Sahrdaya Arts TrustHyderabad

A Quarterly Journal of Indian DanceVolume: XVIII, No. 1 January-March 2018

For all editorial enquiries, sending manuscripts, details of subscriptions, and past issues please visit www.nartanam.inRegistered Office: Sahrdaya Arts Trust, 508, Dwarakamai Apartments, Srinagar Colony Post, Hyderabad- 500073

Email: editornartanam@gmail.com, sahrdayaarts@gmail.comPhone: 9989314829, 9000020879 website: www.nartanam.in

Annual Subscription:In India: Individual: ` 1000 Institutional: ` 2000Overseas: Individual: US $ 60 Institutional: US $ 80(All Inclusive of postage)Note: Students in India can avail of 25% discount onindividual subscriptions)

Printed and published by Madhavi Puranam on behalf of Sahrdaya Arts Trust, Hyderabad Printed at Karshak Art Printers, 40-APHB, Vidyanagar, Hyderabad-500044. (Ph:27618261) and published in Hyderabad.

Editor: Madhavi Puranam

RNI No. APENG2001/04294ISSN 2455-7250

Chief EditorMadhavi Puranam

Past issues can be obtained from our office@ ` 350/- per copy for individuals@ ` 500/- per copy for instiutions(Inclusive of postage in India; Subject to availabil-ity; Please check with the office.)

Founders

Anuradha Jonnalagadda (Scholar, Kuchipudi dancer)

Avinash Pasricha (Former Photo Editor, SPAN; SNA Awardee)C.V. Chandrasekhar (Bharatanatyam Guru, Padma Bhushan)Kedar Mishra (Poet, Scholar, Critic)Kiran Seth (Padma Shri; Founder, SPIC MACAY)Leela Venkataraman (Critic, Scholar, SNA Awardee)Mallika Kandali (Sattriya dancer, Scholar)Manjari Sinha (Critic, Scholar)Pappu Venugopala Rao (Scholar; Former Secretary, MusicAcademy; SNA Awardee)Reginald Massey (Poet, FRSA, Freeman of London)Sunil Kothari (Scholar, Padma Shri and SNA Awardee,Fellow of SNA)Suresh K. Goel (Former Director General, ICCR)Cover, Design & Layout

Shakeel Ahmed

Cover Photo:Danda Rasaka dance, ornate pillar,Ramappa templePhotos by RaviPhoto Courtesy: Yashoda Thakore

Nartanam, founded by Kuchipudi KalaKendra, Mumbai, now owned andpublished by Sahrdaya Arts Trust,Hyderabad, is a quarterly which providesa forum for scholarly dialogue on abroad range of topics concerning Indiandance. Its concerns are theoretical as wellas performative. Textual studies, dancecriticism, intellectual and interpretativehistory of Indian dance traditions are itsfocus. It publishes performance reviewsand covers all major events in the fieldof dance in India and notes and commentson dance studies and performancesabroad. The opinions expressed in the articlesand the reviews are the writers’ own anddo not reflect the opinions of the editorialcommittee. The editors and publishersof Nartanam do their best to verify theinformation published but do not takeresponsibility for the absolute accuracyof the information.

Associate EditorK. K. Gopalakrishnan

PatronEdward R. Oakley

Chief ExecutiveVikas Nagrare

Advisory Board

All articles, photographs and other materials, appearing in Nartanam, whether in whole or in part, in any form areexclusive copyright of Sahrdaya Arts Trust unless otherwise specified, and may not be reproduced in any form or stored

in any electronic or retrievable format without prior written consent.

Late G. M. SarmaM. N. Sarma

NARTANAMVolume: XVIII, No. 1 January-March 2018

CONTENTS

Editorial/ 6

Textual Traditions in Dance: An OverviewP. S. R. APPA RAO / 9

Dance Treatises: The Contribution of the TelugusANURADHA (JONNALAGADDA) TADAKAMALLA /18

A Pivotal Introduction to Nrttaratnavali by V. RaghavanMADHAVI PURANAM / 27

Nrttaratnavali:A Historical View of Jyasenapati and the Aesthetics of Presentation

MANDAKRANTA BOSE / 43

Nrtta Ratnavali– A Turning PointPAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO / 55

The Aesthetics of JayasenapathiPAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO / 61

Nritta Ratnavali: The Desi TraditionPAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO / 68

Perini: History, Evolution, and ReconstructionKALA KRISHNA /80

Influence of Manasollasa on NrttaratnavaliR. GANESH / 89

Sculptural representation of the Desi tradition of dance in Kakatiya templeswith a special reference to Nrtta Ratnavali

VIDYA SHIMLADKA / 95

An Overview of Indian Arts: Dance, Music and TheatreBHARAT GUPT / 121

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

Interaction of Mohiniattam voices in Kaisiki Vritti / 143DELHI DIARY / 152

LEELA VENKATARAMAN

Nartanam6

EDITORIAL

SPEAKING STRAIGHT

India's dance fraternity presents a dismal scene at the moment, especially inits academic stream. There is confusion bordering on chaos and scholarshipbordering on mediocrity. There are pushes and pulls in various directions. Theperformers and scholars of this fraternity hardly ever gather under one umbrellato interact and exchange knowledge and ideas.

Only when there is robust debate is there a possibility for further enquiry andchances of finding all or some answers or none. Only when the platform ofresearch is democratic instead of it being an arena of hierarchies, of positionsheld, and of insatiable egos can research become meaningful. Being devoid ofresearcher’s bias laced with high emotion is a rare sight in the academics ofdance in India.

Dance research is a ground for the finest minds. Rocket scientists are poorcousins. We, the dance researchers are in the process of delving into many areasof dance like history, theory, technique, grammar, performative aspects, pedagogy,aesthetics, ethnography, politics and its examination from the perspective ofscience, culture, race, gender, diaspora and many other inter disciplinary studies,but often unfortunately from preconceived notions and attitudes. Many are miredin mere semantics.

An Indian teacher in all subjects forever tends to be a giver; he cannotbe a taker of anything but for the fees in some cases, if I may have the temerityto suggest. A teacher taking away knowledge from the teaching experience isblasphemous. A teacher is on a pedestal and the slavish student receives thealms of his/her wisdom. A look at a general dance PhD student reminds one of aharassed figure devoid of even a modicum of enthusiasm. University dancedepartments, if not all, often look sleepy with not much dynamism in the air.

A mere mortal minus fancy degrees has no right to question. Scholarship andordinary mortals are supposed to be mutually exclusive. Spectators who havenot studied dance are uninformed (to be read as IDIOTS). Writers/reporters,when they praise the dancers are scholars and when they fail with abundantglorifying adjectives are morons. Dance administrators, if there are any in theculture departments, culture centers and national akademies, are blind and happy

Nartanam 7

to be lead by the coterie around them. Thus goes the juggernaut of Indian dance,its academia, performance and its administration. However, it does seem to fitinto the dire scenario of the nation’s politics, administration and the polity, withthe fine fabric of culture being eroded with corruption, divisive politics and thebaser instinct of humans on display rather than the finer.

The last issue on Nartanam’s late founder G. M. Sarma presented aphoto feature of the Nartanam Conclave 2017 and the details of its proceedings.This issue is a special on the treatise Nrttaratnavali, a seminar on which waspivotal academic component of the Nartanam Conclave 2017. The four days ofthe conclave saw high voltage debates, discussions, paper presentations, paneldiscussions and lecture demonstrations, which generated valuable insights onNrttaratnavali. They are presented in this issue along with a couple of old andnew articles. An article by P. S. R. Appa Rao on the textual Traditions of Indiawhich was printed in the very first edition of Nartanam which sums up all theSanskrit treatises on dance from Natyasastra onwards is a rare piece. We haveadded an article which features the great scholar V. Raghavan’s thoughts andsome questions on Nrttaratnavali from his introduction to the very importantbook, Nrttaratnavali of Jaya Senapati critically edited with introduction andnotes by V. Raghavan published by the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library,Madras in 1965. Bharat Gupt’s article focuses on music from Natyasastra tilltoday, a slight deviation from our desire to examine dance in all the importanttexts from Natyasastra till Nrttaratnavali. However, we retain it for theinteresting perspective on the evolution of music. We have Mandakranta Bose,Pappu Venugopala Rao, R. Ganesh, Anuradha Jonnalagadda Tadakamalla,Yashoda Thakore, Vidya Shimladaka, Kalakrishna, examining Nrttaratnavalifrom various perspectives.

Some scholars cannot take instruction in terms of a guideline on the papersought by the curator/editor. We discovered this through our efforts to generatenew perspectives on Nrttaratnavali. Some scholars gave written papersaccording to our guideline but on stage found passionate deviations from theproposed topics. There were others who did not stick to our guideline in thepapers too. However, every discussion and paper was fruitful in many waysthan one and we are deeply indebted to all the stalwarts who graced the Conclaveand presented their papers and lecture-demonstrations.

