivals, audiences selectively pick what they want to watch and walk out on several mind blowing performances, simply because they were lesser known artists, I could only shake my head.

This selective availability of audiences poses a formidable challenge to new artists. A new artist needs to either come from a well-known lineage or have art patrons in his or her immediate circle of friends or family. Artists coming from any other circumstance risk being lost to oblivion. But more importantly, the field of art risks losing possible game changers and significant contributors. If our art has to grow at the full potential of available artists, then we absolutely need to provide audiences to new, lesser known artists.

As I sit back and ponder on who could address this seemingly unfair distribution of audiences, I am struck by the realization that I myself might be able to address it. Most of my own friends and family only watch performances of famous artists or those of mine. They often rely on my recommendation on what else to watch. Without such recommendation, they too leave after my performance! Today, there is no dearth of artists or of platforms. An average person absolutely has no time to attend them all. So how does one identify what to watch? By relying on my recommendations. So, if I were to identify and recommend, lesser known, promising artists, then I could play a non-trivial role in increasing audiences. This realization instils in me an immense sense of responsibility.

Most artists, me included, believe we are here to serve a larger purpose – that of serving the art. We spend years learning, hours practising and leave our hearts out on the stage when we perform. We worship and love our art. But are we doing all we can for our art? I contest that we can do more.

As artists, we can and should be ambassadors of our art form, spreading the message of our art to the world of non-artists. We should be watching more, talking more about these new artists and educating our social circle on the intricacies of our art and its practitioners. We have with us the ability to make people around us see and appreciate the beauty of our arts and enrich their own lives. We have the ability to identify emerging talent, thus making significant contribution to our art form. While festivals like Sai Nrityotsav and Konark Festival are doing their part in creating the platform for art, the question to us as artists is, “Are we making the best use of our ability and knowledge in serving our art or are we limiting ourselves to a one dimensional approach towards this? If we can do more, what is stopping us? If our art form benefits, do we not?”.

This article was published Narthaki Website. Click here to view article

Mesmerizing Eyes of a True Guru

“You are a Bharatanatyam dancer, why are you attending a Mohiniattam workshop?” they asked. I had two words for them – Bharati Shivaji! We often clamber to spend just a few minutes with corporate leaders, stealing a moment in the lift or at the cafeteria. Yet, we overlook opportunities to learn from great leaders outside of board rooms. Bharati Shivaji is not just a Mohiniattam legend and a perfectionist at her art, but more importantly a thought leader in her field. So why would I not sign up for this workshop where I could spend three days with her, learning all that I could?

This Mohiniattam workshop was brought to us as part of the Celebrate Dance Series 2010. This series is a contribution of Mrs. Vaijayanti Kashi, to the world of dance. In this workshop, the third of the series, Mrs. Kashi, once again, has out done all expectations. Through these workshops, she brings the best in the world of dance, to artists in Bangalore. Each of these workshops leaves me awaiting the next one eagerly.

In this workshop, the content structure was particularly interesting to me. It had a good balance of technique and histrionics (Nrtta and Abhinaya). The technical piece, the Cholkattu, was of just the right size. For non-Mohiniattam dancers like me, it was not too long to overwhelm us, yet was enough to give us good exposure to Mohiniattam Nrtta. As I struggled to interweave languor into grace, the uniqueness of the style dawned on me. Chechi, as Bharati Shivajis students fondly call her, patiently explained to us, what our body was struggling to grasp and put into motion and we slowly worked through the intricacies of this dance form.

The Padam posed an interesting challenge for me. Learning a composition which focuses more on abhinaya poses less of technical barriers and hence should have been easier for me. Yet, I struggled, as I often got distracted by Chechis mesmerizing abhinaya. Her subtle yet delightfully sensual eye-movements transport you to a land of dreams and fairy tales.

As we took a break and sat at Chechis feet, sipping hot tea, Chechi spoke to us about the history of Mohiniattam. She talked about its development, pre and post-independence. About their struggle to gain Mohiniattam acceptance in the country and the challenges it faces today. We learnt more about Mohiniattamitself. About how Lasya and Shringara Rasa are so central to Mohiniattam, that they are even seen during Nrtta. About the more dramatic and yet more soulful nature of the Abhinaya.

At the end of each day, as I sat on the cool floor and the serene surroundings of Shambhavi theatre, stretching and massaging my sore muscles, I wondered at the myth the Mohiniattam was an easy dance to do. I watched Chechi chat with her students and even from the distance I could see the love and affection she has for her students. Chechis wiliness to open her hearts wide for anyone who wants a place in it and yet the strength and determination she demonstrates when it comes to the growth of Mohiniattam, might seem in sharp contradiction to each other, but blend gracefully in this beautiful person. I was looking at a true Guru, in what comes closest to a Gurukul, for city dwellers like me.

