The stories of divine abodes

As is the case in the present scenario, thematic performances are a definite draw. And this time around, two diametrically opposite dance forms showcased the ‘Shri Kshetra’ (the abode of the lord of Sri/Prosperity). One was Sri Rangam (the reclining lord Vishnu) down South while the other was the Nath Dwara (lord Srinath ji). Both Pavitra Krishna Bhat and Abhimanyu Lal handled their respective themes with maturity, developing it by dwelling on the essential points to make it into a whole. While Sri Rangam required to tell the story of its origin as also the importance of the temple through Bharatanatyam, Nath Dwara was known for its eight-mode darshan (Ashta jhanki) of the seven-year-old child Krsna in Kathak style.

Lithe and lissom, Pavitra held the audience in thrall with his dancing abilities as well as the gradual development of the theme – the temple on the banks of the river Cauvery which houses lord Ranganatha (Vishnu) along with his consort and paraphernalia. It was a majestic entry to the reverberating Omkar and the chant of a mantra (enriching music score by S. Vasudevan Iyengar) that captured the viewer’s attention all at once and from this point onwards, it stayed riveted to the dancer and the stage till the final bow out. Abhimanyu Lal brought more abhinaya into his dance this time to depict the timely worship rituals associated with Shrinath ji whose idol stands with one hand upwards as if holding the Govardhan giri (mountain) as a shelter on his little finger while the other hand rests downwards in blessing posture. He took us deftly through the puja vidhaan (worship modes), the Raj bhog, interlacing it with lucid footwork. Abhimanyu picturised the deity in his different aspects as cowherd, as prankster, saviour and so on with a sensitivity and coherence. His live orchestra with Gitanjali Lal at the padanth was enriching.

Though it was a stark stage, Pavitra’s presence and his movement filled it with a sanctity as if we had been allowed a peek of the sanctum sanctorum of a temple. The gradual build up of the theme through a puja ritual followed by a description of the winding river Cauvery on whose banks lies the Sri Rangam temple – all in mnemonics and verse (not song) was like a slow unveiling of the treasure hidden below so many layers. Then came the worship of the lord’s mount (vahan) the mythical Garuda bird considered to be auspicious. At every juncture, the artiste picturised the scene with such clarity of mime and movement that we were actually able to visualise the divine regalia through his vivid imagery. His gait to show the Cauvery’s winding path and the serpentine gyrations of the humongous cobra were brilliant.

Pavitra Krishna Bhat  

But what was breath-taking was the Garuda kouthwam where he began with the 10 avatars of Vishnu in a flash of a second but with astounding clarity and then depicted the pristine mythical bird in myriad ways – swooping, flapping, flying, walking, preening, pecking – with darting looks and what not! With the lord on his back, the Garuda’s heaving up to take flight reached the heights of creativity. It was at the description of the lord of Sri Rangam that Pavitra seems to have taken poetic licence with regard to the posture of the lord. In order to give it an aesthetic appeal or to by pass monotony of striking the same pose over and again, the dancer at times showed the reclining deity with folded knee whereas the Sri Rangam lord (going by the background song) is specifically described as resting his head on his hand and supine with one whose legs and feet are stretched straight!

The archery of Sri Rama set to the three speed cycles was a testimonial to his skilled footwork. The Dikshitar kriti in Brindavana Saranga unfolds the story of the origin of Sri Rangam deity through the story of Ramayana. This song was as complex as a formatted Varnam. The finale was rather abrupt perhaps hindered by slotted time. The dance presentation was put together by Usha RK at the India Habitat Centre.