The Nartanam Conclave saw scholars, performers, patrons and the spectatorscome together with the support of the Government of Telangana and the

Nartanam8

Happening Hyderabad and the Kakatiya Heritage Trust, which supported theseminar section. B. V. Papa Rao (Retd IAS), Advisor to the TelanganaGovernment, B. Venkatesham (IAS), Secretary to the Government of TelanganaYouth Advancement, Tourism & Culture Department, Sunita M. Bhagwat (IFS),Commissioner of Tourism, Government of Telangana and Mamidi Harikrishna,Director of the Department of Language and Culture of Telangana participatedin the Conclave with admirable interest and enthusiasm. We thank them all.

We are ambitious in our desire to organise excellent programmes/seminarsbut the process of raising money for the same is tedious. A journal like Nartanamoperating on a shoestring budget cannot afford to organize a conclave with suchsubstantial span. It is like shooting oneself in the foot while wanting to surgeahead with our work. However, we dare to announce Nartanam Conclave 2018from 5-8 October, 2018 in Hyderabad, and “Music for Dance” will be thethrust of its seminar section while we handpick the evening performances, to getthe best to Hyderabad.

We welcome Manjari Sinha, the eminent music and dance critic of India, toteam Nartanam as a member of our advisory board and thank her for consentingto guide us with her valuable advice. We also welcome K. K. Gopalakrishnan,the renowned dance critic and scholar, to our team and thank him for consentingto be our associate editor. Our best wishes and gratitude to well-wishers whohave been helping us serve Indian Dance.

Last but not the least, our revered advisors are the proud recipients of theSangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) awards: Sunil Kothari recived the AkademiRatna (Fellow) and Avinash Pasricha received the Akademi Puraskar for overallcontribution to Performing Arts for the year 2016 from the President of India ina ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 17 January 2018. Our advisorPappu Venugopala Rao, also a recipient of Akademi Puraskar for overallcontribution/scholaship in the field of Performing Arts, could not make it to theceremony to receive the award. We are proud of their achievements and theyinspire us to keep up our work to the best of our abilities.

We thank the SNA for its continued publication grant to Nartanam and alsoappreciate the fact that our constructive criticism of its functioning has neveraffected our grant status – a mark that freedom of expression is still intact incertain quarters.

Madhavi Puranam

Nartanam 9

“Geetam, Vaadyam nartanamca/trayam sangeetamucyate”—“Song,instrumental music and dance/all the three together are called sangeeta,” so saysSarngadeva of the thirteenth century, in his Sangeetaratnakara. That the threeare mutually dependent on each other and enrich each other is the establishedIndian view. It follows, then, that any work on any one of the three arts willcontain theoretical references to the other two arts as well. And so, writing onnritya literature means writing on sangeeta itself.

There are three parts in nartanam: nritta, nritya and natya. According torhetoricians, that which contains a story and invokes rasa is called natya. Thatwhich contains padartha abhinaya (expressing/acting out objects) and isdependent on bhava is nritya and that which has no abhinaya and which hasonly tala and laya accompanied by singing is nritta. The origin of natya asenunciated in Bharata’s Natyasastra indicates that nritta is the most ancientamong these. It was initiated by Parameswara, whereas natya was Brahma’screation. When Bharata brought together nritta and natya, nritya was created.Thus nritta becomes the most ancient form of human expression. Whatevermay be the order in which these arts have originated, one should remember thedistinguishing features of each one of these arts.

Textual Traditions in Dance: An OverviewP. S. R. APPA RAO

Late P. S. R. APPA RAO was a scholar, teacher, administrator, researcher and a well-known critic.After retiring from state government service, Appa Rao worked as a visiting professor at theUniversity of Hyderabad. His monumental work in Telugu, a translation of Bharata’s Natyasastrawith copious notes, has been a standard work of reference. He authored many books on dancestudies including Monograph on Natyasastra: Indian Dramatology (English) co authored with P. SriRama Sastri, Abhinaya Darpana (English), and Natyasastram, Sarirabhinayam, Abhinaya Darpanam(all inTelugu). This article is a translation of Appa Rao’s original Telugu article and was firstpublished in Nartanam Vol I, No.1.

Nartanam18

A treatise becomes one of the most important leads into the practices of yesteryears, especially for performing arts. The innumerable treatises relating to musicand dance written during the past 2000 years, starting with Natyasastra prove tobe the repositories of knowledge relating to dance and music. With regard tovarious regional writings, one can observe a proliferation during the medieval period(10-16 century) and the Telugu speaking region is not an exception to it. Thestable socio-economic and political conditions in the region, during the medievaland late-medieval period under various dynasties like the Kakatiyas, the Reddysand the Vijayanagara had contributed to it. Several treatises on dance and musicemerged out from this region, and, in fact, it is a productive period for danceliterature. The number of treatises also testifies the growing popularity of dance inthe Telugu regions and the interest evinced by various dynasties which ruled overthe region in art. Some of the well known treatises of the times include NrittaRatnavali, Sangita Chintamani and Sangeeta Suryodaya. This paper endeavoursto look at the contribution of the Telugus to the textual tradition of dance and isbased on published material and also unpublished manuscripts both primary andsecondary.

The treatises on dance and music can be broadly divided into works written inSanskrit, those written in Telugu language and commentaries on other works. Thepaper considers works in both these languages and also includes works of authorswhose roots are in the Telugu land but by virtue of their disposition are placed

Dance Treatises:The Contribution of the TelugusANURADHA (JONNALAGADDA) TADAKAMALLA

ANURADHA (JONNALAGADDA) TADAKAMALLA is a reputed performer, teacher andacademic of Kuchipudi. She is a professor of dance at the University of Hyderabad and hascontributed immensely to the dance scholarship of Telugu dance forms, especially Kuchipudi.With more than three decades of performance and teaching experience, she has to her credit books,several academic papers and publications. She has performed widely in all the major festivals ofdance. Her choreographies include, Prabuddha Manimekhala, Aapas- An ode to water and Chhaya.

Nartanam 27

In the 13th century, the Kakatiya King Ganapati Deva ruled from Warangal anempire with all the Telugu people unified under him. Jaya Senapati, a commanderin his army, authored Nrittaratnavali (1253– 4 A.D). The book is in eight chaptersand is exclusively on dance. Chapter one deals with the definition of natya, thefour types of abinaya and different aspects of dance– nrtta, nrtya, marga, desi,tandava and lasya. Chapter 2 deals with angikabhinaya. Chapter 3 explains thecaris, sthanas and manadalas. Chapter 4 describes the 108 karanas, the angaharasand recakas. The first four chapters contain material on the marga tradition.Chapter 5 deals with the desi varieties of sthanas, karanas, bhramaris. Chapter 6describes desi varieties of padas, caris, lasyangas, gatis. Chapter 7 discussesgeneral topics related to dance, the fifteen desi-nrttas, the theatre and its types.Chapter 8 deals with the general aspects of presenting dance.

Before the presentation of the important content generated on Nrttaratnavalithrough various papers and lecture demonstrations at the Nartanam Conclave; itis only appropriate to go through V. Raghavan’s introduction to Nrttaranavali ofJaya Senapati critically edited by him and published by the Government OrientalManuscripts Library, Madras, 1965, and mark some of his observations whichopen doors for new investigation. I attempt here to go through his introductionwith the same sub headings under which he dealt with the above-mentionedintroduction to the treatise and try to highlight some of the interesting pointers forfurther research.

A Pivotal Introduction to Nrttaratnavaliby V. RaghavanMADHAVI PURANAM

MADHAVI PURANAM is the Chief Editor of Nartanam. A trained Kuchipudi dancer, she haspostgraduate degrees in Business Administration, and Performing Arts. Her book, An IndianAnalysis of Aesthetics: The Dance, the Dancer and the Spectator with a foreword by KapilaVatsyayan, was published in 2015 by Abhinav Publications, New Delhi. She was guest faculty atthe dance department, University of Hyderabad. She is a recipient of the Senior ResearchFellowship (2011-13) in the field of Arts Management— Management of Heritage and Art andCultural Institutions (New Areas), and the Tagore Scholarship (2013-14), from the Ministry ofCulture, Government of India.

Nartanam 43

katham nrttam pravartitam (NS. 4. 263).

Why was dance created?

Having been asked this question by his disciples, Bharata responded with thefollowing explanation:

na khalvartham kancin nrttam apeksate//kintu sobham prajanayed iti nrttam pravartitam/ (NS. 4. 262-63).

Nrtta does not depend on any meaning but it creates beauty and that is whydance was created.

