Preserved in homes (Gangai chombu) and worshipped as a Mother who washes away all sins, Ganga symbolises sanctity and spirituality.
The river was celebrated recently in ‘Jagat Pavani Ganga’, a dance, music and theatre presentation , by Kala Sadhanalaya, Chennai, at Mumbai’s Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha auditorium.
Drawing references from Upanishads, Rigveda, Kalidas, Valmiki, Jataka tales, Shiva Purana, anecdotes from the Mahabharata (birth of Bhishma), Vishnu Purana (the penance of Bhagiratha), ancient and modern verses and deploying art forms such as Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, Garhwali music and mime , it was an ambitious attempt to depict the mighty Ganga.
There were narrations in Sanskrit, Hindi, Garhwali, Tamil and English. Resource guidance from Swami Paramarthananda, script and direction by Revathi Ramachandran, musical score by GJR Krishnan, pre-recorded music by Sai Shravanam, singing by Sreekant G, Mumbai Shilpa, Chitra Poornima and Abhishek Raghuram, along with competent accompanists, and Venkatesh’s lighting, all underscored the enormous effort taken by Revathi to put together this presentation. Karthik Ananth Subramanian as sutradhar helped in linking the tale.
The imageries of flora and fauna and the depiction of ashrams on the banks of the Ganga added an edge to the presentation. It was to the credit of the quick-footed dancers, who made the first act, describing the Ganga, visually appealing, but the segment was a tad too long. Crisp editing would have enhanced the impact.
The sound of the river beating against the rocks was conveyed by dancers clapping their palms, with occasional Odissi-like movements and Kathak swirls. A blue dupatta was used to depict the coursing river, Brahma-Vishnu-Siva poses and two dancers as horses were visuals that stayed with the audience.
Story of king Shantanu
The story of King Shantanu, who was bewitched by damsel Ganga was portrayed briefly. The tale of Ashwamedha yagna performed by King Sagar of Ikshvaku dynasty unfolded in detail. From a jealous Indra hiding the horse in sage Kapila’s hermitage; the king’s 60,000 sons being burnt to ashes by the sage; the subsequent repentance of Anshuman and penance by Bhagiratha seeking salvation for them brings Ganga down to earth with such force that it makes Bhagiratha pray to Siva, who locks her in his matted tresses and then loosens one lock to let her flow down.
Nidheesh Kumar as Siva was agile and Jaikrishnan proved to be convincing as Bhagiratha. Madhusudhan and Manasvini’s rhythmic steps, exuding joy with other dancers , showcased the creative choreography.
The Garhwali folk dance was a delightful inclusion. The quickness with which dancers changed into wrap-around skirts and then back to dance costumes was noteworthy.
“I went to Uttarkashi and worked with the Garhwali singer Rajnikant Semwal. Their folk dance is so vibrant that I decided to incorporate it,” informed Revathi.
In the opening scene, the Ganga’s flow was captured in ascending and descending notes. According to the mood of the scene, the musical score alternated between being lively and mellow. Inclusion of a Tamil song and Hindi bhajan towards the end, chanting of Rudram, the sounds of the udukkai in Siva tandavam, all stood testimony to the thought invested in the musical score.
Light and smoke effect
The play of light and the smoke-effect enhanced the scenes, except when the latter was used a bit too much affecting visual clarity. Costumes in muted colours and the terracotta jewelry looked unconventional and elegant.
Significant messages such as the ill-effects of effluence and water pollution were woven well into the presentation.
Tillana in a semi-circular formation and the solo segment by Revathi stood out. The namasankeertan notes in the final segment with dancers darting down the aisle playing the cymbals made the audience join in by clapping and chanting along.
White, shimmering cloth representing the river on which the lamps were placed after the Ganga aarti and pulled from the other end of the stage to give an impression of floating lamps was appreciated with loud applause.
“The starting point of this project was a workshop at Dayananda ashram in 2015. It was also a pilgrimage. I went back in two months. Swamiji encouraged me. I went six times to Gangotri researching for this work,” said Revathi. The production was premiered in May 2016 at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai. ‘Jagat Pavani Ganga’ has also been staged at the Rishikesh ashram on the first death anniversary of Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
“I want the younger generation to take interest in our arts and I am happy my daughter was totally involved in this project,” added Revathi.