As I journal my account today and look back at the past three days, I am not sure if I have managed to learn the characteristic sways of Mohiniattam, but I am sure I have gained more understanding of the style, which will allow me to appreciate it better. I believe that the more art we learn to appreciate, the more beauty we let into our lives. People like Mrs. Kashi and Chechi dedicate their lives to bring this beauty into our lives and help us enrich our lives. And all we need to do is to want it!

Sampling the Guru-Shishya Parampara

Her lips quiver, her fingers tremble, her eye lashes flutter as she depicts Radha drinking the nectar from Krishnas lips. As Sujata Mohapatra, a leading Odissi dancer, sensually moves across the stage, and the audience is spell bound. Watching her is a pleasure. Learning from her is a blessing! So when the opportunity to learn from her came by me, I did the only thing to do – grab it!

I heard from Mrs. Vaijayanti Kashi, that she was bringing to Bangalore, an Abhinaya Workshop by Mrs. Sujatha Mohapatra. My delight knew no bounds. The fact that I had my own performance a week away and the challenge of scheduling my rehearsals after this workshop did not deter me from instantly registering for the workshop. And booked a spot for myself in a hurry, lest it gets booked out!

Armed with directions scribbled on a piece of paper, I headed out on a Saturday morning, trying to find my way to Shambhavi Dance Theater in Kengeri. A pleasant drive on NICE and a short drive off NICE road brought me to the wonderful ambience of Shambhavi Dance Theatre. The terracotta tiled theatre sits pretty in a garden with dainty flowering plants and fruit trees that house chirping birds and bees. A cool breeze welcomed me as I got out of my car and walked towards the theatre. Inside, I saw several inspirational images, quotes and awards. I knew, instantly, that dancing here was going to be an experience to cherish.

We started the three day workshop with Mrs. Vaijayanti Kashi explaining to us her sentiment towards the Guru-Shishya parampara. Mrs. Kashi has benefitted immensely from this system and is eager for us, younger dancers, to experience the same. As a tribute to this system, she had invited Mrs. Mahopatra. Mrs. Mahopatra, also hailing from the same system, shares Mrs. Kashis sentiment and seemed equally eager to give us a taste of this system. I saw the immense learning experience this was going to be and I quietly smiled to myself. I could not wait for it all to start.

Over the next three days I was immersed in dance. Mrs. Mohapatra taught us the way to move our body with such grace. She spoke to us about her Guru and his undying passion. We spent hours trying to learning what seemed rather effortless to her. We spent our breaks discussing dance. The workshop had attracted students of different dance forms – Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi. We spoke about the differences in our forms and the similarity. We spoke about our love for dance. One evening, we were even treated to a performance by Mrs. Sujata Mohapatra.

The three days came to an end before I knew it. Of course, I could not find a single muscle in my body that was not sore. In the three days I had driven almost 80 kms each day, driving between home, workshop and my dance rehearsals. But I had gained more than I had expected. Spending more than 6 hours each day with such an accomplished dancer had an added benefit. It gave us a glimpse of the special Guru-Shishya bond, which when fully forged, is more than just a tutelage system. It can be an enriching life experience.

I must admit that, as certain as I was about learning new and exciting things at the workshop, I did have concerns about the relevance of this Odissi training to my Bharatanatyam. However, I soon realized that lessons from such great exponents transcend stylistic differences. In fact, when I tried one of the moves I learnt from her at my last Bharatanatyam show the audience loved it and appreciated it greatly. I did not realize that a three day workshop could give me the best move of my entire performance.

Mrs. Vayjayanthi Kashi is bringing to us several such workshops as part of the Celebrate Dance Series 2010 as a response to her receiving the Sangeet Natak Academy Award. This gesture from Mrs. Kashi, where she has provided us with the opportunity to learn from the best, bears testimonial to her dedication to the art and to her generosity as a Guru. If the first of the series is any indication to the caliber of these workshops, then this series is definitely a must-do for all dancers this year. I eagerly await the rest of this series to unravel and I sincerely wish Mrs. Kashi the very best in such future endeavors.