No discussion of the art of dance in India can begin without invoking Bharata,for not only did he compose the fullest explicatory record of the performing artsof his time, including the physical conditions for performances but also drew outthe theoretical implications of such arts. Especially important are his cogitationson the reception of performances by the audience and their response. Thesematters are only too well known but I am restating them not to enlighten anybodybut to set the context of my own understanding of the singular importance ofJayasenapati’s Nrttaratnavali, restricting myself only to the art of dance rather

Nrttaratnavali:A Historical View of Jyasenapati and theAesthetics of PresentationMANDAKRANTA BOSE

MANDAKRANTA BOSE, MA (Calcutta and UBC), MLitt, DPhil (Oxon), FRAS, FRSC, iscurrently Professor Emerita at the Institute of Asian Research, University of British ColumbiaVancouver, Canada. She is an aurothity on Oriental Studies and Sanskrit, who spcialises in smritiand mimamsa, and has conducted extensive research into the dance and music treatises in Sanskrit.A Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, University of Oxford, elected 2013, Fellow ofthe Royal Society of Canada, elected 2007, Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, elected1990, her achievements are far reaching. Nartanam Vol XVII no.3 is a special issue on her workand was released at the NARTANAM CONCLAVE 2017. She presented this paper at the Conclave.

Nartanam 55

Nrtta Ratnavali of Jaya senapathi (1253AD) is in many ways a monumentalwork in the field of treatises in general and those dealing with dance in particular.I have always been tempted to understand Jayana as a turning point in the realmof treatise writers. I was reading a book on turning points in Indian sastric traditioncompiled by Radhavallabh Tripathi and I found Nrtta Ratnavali fits this framemore scientifically than most other works.

Natyasastra Chapter 6 begins with a few questions.

Éèí~°̀ «ó =Ú#Ü«∞ó ã̈~°fi „Ñ̈âßfl<£ Ñ̈OKåaè̂ Œ̀ «ûfi#ó

Of the 5 questions asked the first 2 are about rasa and bhava, the rest of thethree questions are very important and they are:

ã̈O„QÆÇ̈ÏO HÍiHÍO K≥·= x~°∞HõÎO K≥·= «̀̀ «Î fi «̀ó ~å÷

Then he defines briefly the terms sangraha, kaarika, and niruktam; in the processhe mentions another interesting word sutram.

He says whatever is there in the form of sutras and their bhashya, when it ispresented in an abridged form it is called samgraha.

Nrtta Ratnavali– A Turning PointPAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO

PAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO holds three masters in English, Sanskrit and Telugu, a Ph. D inSanskrit and Telugu, Doctor of Letters in Indology and a Gold medal in Business Management. Hehas worked with American Institute of Indian Studies for 32 years, retired as associate directorgeneral of programs. He has authored 22 books, prominent English works among them being,Flowers at His Feet, Science of Sri Chakra, Rasamanjari, Bunch of Javalis, Frangrance of Padams,Nritta Rathnavali (jointly with Yashoda Thakore). He is presently Chairman, Content Committee,India Music Experience, Bangalore; Coordinator, Nada neerajanam, SVBC, Tirupati, among aothers.

Nartanam 61

Nrtta Ratnavali is one of the greatest treatises ranking along side Brihaddesi,Abhinaya Darpana, Sangita Ratnakara and other monumental works. Ipersonally felt while translating the work that it ranks higher than AbhinayaDarpana. Yashoda Thakore and I dedicated this English translation to Ganapati(deva) suggesting both the God and the King responsible for this work.

Kakatiyas have been the second major dynasty of the Andhra region after theSatavahanas. They made a lasting contribution not only to the political history, butalso in protecting and promoting various sculptural and religious aspects duringthat time. The above verse indicates that their kingdom spread upto Bay of Bengalin the east, Srisailam in the south, the Malyavanta Mountains in the north andKalyani in the west. Historians believe that this dynasty started with Prolaraju-I1050 AD and lasted up to Prataparudra who ruled the kingdom between 1290-1396 AD. Inscriptional evidences help us in understanding, religious, political,economic and social conditions of that period. The Kakatiya period also producedmany Sanskrit and Telugu scholars whose works reflect the glory of that time.

The Aesthetics of JayasenapathiPAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO

PAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO holds three masters in English, Sanskrit and Telugu, a Ph. D inSanskrit and Telugu, Doctor of Letters in Indology and a Gold medal in Business Management. Hehas worked with American Institute of Indian Studies for 32 years, retired as associate directorgeneral of programs. He has authored 22 books, prominent English works among them being,Flowers at His Feet, Science of Sri Chakra, Rasamanjari, Bunch of Javalis, Frangrance of Padams,Nritta Rathnavali (jointly with Yashoda Thakore). He is presently Chairman, Content Committee,India Music Experience, Bangalore; Coordinator, Nada neerajanam, SVBC, Tirupati, among aothers.

Nartanam68

After the Satavahanas it was the Kakatiyas who consolidated Telugu speakingareas politically, geographically, socially and culturally under one large gloriousreign. The fourth verse in the Thousand Pillar Mantapa inscription, 1162 says thatthe Kakatiya kingdom spanned from the Bay of Bengal in the East, Srisailam inthe South, Malyavanta Mountains in the North and Kalyan in the West. Thekingdom later stretched up to Kanchi, far South. The Kakatiyas first made theirpresence felt in the 10th Century as military generals of the Rashtrakuta Kings.Later the Western Chalukyas whom they served as loyal subordinates appointedthem as chiefs of Hanumakonda province. Kalachuri Bijjala defeated theChalukyas in 1156-57AD. This was when Kakatiya Prola, the second assertedhimself as an independent ruler with the help of his son Rudradeva.

The personality in focus for the present subject is Ganapati Deva of the 12th

Century. He conquered Pinnachoda of the island Divi in 1203 in Coastal Andhra,diplomatically gave it back and married his daughters Naramamba and Peramamba.Ganapati Deva expanded his empire upto Kanchi and took with him the well-behaved young Jaayana, the brother of his wives. Ganapati Deva educatedJaayana and later appointed him as the commander of the elephant forces. Jaayana,now referred to as Jaaya Senapati grew into a person of acumen, knowledge,

Nritta Ratnavali: The Desi TraditionYASHODA THAKORE

YASHODA THAKORE is an accomplished dancer and scholar. She has expertise in Kuchipudi andDevadasi Nrityam which she reinforces with her understanding and practice of Yoga. Yashoda runsthe Rinda Saranya Dance Academy, and is adjunct faculty of dance at BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad. Sheis a qualified teacher of Yoga and has served as guest faculty at Study in India Program, Universityof Hyderabad, for Yoga. Yashoda, in association with Pappu Venugopala Rao, has translated theNrtta Ratnavali, into English, which was published in 2013 to critical acclaim. Her book Kaivalya-Joy in Yoga and Dance was published in 2014. Her critical edition of Nrtta Ratnavali has beenapproved for publication by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi.

Nartanam80

In the Indian dance history, Perini, Prerana, Peruni is a unique dance, fromancient times till present times. This dance was very popular in both north andsouth India. Its origins are not very clear as to how and when the Perini danceform has actually started. Perini has its own recognition and reputation amongseveral dances of India. This dance form has a performing method which consistsof Ghargharamu, Vishamamu, Bhavaashrayamu, Kaivaramu, Geetamu— alloperated in collective and synchronised process by a group of artists.

Books mandate that Perini dance is to be performed only by male artists, butevidences which I found in the Telugu literature mention that there are femaleperformers also. References from various texts authored by noted danseusesuggests that in later periods female artists have also performed Perini danceform like Muddu Chandrarekha, Bhagirathi, Roopavathi at Tanjore court whomigrated from Telugu region. We do not know whether the male oriented Periniwhich was performed earlier was perfomed by these female artistes.

Meaning of PeriniAccording to Bharatakosha, the meaning of the word Preranam is “Hasya

praayam Preranam thu syaathprahyelika ayaanvitham”. In Abhinavabharati,Abhinava Gupta mentioned that Prerana is one of its uparupakas. This is a one

Perini: History, Evolution, andReconstructionKALA KRISHNA

KALAKRISHNA is a leading exponent of Andhra Natyam and a guru of Perini. A senior disciple ofNataraja Ramakrishna, he trained in Kuchipudi dance, Andhra Natyam, Navajanardana Parijatamand other temple dance traditions of Andhra in the guru shishya parampara. He has travelledextensively to perform at major national and international dance festivals, conferences and seminars.Kalakrishna runs the Hari Hara Nrithya Niketan in Hyderabad, where he trains dancers in AndhraNatyam and Perini. At present, he is a visiting lecturer at the University of Hyderabad, and PottiSreeramulu Telugu University and teaches the students of Masters degree in dance.

Nartanam 89

Indian dance has a long and hallowed heritage. Natyasastra, its foundationaltext, has been a perennial source of information for later treatises dealing withdance and theatre. Many works of a later period, however, have gone further inthe direction envisaged by Bharata and explored aspects of desi, which is notfound in Natyasastra. This does not translate into saying that Bharata had noknowledge of desi, a misrepresentation often propounded by a few writers inmodern times. The concept of pravrttis that Bharata elaborately explains isessentially connected with desi, and so is the concept of vrtti, althoughBharata has not explicitly stated so1. It is a grave mistake to picture marga anddesi as being at loggerheads with each other. This takes a vicious dimension wheninvoked to support the whimsical theory of the Aryan-Dravidian divide. In thisregard, an obvious home-truth can be gleaned by going through classical texts:Bharata in his treatise documented the various forms of dance that existed duringhis time and his successors built upon it. Marga is traditional and is treated asreverential; it cannot be toyed with. Desi belongs to the contemporary domainand hence yields itself to experimentation. This is one way of looking at it. Lookingat the etymological meanings of these two words, we understand that marga isderived from the root mrga – anveshane, ‘to search,’ while desi is derived from

Influence of Manasollasa onNrttaratnavaliR. GANESH

R. GANESH, Satavadhani, is a polymath and a polyglot, well versed in many sciences and arts.Especially insightful is his knowledge of the classical Indian arts, poetry, poetics, prosody, aesthet-ics, history, culture, and philosophy. He is an accomplished poet in several languages includingSanskrit, Kannada and Telugu. He is a satavadhani in four languages. He has authored over fiftybooks in several languages on various subjects— classical poetry, literary essays, columns, transla-tions, and research in aesthetics, poetics, literary criticism, art and cultural history, vedic andvedantic studies, epic studies, dharmashastric studies, art of avadhaana, music, dance, theatre andfilms, history of Indian science etc. He is an accomplished music and dance composer.

Nartanam 95

The essence of an art is constantly influenced by the cultural and traditionalvalues that change and evolve through time. These changes take place due tomodifications in social, political, and religious factors in a society. Such changesinfluence all streams of arts, such as dance, music, theatre and painting. In India,over the centuries several changes have taken place in all the streams of arts;however the core principle of ancient traditions has been retained till today.

Medieval theoreticians who wrote on sangita1 have broadly classified danceinto two categories– the marga and desi. The first category strictly adhered tothe rules of the Natyasastra and hence called as the marga, which meant the‘established path’. The other tradition, the desi indicated the regional or provincialtradition. The transitional forms created by blending of the marga and the regionalvariations also were called as the desi. Some of the important texts on the desitradition are Manasollasa of Somesvara, Sangita Ratnakara of Sarngadeva,Nrttaratnavali of Jaya Senapati, Sangita Samayasara of Parsvadeva,Nrtyadhyaya of Asokamalla and Nartana Nirnaya of Pundarika Vittala. Natyawas popular till tenth century and after this period assimilation of dance forms ledto the evolution of dance. Nrtya enjoyed a separate status and it no longer wassubsidiary to the art of natya. When nrtya became an independent art form itwas necessary to modify the structure of dance by widening the existing corpus.

Sculptural representation of the Desitradition of dance in Kakatiya templeswith a special reference to Nrtta RatnavaliVIDYA SHIMLADKA

VIDYA SHIMLADKA, an exponent of Bharatanatyam, a former journalist, is a scholar engaged inresearch on the history and evolution of dance. With a substantive part of her research based onNrtta Ratnavali she was awarded Ph.D for her thesis titled "Kinetics and Kinesthetics of IndianClassical Dances with special reference to the Desi tradition” by the Jain University, Bangalore.She has also worked extensively on medieval texts on dance such as Manasollasa of Somesvara,Sangita Ratnakara of Sarngadeva, Sangita Samayasara of Parsvadeva, Nrtyadhyaya of Ashokamalla,Nartana Nirnaya of Pandarika Vittala and their relevance to present day classical dance forms ofsouth India and also Odissi and Gotipua traditions.

Nartanam 121

An Overview of Indian Arts: Dance,Music and TheatreBHARAT GUPT

Dance, music and theater in India have been considered as sacred arts sincemost ancient times. They have also been regarded as morally uplifting, providingrefined entertainment and enjoyment. They are meant to develop the personalityof the artist and the art lover as a gracious and socially admirable citizen (naagarika).

All Indian performing arts are covered by the generic term natya, which meanscommunicating through body gestures, movements, words, signs, musical notes,costumes and stage properties. A very thorough theory of performance or natyawas developed as early as 5th century BCE in the work of Bharata Muni calledthe Natyasastra. It has been the basis of music, dance, drama, literature andsculpture and allied arts. It has influenced arts of China, East Asia, Japan and inthe Far East in the ancient times and in modern age that of Europe and America.

Natyasastra, a Primary Text of Indian Performing Arts

Ascribed to Bharata Muni, it is primarily a text for theatrical arts. But asdance, gestures, music, poetry, costume, masks and decoration are essentialingredients of theatre, the Natyasastra has been regarded as a fundamental textof all performing arts. Its ideas of emotional enjoyment (bhava-rasa), heroines(ashtanayikas) and exciting background (vibhavas) have influenced Indiansculpture, architecture, painting, folk poetry, dress and even the art of conversation.

BHARAT GUPT, a retired associate professor from the University of Delhi, is a well knownfigure in the field of arts. He is a classicist, theatre theorist, sitar and surbahar player, musicologist,cultural analyst, and newspaper columnist. He is known as an authority on Natyasastra andclassical Greek theatre. He has expounded extensively on the need to include Arts in moderncurriculum. For more than thirty five years now, he has lectured extensively at Universities acrossthe world on Indian Music and theater theory. He has been serving as visiting faculty at theNational School of Drama, Delhi, and been a resource scholar at the Indira Gandhi National Centrefor the Arts where he is currently a Trustee and Executive Member.

Nartanam 143

PERFORMANCEREVIEWS

Interaction of Mohiniattam voices in Kaisiki VrittiLEELA VENKATARAMAN

Proposed and designed by scholar and Mohiniattam expert Deepti Bhallaheading Trikaala Gurukulam, and financially supported by the Sangeet NatakAkademi (SNA), the two day Kaisiki Vritti: Manifestations in Mohiniattamcolloquium, mounted at Meghdoot Theatre-III of Rabindra Bhavan by the SNA,was a much needed exercise for stake holders in Mohiniattam, bringing scatteredgurus and performers from all over the country under one umbrella for exchangingnotes. Since its revival in 1930 by Mahakavi Vallathol and Mukundaraja, veteranconnoisseurs of Kerala art, Mohiniattam as a female tradition of Kerala, despitescholars and practitioners working to shed light on its still conjectured historicalbackground, has spread in manifestations evolving through individualisticinterpretations during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s notwithstanding mainstreamMohiniattam maintained and taught by Kalamandalam for so many years. A centralaccepted core tradition from which other banis have sprung has eluded this dance.By pegging the discussions to main factors like Structure and Content prior to andfollowing Institutionalization, aesthetics of the form and rationale of choreography,music, aharya, body kinetics, influence of regional texts and traditions and howthese could shape contemporary concerns, the colloquium in a broad sweep touchedon all aspects determining flow, confluence and sustenance of the tradition.

After a Sopanam Sangeet start by Vijay Kumar, the curtain raiser for thescholarly sessions pertained to the connotation of the terms Kaisiki Vritti andBody Kinetics in Mohiniattam by scholar/dancer Kanaka Rele. Describing howfrom her Maharashtrian birth characterised by Vaishnava jana to and Abhangasinging to being seriously trained in Bharatanatyam, to a long 36 year training inKathakali Stree Vesham under Guru ‘Panchali’ Karunakara Panikkar, her dancetraining was also enriched by interacting with scholars like Moti Chandra, V.

Nartanam144 Leela Venkataraman

Raghavan, Ramachandran and finally and most importantly, Kavalam NarayanaPanikar. It was finally a Ford Foundation grant which enabled her travel to Keralato ferret out information on Mohiniattam. Recounting details revealed over theyears, of how she came upon, during her travel, the aged Mohiniattam professionalsKunjukuttyamma, Chinnammu Amma and Kalyanikutty (whom she filmed), herown research into Kaisiki Vritti traditions, led her to one truth – that KaisikiVritti with its sukumara appeal and grace is devoid of gender specific connotations,beauty and aesthetics evoking sringara rasa being its prime qualities. Abhinavaguptadescribes vritti as activity and in achieving the four purusarthas the threegeneralised activities used are vacika (speech which gives bharati vritti), angika(bodily action which gives arabhati vritti), and sattvika the inner psychologicalstate (sattvati vritti). When presented in a manner evoking an atmosphere ofbeauty, any of them can be kaisiki vritti which Abhinavagupta refers to as thesoul of rasas. Thus, even Siva’s presenting the angaharas can be characterisedas kaisiki vritti. In short this vritti, full of rasa, can evoke the highest sense ofsatisfaction, when sringara rasa is conveyed through nritya (this word is notused by Bharata, being first mentioned in the 5th century A.D. by Amarasimha inthe Amarakosha) involving bhava and exterior beauty which comes through thekinetics of bodily form. Even raudra rasa unless evoked with beauty cannot beenjoyed. Kaisiki constitutes lyricism which “reflects the intellectual emotionalism,which is the invisible motivation for the dance which is implicit.” Mohini representsenchantment, enjoyment of life that creates the state of beatitude. Mohini doesnot seduce, she enchants.