Magic at Konark

Being a Bharatanatyam dancer, the idea of attending the Konark Dance and Music Festival excited me tremendously. I found abundant information on the internet. Before I knew it, I found myself in Bhuvaneshwar, looking for a cab to take me to Konark. As I sat in the cab, and watched the quaint country side pass by, I thought about what the five day festival would have in store for me. I knew from the illustrious names on the detailed program I had downloaded from the internet, that the performances would be of asuperior caliber. But I wondered what the overall experience would be?

On the first evening of the festival, I walked into Natya Mantap and was taken aback by the stage. The stage is designed after the Natyasala of the Konark Sun Temple. The stage has life size replicas of the statues on the temple walls. As a performer I looked at the stage longingly, wondering how wonderful it would be to dance on such an inspiring stage. My ruminations were broken by the sound of a gong announcing the commencement of the festival.
The opening sequence of the festival was grand, to say the least. It started with the Subha Sankha Dhwani & Mangal Vadya. Extremely young artists danced while playing various instruments like cymbals and drums, conches and gongs. A ceremonial flower arrangement and flames are carried all the way from the back of the audience, on to the stage. This is closely followed by the Panchadeva Stutee. More than fifty Odissi dancers danced in perfect unison invoking blessings. This spectacular opening sequence created a culturally charged festive environment, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.

The format of the evening was well defined. Each evening started with the spectacular Subha Sankha Dhwani & Mangal Vadya and Panchadeva Stutee. This was followed by a musical performance. Then the dance programs of the evening took over. Each evening there was a Odissi performance, one other classical dance form of India and one folk dance. The festival gave Rasikas an opportunity to enjoy a little culture from the length and breath of the country.

The festival was a continuous stream of delightful art. Music lovers were treated to all time favorites like Dr. Balamuralikrishna and Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Dr. Balamuralikrishna presented a composition in his own Raga – Lavanga and a Tillana in Kadanakuthoohala. His performance transported me to a dream world and when he finished it felt like someone had woken me up from a beautiful dream. I did not want his performance to end.


Sujata Mohapatra’s Odissi was enchanting. She presented a piece on the life of Krishna – his victory over Bakasura, Kalinga and Putana. Sujata mastery over the technique and her exquisite Abhinaya created a memorable experience. As I sat under the stars, in the amphitheatre of Natya Mantap and watched her perform, it was easy to imagine the statues on the stage come to life.

Anuj Misra and troop performed Kathak for us. Anuj was really the star of the Kathak show with his lightning fast footwork and chakkars. He executed sixteen chakkars in three different speeds. When he reached the fastest tempo, he did four chakkars in four different directions. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and so did the audience, judging by the constant cheering. Mrs. Vajayanthi Kashi and troop presented Krishnarpanam. Mrs. Kashi, in her role of Putana, writhed in pain, dying slowly, contorting her body and creating a dramatic effect. The Kalaripayattu performance had the entire audience on the edge of their seats with their exhibition of sheer strength and power. The combat, with several deadly instruments like swords, was quite thrilling. As their blades struck each other, sparks flew and the audience gasped and cheered.

But what really stood out for me was the Gotipua performance by kids as young as five. They maintained perfect rhythm, exhibited immense grace and performed gravity defying acrobatics. Their infallible performance bore testament to their dedication. As the night progressed, the magic of the evening was disrupted by people leaving. The thinning audience was disheartening and yet it was expected. After all, the guests had to worry about dinner, stay or return to Bhubaneshwar. There are no restaurants serving dinner after 10 PM, no sufficient hotel rooms and poor connectivity to Bhubaneshwar. As Indians, we take a lot of pride in our culture, but do we do enough to preserve it?


Today as I look at the pictures I took at the festival and recount my experience I have a mixed feelings. My heart swells up with pride at the breadth and depth we have in our art forms. Yet, the image of the Gotipua children, the sincerity in their smiles, the eagerness in their eyes and the remarkable strength in their tiny limbs contrasted with the dismally thin audience also brings me to tears. I clutch to a hope that India shining illuminates Indian arts.

Konark, Orissa - February 2010

I love traveling and have found various reasons to travel – business, sightseeing, adventure sports etc. This time I decided to make my travel all about culture. Being a Bharatanatyam dancer, the idea instantly excited me. A little research on the internet pointed me towards the Konark Music and Dance festival. All it took was a few calls to the organizers and soon I found myself in Bhuvaneshwar.

As we landed in Bhubaneswar, I was pleasantly surprised by the weather. It was just about the same as Bangalore. We left the airport in search of a place to eat and an internet parlor. We found a dingy internet cafe with an infuriatingly slow connection and spent, what felt like hours, trying to open an equally infuriatingly heavy yahoo mail page. After an ordinary meal and some coffee, we found a cab to take us to Konark. Thing about taking cabs here is they charge for both ways, even if you only want to get dropped off. So we ended up paying Rs.800 for being dropped off at Konark.