In Kanak Rele’s interpretation, the word kaisiki is derived from kesh (hair),the crowning glory of a beautiful person. Rele in support of her theory mentionsBharata’s narration of Vishnu who after reducing the Universe into a single ocean,with creation compressed into a seed (brahmanda) is seen lying on his serpentcouch, when challenged to battle by Madhu and Kaitabha. In a fist fight verbalstyle with abuse (bharati vritti), Vishnu during the fight employing perfect gesturespaced the earth with sthanakas (arabhati vritti), the sound of his great andbrilliant Saranga bow with his unswerving inner strength comprising sattvati vritti.Finally Vishnu moved about and gathering his hair using various angaharas, tiedit up in a beautiful knot and created kaisiki vritti. This final act finds mention inSilappadikaram too.

Rele’s summing up of body kinetics in Mohiniattam clearly mentioned how ofthe two forms of movement – volution and revolution (spiral), Mohiniattammovements follow the second theory. The upper and lower parts of the bodyacting independently are connected by a very flexible vertebra with a lotus in thecentre of the waist acting as the pivot. Movement starts from the centre and

Nartanam 145Interaction of Mohiniattam voices in Kaisiki Vritti

spreads in a circle or starts at the uttermost periphery and ends at the centre liketwo circles side by side. This torso andolika and revolution creates a very lyricaldance where beautifully rounded movements, eschewing all angularities becomedifficult to master. The constant coiling and uncoiling of body is likened to thecoiled serpent female energy, awakening the kundalini. Kanak Rele maintainsthat what she gathered from the movements of the three surviving old exponentsin 1972 along with her findings from performances by established exponents,aided by her study of the sastras together helped her develop movement unitsand karanas - as per her interpretation of what the dance form needed andexamples like Rechita Nikuttita, Grdhravalinakam Karana, Athastala Lola(mentioned in Balarama Bharatam) were demonstrated by her disciple Saji Menonwhose nritta item based on music set to Samantamalahari ragam, melodiouslysung by the vocalist, provided one of the highlights of the presentation part of thetwo day colloquium, fulfilling all that Rele had mentioned.

Bharati Shivaji’s natural inheritance of Bharatanatyam and singing stemmeddirectly from a singer mother who came from the Bhagavatamelam tradition.Touching on the aesthetics of Mohiniattam as conceived by her, the talk comprisedoft mentioned details of her entry into the dance form beginning with trainingunder Radha Marar. The serious involvement was from 1978, when SNA headedby Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay sent her to Kerala on a Mohiniattam mission, thedance according to Kamaladevi being in dire need of resurrection. She was towork with Kavalam Narayana Panikar, a theatre person who had special interestin Mohiniattam being rendered only to music in Sopanam style. Interacting withscholars like Vasudevan Namboodiripad, Raghava Warrier, Kavalam’s son KavalamSrikumar and several others, her first project with Kavalam Narayana Panikarcomprising items Ganapati Stuti, Mukhachalam, Purappadu and Jeeva wasfirst presented in 1982. Hers has been a performer’s approach based on instinctand a gut feeling for the aesthetics of the Mohiniattam form, while extending itscontours by being open minded enough to borrow movements from other Keralatraditions – which could fit into the Mohiniattam tenor and style smoothly. Shefound in forms like Krishnanattam in Guruvayur, movements which seemed tosuit the mainstream style of Mohiniattam very well. She heard musician NjeralathRama Poduval singing in the Sopanam mode which fascinated her. She took fromdevagita, and vaittaris beautiful for embellishing Mohiniattam, and for the rhythmicenriching she found great percussionists like edakka, chenda and talam expertPallavoor Appu Marar who opened her eyes to traditions like Tayambaka, PanchaVadyam and whose vaittaris she liberally used for Mohiniattam. For the literacyfestival in 1981, she produced Chandrotsavam with text in Manipravalam wovenround the role of the devadasi and Kavalam Padmanabhan proved to be of great

Nartanam146

help. Vasudevan Namboodiripad helped with many old compositions in productionslike Adira. He introduced her to Madhaviamma and that was a great experience.She produced a work based on Bhanusingher Padavali, finding Tagore’s musicalstyle very suitable to the Mohiniattam form in its slow lyricism. She had foundsome movements from Tiruvadiraikali and Kaikottukkali, female art traditions ofKerala, very suitably fitting the Mohiniattam style. When she presented her workon Unniaticaritam, the heroine being Unnicirutevi, with the general buzz onfemininity all round, her work seemed very contemporary in concern.

With time always a concern, the video material Bharati wanted to be screenedhad to be shelved. Daughter Vijayalakshmi stepped in to talk about her work inproductions like Swan Lake based on Tchaikovsky’s music. Her references toMohiniattam as a purely devotional style, (a quality all Indian dance forms share)was overdone, considering that the deliberations pertained to the Arangam whereinthe performative aspect plays a large role. Bharati’s disciple presenting Jeevaproved disappointing, the dancer not in best of form, her discomfort at the costumestarting to come loose not allowing her to concentrate on the dance at all.

Kalamandalam Kshemavathy based in Thrissur, referring to Recollectionsand Reinventions in Mohiniattam, reminisced on her days in KeralaKalamandalam learning under Tottacheri Chinnammu Amma in 1958 when shewas hardly ten years old. The day would start at 5am with music lessons withRajalakshmi teacher and mei sadhakam, adavus, eye exercises with RamankuttyAsan putting clarified butter into the student’s eyes before starting the eyesadakam. There was no let up till dinner time and after sometime Satyabhamateacher became her guru. The repertoire at the time of Chinnammu Amma wasCholkettu, jatiswaram in Senjurutti and Todi, Swati varnam in Yadukula Kambodhi,Sami nine nammitira, and a Swati Tirunal varnam in Todi, Dani Samajendra, inMalayalam, Swati Tirunal’s Indal Iha in Surutti, Irayimman Thampi’s PadamPrananayakam in navarasa and Yentaho in Malayalam by Irayimman Thampiin Mukhari. (Chinnammu Amma (1900-1977) learned Mohiniyattam during heryoung age but had not practiced for long years due to the taboos attached to it.The repertoires that she could recollect and teach were a Cholkettu in the ragaChakravakam, two Jethiswarams in Chenjurutti and Thodi ragas, a Varnam inYadukulakamboji, and the Padam Enthaho Vallabhaa in Surutti. Todi varnamDani Samajendra etc were Sathyabhama’s later choreography)

The reinventing phase started with M.N. Kurup (Kerala SNA’s formerSecretary) stressing on group choreography. Mahakali, Sathyaguna, and whatKshemavati referred to as Character types with Vasudeva Panikar’s music andKerala talams were presented. Mohiniattam was also done to ghazals, she said.

Leela Venkataraman

Nartanam 147

And as if to show that choreography was entering a permissive world, this artisteassociated in everyone’s mind with the gravitas of Kerala’s Kalamandalamperformed her own interpretation to a song Krishna nee ennai ariyillaa set tomusic with heavy orchestration with instruments like cassio etc. To say that onewas surprised would be putting it mildly! If one likes the poetry, then why not setit to music which fits in with the sobriety of the dance form demands with bhavain music but not hyper emotive in singing, preferably accompanied by traditionalinstruments. She mentioned Kavalam Narayana Panikar, C.P. Unnikrishnan andTrissur Mohanan whose contemporary reinterpretations of epics, legends etc wereset to Mohiniattam work. While one is concerned with identities being preservedwith art excellence not taking a beating, one hopes these major art forms willexercise the necessary discretion in the choice of texts, music and themes.Kshemavathy understandably said that the need to have something more than theusual sringar, karuna and bhakti sthaayi was being felt.

Deepti Omcheri Bhalla’s entire career in Mohiniattam, after being trained underKalyanikutty Amma and her daughter Kala Vijayan, has been on linking the dancewith its desi heritage in terms of lyric, music and rhythm. Apart from Shabdachali,Nrityapadams, and works like Dundhubi Natyam, Deepti’s work as a trained,musician/dancer/scholar has been considerable. Except for changing the plaitedhair into the top knot, she has not departed in technique from what her teachergave her. She has believed in simple costuming as Kalyanikutty Amma advised,with no other jewellery barring the traditional gold ornaments of Kerala. Hermain task has been in creating a new repertoire after her deep research intoSopanam music with the lead provided by her mother Leela Omcheri’s prolongedscholarship. In 1989, her findings leading her to Kutty Kunju Thankacchi’s songs,not really known to the rest of the world was a major discovery, the setting forMohiniattam rendition aided by Govind Poduval and other Asans providingvaittaris. She set her dance interpretations to Triputa talam, with her mother themusicologist/musician making her contributions. She came across rare Malayalamjavalis and what goes by the name of Vaathil Thura Paatukal by IrayimmanThampi, Kutty Kunju Thankacchi, Kilimanoor Thampuraan and a host of royalcomposers. One of them is a Ragamalika in talam adi – Atita graham composedby Kutty Kunju Thankacchi with the line Kamkomalakar. She found talamalikaPadams, not seen in Tamil compositions, one Samvaada Padam, from the oraltradition, Kamini mani sakhi thaavaka mukham innu, in ragam PoorvaKaamodari and Saavari and set to two talas, khandachapu and misrachapu. Here,the frustrated nayika questions the sakhi sent as messenger to the nayaka for sheshows on her person signs of having dallied with the hero herself. Kshetra SthavaVarnam set in the Pada Varnam pattern with devotional music, Amba Gauri Giri

Interaction of Mohiniattam voices in Kaisiki Vritti

Nartanam148

kanye composed by Irayimman Thampi in Arabhi set to triputa tala is anothercomposition which is unusual. She, along with her mother, have come across aKutty Kunju Thankachhi tillana in Durbar, a rare raga, and several NrityaPrabandhas which are obviously for dance but set in the cyclic tala structure ofKerala in the oral desi patterns, needing to be reset for dance. With her equalfelicity in music and dance, Deepti sang most of her compositions in bits alongwith Geeta Rajendran, her mother’s disciple. The dance demonstration wasrestricted to what has been acknowledged as one of her best works, Dundubhi.With her musicians with Vetri Bhupathy on mridangam, Satish Poduval on edakkaand Shyamala Bhaskaran on the veena, she gave a very involved performance.Involved in researching into old texts and musical compositions, as singer of repute,working to bring in old desi compositions set to music for the dance in Keralatalams, Deepti’s was a very integrated and holistic approach to evolution of bothartist and Mohiniattam.

Deepti’s idea that in Mohiniattam too, a vocabulary of vaittaris suggesting thekind of body movement, as in a Bharatanatyam taiyum tatta adavu could beattempted, will remain a non starter - for given the dance where individualpractitioners now established have worked for over sixty years in their own ways,to make a common vaittari code get accepted would be impossible. One has tohave a more broad live and let live approach in Mohiniattam with a basic identityof lyricism and grace with the andolika torso adhered to across the board.

The next morning’s session on ‘a search for special reference to BalaramaBharatam of Kartika Tirunal saw Rechita Ravi, a Bismillah awardee, take thefloor reading out the paper in place of the absent V.S. Sharma. She began withthe Ullur S. Parameswara Iyer’s line in Malayalam that Maharaja Kartika Tirunal,pleased on seeing Dasiyattam from Paradesa (Tamil areas) wanted a similardance to be done in Kerala and this marked the beginning of Mohiniattam, acombination of bhavam, geetam and vadyam — Jnanendriyam andKarmendriyam, Angikam, Vachikam, Satvikam. Rechita demonstrated theShirobhedas – both sthira and asthira. The Samyuta and Asamyuta hastas,subdivisions of adavus were shown. The concept of rasa as given in Adi Bharathahas been adopted in Balarama Bharatam. Rasa bhavaschaKarayokarayornetra margena shobhathee Netram mana pradaanam hemanobhavasyakaranam. And while this text does not dwell specially onMohiniattam, it does mention Mohini Natanam and Mohini Nilaya Sthaanam,while not mentioning either Kutiyattam or Kathakali. A video on the nine rasaswith mukhabhinaya was screened with Usha Nangyar presenting them. Rechita’sdemonstration of the Pada bhedas and use of dhrishti (eye movements) bothsthoola and sookshma was very neat.

Leela Venkataraman

Nartanam 149

Kala Vijayan from Tripunithura dwelling on the innovative veins in Mohiniattam,with Dhanya Ajith demonstrating spared no punches and said that Mohiniattamhad gone through changes from 1937-40 when it was revived by Kalamandalamunder Korattikkara Krishna Panikkar to changes brought about in 1950 whenKalyanikutty Amma (a one time disciple of Kalamandalam who settled down inTripunithura) made her contributions. In 1967, Satyabhama from Kalamandalamwas sent to learn from Kalyanikutty Amma who had formulated the 32 adavusunder various heads - Taganam, Jaganam, Dhaganam, Sammishram. She alsocreated teermana adavus and insisted that the dancer’s eyes follow the handmovements in circle, half circle, quarter circle. She also insisted on soft and tendergrace, on 14 charis, on 18 karanams (like Mrigangi, Hamsapada, Mayurapada,Nagabandha) and introduced Navarasas. Kala Vijayan’s own demonstrationsprojected a highly expressive face and a persuasive communicator even at thisage. Kalyanikutty Amma had also created one Attatala Varnam, her owncomposition. Padams for which she composed both lyric and dance interpretation,a Cholkettu, and the last item in her recital used to be Saptam (description of afull story ending with Mangalam – which was given up later) were features ofher Mohiniattam.

Adding to her mother’s contribution, Kala Vijayan had herself created someadavus Alolita, Nimyomnata, Bhramari, Gamanam, Dambha, Dhititai andcomposed some Karanams. She has sculpted new Padabhedas and scripted themwith slokas. She has used 35 talas but with different names. She has composedseven slokas. From Vasudevan Namboodiri who has worked on tantric hastaswhich were being used without understanding their significance, she has studiedabout jewellery used by the dancer Chandrakala, Suryakala, chutti, the flowersand the way they are placed on the hairdo, she realised have all a yogic relevanceand are all based on important chakras. She has worked on Ashtapadis, Bhajans,Cholkettu in Devagandhari etc.

Mohiniattam practitioners have very little flattering comments to make on oneanother’s art. Each school has scant respect for the other schools. And one ofthose who started working years back on this dance form, but has remainedoutside the general fold is Nirmala Panikar based in Irinjalakuda, whoseconsiderable research work has been in trying to establish the desi and regionalaspects of traditions like Tiruvadiraikali, and other indigenous female traditions ofKerala, from which Mohiniattam took off. In her absence, her student SandraPisharody read out the paper and where called for, demonstrated. This art form isbelieved to have been the brainchild of Swati Tirunal. But its beginnings are inAvinava Kootu mentioned in Sangam literature where Padittrupattu refers toChera art. The dancer who was given free access to king and court in

Interaction of Mohiniattam voices in Kaisiki Vritti

Nartanam150

Silappadikaram is described as Virali whose forehead shone in the Pandi Vilakku(same as Nila Vilakku) lamp flame while dancing. In Arangetrukadai ofSilappadikaram, the dancer’s face reflected the changes going along with theemotive situation being portrayed, like turning beetroot red while expressing anger(which was a fact while Ammanoor Asan or Mani Madhava Chakyar performedand Nirmala had seen it). Among the ten satvik abhinayas was meimaralchiruttal(horripilation). In fact, according to Kutty Krishna Menon, the three aspects ofAvinayam, Mai Kuttu and Natakam might have, in course of time transformedinto Mohiniattam, Kathakali and Chakyar Koothu. The Kodungaloor family whichhad the secrets of this type of abhinaya where the body physically shows itsresponses to the condition of mind and mood, were hesitant to teach this exactingpractice to Nirmala when she wanted to learn. Silappadikaram mentions Pindi,Piraiyal, Elirkai and Tularkai etc. The tradition of Nangiarkoothu is very stylisedwhile Mohiniattam is more lokadharmi, says Nirmala’s paper. Using the semicircular movements and recreating aatams is one of the projects undertaken byNirmala. Ammanaattam, a krida or play with a type of seed during Onam, wasrecreated in Natana Kaisiki - neatly presented by Nirmala’s disciple SandraPisharody. Even the abhinaya bit with face taking on various emotive hues likebecoming red in anger was very convincingly demonstrated.

Kalamandalam Sugandhi from Kochi, one of the most well known of her almamater, spoke on Margi-Desi Samanvaya. The Margi/Desi categories existedeven at the time of the Silappadikaram. Ilango Adigal, said the speaker, usedNatya Veda terms Pindi, Pranayal referring to formations. Period during the20th century saw a revival of desi traditions, a tendency which uninterrupted hascontinued for 65 years. While reviving Mohiniattam, revisiting the Natya Sastrawas not considered. The gentle quality of Mohiniattam which was like a tenderplant needed to be carefully nurtured. Sugandhi split the word Apsaras as Ap(water) Saras (movement flow), and Mohiniattam as the dance of Apsaras,constituted movement resembling the gentle flow of water. Though it is areconstructed tradition, many of its nuances and body technique details like Natam,Unnatam, Prasarita, Vivartita, Apasritamevato, Parshva - Padabhedas andSthanakas can be traced to the Natya Sastra. Sugandhi felt that in this MargiDesi Samanvaya, it would be wise for practitioners to become more thoroughwith the Natya Sastra which could become a primary source of reference for all.