The drive to Konark was interesting. There are tons of quaint little villages along the way. Most of these village houses have cute stick figures painted on the walls. But what struck me was how ancient everything looked. It was almost like we were traveling back in time. The lack of development in this place is a bit confusing to me. The place seems to be rather lush green. For an agrarian country, I would imagine, verdure has to translate to wealth and prosperity. I saw no signs of prosperity here. Sad!


We finally reached Konark and to our dismay found that it’s a smaller town that we even imagined. There is only really one option to stay at. There is the govt. run Yatrinivas with rooms in the range of Rs.800 – Rs.1400. The place is run badly, maintained poorly and is not clean. Apart from this, there is Panthnivas, the more inexpensive version of this, and perhaps even more badly maintained. And then there is the much more expensive Lotus Eco Resort on Chandrabagha beach. Rooms here range from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 7000. Apart from being completely out of our budget, it was also quite far from the centre of Konark. We did go check out the rooms there and they are very nice. I would recommend it to anyone looking for isolation and quiet. Since we needed to be close to the heart of Konark, we settled for Yatri nivas.

Yatri nivas is the best option for anyone interested either in the dance festivals or the Sun Temple. The Konark Natya Mandap is where one of the dance festivals is conducted and it’s about 1 km from Yatri nivas. However, there are not many transport options between the two. Getting to the festival in the evening was not as much as problem as getting back. Since the festival ends well past 9 PM, there are no autos or cabs available. On one day we ventured walking back. The roads were deserted and there are many excited dogs and bulls on the road, not making it a very pleasant walk. So we decided that it was a good idea to not be shy and ask cars on the premises for a drop to Yatri nivas.



The festival began at around 7 PM on all five days. So we had the first half of the day to ourselves. We visited the Sun Temple on one day. The temple has very intricate ornate carvings. These carvings depict to a great detail, life in the 13th century - everything from the sense of dressing, folklore of the day, occupation all the way to philosophy, sex life and even diseases. The entire temple took 12 years to build. That sounds like a jiffy, when I compare it to how long it’s taking us to get the city metro up.





We spent another day in Puri. The drive from Konark to Puri is beautiful. The city itself is crowded and dirty. I did not enjoy the city and we did not spend much time there. We visited the Lotus Eco resort on Ramchandi resort and got lunch at the restaurant there. The beach there is pristine and a wonderful place to spend a day with nothing but your thoughts. We chose not to visit Pipli or spend more time in Bhubaneshwar.



Orissa being so distant and so different from Bangalore, it gave me a great opportunity to forget city life all together. All the time we had to ourselves was a great way for us to unwind and disconnect from “real life”. Five days of great music and dance transported me to a beautiful world of dreams. While the festival itself is wonderful, the infrastructure is poor to say the least. Connectivity to Bhubaneswar is poor, transport within Konark is difficult, almost impossible at night, there are not enough options to stay and the restaurant at Yatri nivas is closed by the time you return from the festival at night. As obvious, I do have mixed feelings about this trip and about returning.

Kari Sidda

This is about my performance as Giddi, in the dance drama - Kari Sidda. Kari Sidda is a dance drama based on Kuvempus poem, by the same name. Its really a simple story of a man and his wife in a village. However, its the way the story is told that is interesting.

Kari Sidda feeding Giddi
Originally uploaded by nu-one

This story is set in Malanad, where the natural beauty is breathtaking. The narration starts out with the five elements- Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Sky- entering the story. The Sutradar or narrator sets the context by explaining that his story is about a poor, simple couple – Kari Sidda and Giddi. He points out that it’s not a grand story about kings, unlike the Ramayana. To illustrate the point a scene from the Ramayana, Sita Swayamwara, is enacted.

Coming back to our couple, the simplicity of their daily life is depcited. Soon the couple starts worrying about not having a child. After years of worrying, they have a child, who they name Byra. Byra is no extraordinary child. However he grows strong in the love of his parents. To illustrate their loving upbringing a story telling session between mother and son is enacted. The parents also tell him the story of Punyakoti.


One fine day Father and son go fishing. Byra is attracted to the flowers growing in the water. While attempting to pick the flowers, he falls in. By the time his father finds him he is dead. The poet describes the scene. He describes how all of nature was calm. The river that claimed the childs life is flowing innocently, not really knowing what chaos it created in the lives of Sidda and Giddi.