Based in Trivandrum, Kalamandalam Vimala Menon, known to be a goodteacher, touched on the Assimilation and Rationale for Choreography, withdaughter Vinduja Menon assisting her with melodious vocal support (and laterdancing too). Vimala demonstrating adavus and how to hold stances explained

Leela Venkataraman

Nartanam 151

how one had to take into consideration the height of the dancer while squatting inan araimandi. If the dancer is a short person, one could not squat so low that thestance became an unaesthetic three quarter squat. While changing with the timesto be able to communicate with the audiences, was much faster in other danceforms, it was less so in Mohiniattam with regard to choreographic ideas andthematic presentations, colour in costumes for different characters, additions ofDeva/Asura instruments native to Kerala, and more swaying-natured patterns ofadavus. Evidently, the mother/daughter pair has worked on several compositionsthey have choreographed. The daughter began with a prayer to Padmanabhasung in Surutti. Vimala recaptured the old days in Kalamandalam when the dancerwould invariably begin with Ananda Nritta Samsye in Anandabhairavi. Thedaughter Vinduja on the other hand began with a Cholkettu in Sri Ragam composedby Vimala. A Padavarnam Panimati mukhibale in Ahiri, a Swati Tirunalcomposition took one back to the Kalamandalam days. A Jatiswaram in Bahudari,written and composed by Vinduja was performed by her. An excerpt from MaliMadhavan Nair’s attakkatha Karnasapatham, Endiha manmaanase sandeham...in Hindolam was rendered by Vinduja, showing through this extract the Kathakali— Mohiniattam link and how in the latter form, ideas like lajja or bashfulnessreceived a subtly suggestive interpretation.

The workshops by the daughter of Kalyanikuttya Amma, Kala Vijayan andKalamandalam Kshemavathy on both days were enjoyed by the many youngsterswho participated enthusiastically. To have managed to get on board so manyschools of approach, each almost hostile to the other, was a coup of sorts forDeepti Bhalla (and the SNA) who worked hard. The odd rumbling was quicklysnuffed out by Deepti’s diplomacy. And a Keralite who has experienced the manydiscordant Mohiniattam voices on earlier occasions, was agreeably surprised bythe minimal rancour experienced in this colloquium.

While learning to live and let live with so many manifestations of Mohiniattamholding sway, one has to admit to a lot of energy and courage to forge ahead withnew ideas and succeed palpable in the generation after these gurus. And they willhopefully keep the dance alive.

Interaction of Mohiniattam voices in Kaisiki Vritti

Nartanam152

DELHI DIARYLEELA VENKATARAMAN

Having been away from the capital scene, and busy with the Season in Chennai,the first exposure to the Delhi scene in the New Year was with young dancersperforming at the IIC, under the sponsorship of Kalavahini, the Trust establishedby Malavika Sarukkai - one of its praiseworthy programmes being to promoteexcellence amongst the younger generation. With government approach to helppromote art activities not

showing signs of becoming more generous than at present, it is the need ofthe hour for the senior in the artist community to begin helping those in the youngergenerations who need support, particularly at the starting point of their careersto help find their feet in what is a very competitive and difficult terrain.Kalavardhini’s many sided approach of providing platforms for the really talentedand committed youngsters, along with scholarships alongside constant and deepinteractive sessions with seniors deliberating on art matters and also providingproduction grants in really merited cases would go a long way in mitigating thestress of embarking on a first major creative effort.

The two artistes chosen for Kalavardhini’s maiden young dancer sponsorshipwere Christopher Gurusamy, and the couple Shijith Nambiar and Parvati Menon-all three coincidentally with a Kalakshetra trained background. Very strong inhis nritta, given his impeccable leg stretches and movement profile, ChristopherGuruswmy of late has

begun to show an abhinaya side which is also becoming noticeable. IfNadanamadinar in Vasantha was just the right choice for his strong pure dance,so was the Purandara Dasa pada, where a sullen boy Krishna refuses to playoutside with the other children because of their whispered comments about hishaving been born in some jail to a Devaki - and that he was not the child ofYashodha nor the brother of Balarama. The young boy’s pout could hardly havebeen improved upon in the rendition by the dancer. And in the Swati TirunalSumasayaka varnam in Karnataka Kapi, the very bare sahitya allowed him thespace for visualising an imaginative sub-text, with sringar as the main motif –which he did fairly well.

Shijith and Parvati made T.R. Subramaniam’s varnam Vanajaksha in Behag,the centrepiece of their recital. Despite Parvati dogged by ill health, being belowpar, the choreography as an interaction between the Gopi and Krishna, with the

Nartanam 153

nritta interludes also a kind of exchange between two with dancers who gotaway from frontal dancing, and movement making for creating rare line formationswith the dancers facing different directions, tended to lessen focus on Parvati’slow key moments. Shijith’s interpretation of Vaa vaa Kanda va in Varali wasmoving in the bhakti mode. The musical accompaniment for both dancers leftlittle to be desired.

It was an event for young talents again with Sant Vani designed by R.K.Ushaand organised jointly with Sangeet Shyamala in the latter’s school premises.After International Women’s Day, it was a good idea for two young women todance to the poetry of two poets who in their time had defied societal conventionsto live life on their own terms. Andal, the only woman among the great Alwarpoets, did not hesitate to drape round her neck, the garland adorning LordVishnu’s idol in the temple. Nor did she hesitate to declare her love for him in nouncertain terms – the erotic suggestions in her poetry revealing her innermostdesires without any squeamishness. So too was Meera, the other female poet,who shocked the cloistered seclusion of a princely Rajasthani household, bydeclaring herself the beloved of Krishna. Leaving behind the aristocratic trappings,she set forth as a sanyasin in search of Krishna. With these two women belongingto the South and North of India respectively, Bharatanatyam and Kathakexpressions by two chosen young dancers adorned the evening. The venue, in abasement site of Sangeet Shyamala, with the stage at floor level facing an audienceseated on the gradient in several rows, makes for an intimate space suitable forcommunity gatherings of the area and the occupied seats with an avid audiencetold its own tale. One needs to take dance and music away from over sizedauditoriums to smaller spaces spread over different localities.

Shreyasi Gopinath, now training under Jamuna Krishnan, after a Kalakshetratraining background, was very expressive in her recital beginning with aPushpanjali set to Varali and Khandajati-atta talam, followed by Andal’smarriage to Vishnu in a dream sequence in the popular and oft renderedVaaranamayiram with a concluding Karpooram Narumo with its eroticsuggestions wherein she addresses the conch which has the good fortune ofbeing held to Krishna’s mouth, wanting to know if his mouth and lips smell ofcamphor. K.Venkateshwaran the vocalist, Ragini Chandrasekhar who providednattuvangam lead, Raghavendra Prasad and Aniruddha on violin and fluteprovided the right accompaniment. The music for the last Ragamalika item inKamas, Ranjani, Sama and Yamunakalyani with a nritta interlude composed byShivakumar, helped build up the right mood and setup for the dancer.

DELHI DIARY

Nartanam154

Shipra Joshi, the Kathak dancer, has not been seen too often on the Delhistage. Being trained under Prerana Shrimali, she brings to her dance, aninternalised strength which is rare. And the visualisation of the items, the first ajoyously secretive Meera suggesting that Krishna enter her home through theback alley so as to avoid gossip, and the second lyric where Meera showsherself drowned in the bliss of Krishna adoration, was brought out with nrittapunctuations emerging as a natural part of the total dance statement knit into thelyrics without sticking out like sore thumbs. And one appreciated the goodmusical support, not always the case with Kathak recitals.

Coming on to senior dancers, it is heartening to find how Malavika seems tobe entering a heightened phase of creative energy in her career. In greater formthan ever, her performance at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Sannidhi performancespace was a particularly charged recital – perhaps the space itself with itsdiscerning clientele for audience, apart from the students who of course are wellversed in music and dance, acting as special inspiration. Malavika’s Sthithi/Gathi based on music in Madhuvanti by Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar, exploringthe contrast of movement and stillness in Bharatanatyam, by no means a newcreation, seemed to have acquired in the dancer’s rendition a new immediacyand impact. The energy packed moving figure, suddenly freezing was like anexplosive waterfall arrested half way through. The total effect derived a greatdeal from the perfect geometry of lines in her dance. Rivers have a character oftheir own depending on the terrain and flow of its waters. Thus the Bhagirathiand Alakananda, one sensuous and curling along, the other statuesque and full ofdignity join at Devaprayag to become the mighty Ganga. Malavika’s creationbased on M.S. Sukhi’s music in Saraswati and Nalinakanti catches this feel ofthe waters of two rivers in their independent characteristics joining to becomethe Ganga, whose descent from Heaven had to be tempered with its forcecontained in the locks of Shiva. And to this Jatadhara Shiva, Malavika offeredhomage at the start.

Her latest work built round the epic of the Varaha avatar, was the danceedifice built on the foundation provided by the research by Prof. Raghuramanwith verses from Tirumazhisai Alwar. Bhumi Devi being rescued from what wouldhave been a watery grave, by Vishnu incarnating as Varaha the Boar, afterdestroying the demon holding her captive, carrying her aloft and safe perched onhis snout made for a very powerful narrative.

Celebrating 70 years of work, Indian Revival Group presented Ek tha Raja– The exemplary story of a Prince of Gujarat at the Meghdoot open air

Leela Venkataraman

Nartanam 155

theatre. That Yog Sunder Desai hailing from the Uday Shankar school, and laterestablishing the Indian Revival Group, has today at the age of 97, still somefaithful followers was obvious from the fairly good sized audience. Based on alittle known figure, outside of Gujarat, the challenge of the entire production ofEk Gha Raja lay in having to flesh out very sketchy details of information aboutthe hero Gopaldas known as Durbar Saheb. Not surprisingly, the choreographerPapiha Desai who has taken over from where Yog Sunder left, has filled thepresentation with dances of Gujarat – the Garba, Dandia, Rumal – neatlyrendered to well recorded music, which included narrative details mimed andenacted by a talented and persuasive Sutradhar, the main actor holding thenarrative together. Ascending the principality in Saurashtra through a round aboutroute of adoption, Gopaldas, who was deeply moved by great figures he interactedwith like the young Aurobindo Ghosh, was an unusual ruler who treated hissubjects as equals – the raja/praja difference done away with. Swayed byGandhiji’s Satyagraha effort, Durbar Sahib became an ardent follower of theQuit India Freedom movement. Krishna Kumar Raghavendra as hero had asmall role which he fulfilled well enough. While the aesthetic colourful costumesand high energy levels of the dancers and actors, kept the audience regaled, asa work of dance built round a certain figure, the base material as a take off pointfor dance was very limited.

Kri Foundation’s treasured Managing Trustee Dr. Arshiya Sethi, just backfrom a long stay of over a year in New York under the Fullbright scholarship,launched the Madhavi Dance Festival at the Stein auditorium, the two day eventnamed after Madhavi Gopalakrishnan (mother of dancer Rama Vaidyanathan,the other Kri Foundation trustee) who passed away recently and whose servicesand counsel the Foundation valued greatly.

Naama Mhane built round the spiritual awakening of Sant Namdev,choreographed by Vaibhav Arekar and presented by his Sankya Dance Company,was a production on a different level, not experienced often in the performancecircuit. Of the different sampradayas of Sant traditions of Maharashtra, by farthe most popular is the Varkari tradition founded in the late thirteenth and fourteenthcenturies by Namdev (a sant belonging to the tailor community and Jnyaneshwar(son of a socially out-caste Brahmin) who wrote the famous Jnyaneshwari, aMarathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. Drawing upon both Shiva andVaishnava traditions, the Varkaris believe in an annual pilgrimage to Pandharpurto worship their deity Shri Vitthal of Pandharpur. Though identified with Krishna,he has a Shiva ling on his head. Vitthal, unlike other Gods is not looked upon bythe devotee with a sringar relationship. In a tender and intimate relationship with

DELHI DIARY

Nartanam156

his devotees, Vitthal is looked upon as a loving friend and companion or sakhaor even Mother. This bhakti is in association with gyan or knowledge.

The choreography by Vaibhav Arekar was one of its type, the base foundationthrough research provided by Pradnya Agasthi. Music composition by SudhaRaghuraman, had vocalists like her, Megha Bhat and Gautam Marathe, evokingthe same involved intimacy reaching out and touching the inner core of theaudience, in its heart felt bhava. Even the percussion tones on the mridangamand ganjira had a different tone of soft persuasion. As for the dance, how doesone describe it? Here was bhakti as an experiential state. It was a whole processof taking the audience, along with oneself into a different space, and I feel thatunless the performer is able to erase his persona in a journey of this nature, theprocess will reach nowhere. As the Abhangs of Sant Jnyaneshwar, Janabai,Sant Namdev, Santa Sawtamali, Eknath Maharaj, Sant Tukaram were rendered,the dancers with just castanets in hand reacting with the minimal movements intrue Bharatanatyam, wrapped the audience in the-state- of-being graduallyemerging scene after scene. Just that one scene of Namdev going through anintense inner struggle of wanting to see and experience the great truth he seeksviz Vitthala, (with Sudha singing in Amritavarshini with tanam passages wovenin) and finding that within himself, by Vaibhav Arekar was made into such alived-in-experience by the artist that it seemed that a whole process was happeningright in front of the audience. And the Nandi Chol Tom Nom syllables used insuch a unique fashion with the music in Hamsadhwani. Also the bhakta’s equationwith the deity is not one of subjugation.

When a bhakta seeking Vitthal earnestly, gets crushed under the machine heis working with, unable to see the Lord, he questions the unreasonableness ofthe deity, the snatching and wearing of the cap worn by the devotee a verysymbolic gesture– Could you not show yourself even for an instant before thatearnest devotee? If the devotee seeks whole heartedly, Vitthala too has his duty!Also this samskara is not nishkriya but sakriya. Each devotee pursuing hiswork feels and sees the divine –Jana Bai in her daily kriyas as a servant maid,the potter devotee in his pottery. Attracting men and women bhaktas from allstrata of society and castes, the Varkari tradition with its Prema bhakti makes norestrictions of caste or creed. The finale of a Tillana in Brindavani Saranga alsowas rendered in an unusual manner –even while the movement technique wasunabashed Bharatanatyam. No departed soul could have asked for a betterhomage than a production of this nature, which very rightly received warmapplause.

Leela Venkataraman

Nartanam 157

The second evening Rama Vaidyanathan and ensemble took the stage andwhat was expected to be another memorable evening unfortunately turned outto be disappointing. Vivartana – Dance Transforms failed to live up toexpectations right from the confused concept, to the poorly recorded andrendered music which seemed to find itself tied to the khanda nadai beat fartoo often. English poem translated by Divyanand Jha, Samayogi based on versesfrom Tirumandiram, Nimagna a Braj Bhasha composition of Meera Bai,Pratibodhana or Dance Awakens based on a Gujarati Narsing Mehta poem,verses from Abhinaya Darpana in Rasa Bhava - it was a rainbow which becamea hotch potch of ideas, of movement visualisations – all compounded by a badlyrecorded tape where voice and words became muffled. Durga, Revati,Karaharapriya, Kamas, Hindolam – all were smudgy. The Rumi poetry with adancer in white aimlessly circling, the dance of Meera like skipping the lightfantastic and even the Tirumandiram verse where dancer merges with the dancewhich was presented by Rama – all fell below expectations. I suppose the lawof averages will spare no one- and this was not one of Rama’s best efforts.From a dancer of her calibre much more was hoped for.

The very next evening, at the same Stein auditorium venue, an Usha R.K.event on Kshetras or places of pilgrimage saw male dancers Pavitra KrishnaBhat and Abhimanyu Lal, take the stage in the twin traditions of Bharatanatyamand Kathak respectively. The deities of the two Vaishnavite centres of Srirangamin the South and Shri Nathdwara in the North, became the thematic concerns ofthe two dance forms respectively. Pavitra Bhatt had done his research thoroughly.Starting with a montage of quick frozen stances to convey Dashavataram, thedance journey begins with the river Cauvery which flows round the island ofSrirangam before splitting into Kollidam and another tributary, which again joinup at another place. The dancer’s interpretation began with a Kavutvam onVishnu’s vahana Garuda by Madurai R. Muralidharan. Garuda darishanamadishayam, Garuda darishanam adisukham, the music was in ragaNagaswaravali. And what one appreciated about the dance visualisationportraying the giant eagle was sticking to the grounded Bharatanatyam techniquewhile successfully communicating the feel of being airborne. The choreographywas very imaginative. The centrepiece of this recital rested on a composition SriRanga Puravihara in Brindavan Saranga, which late M.S. Subbalakshmi’sconstant rendition has made very popular. There is a myth attached to themammoth idol of Vishnu in Srirangam which was related in the introduction.After the success of his battle against Ravana, Rama offers prayers to LordVishnu and hands over the idol to Vibheeshana with the instruction that he house

DELHI DIARY

Nartanam158

the idol in Lanka so as to keep the place safe. But the condition was that heshould not let it rest at any point till he reached Lanka because once the idol wasplaced on the ground, it would remain there for eternity. The Devas, alarmedthat their God was going to be sent to the land of the rakshasas, as a ruse sentGanesha, who offered help in carting the image when needed. While performingsanthyavandanam ritual, Vibheeshana made over the idol to Ganesh askinghim to hold it for him. But Ganesh after a while quietly put the idol down. Analarmed Vibheeshana wondered what he could do to restore the situation andwas told not to worry – because the idol which kept stretching to cover a largearea of the ocean had the eye glance directed towards Lanka. Vibheeshana wasassured that though not in Lanka, the lord would always guard the interests ofthe Kingdom. With vocalist Shrikanth providing the accompaniment on the tape,and the involved dancing by Pavitra, one felt that the recital did justice to thetheme.

Abhimanyu Lal had all his cheer leaders to keep applauding every step of his.While the nritta aspect had a certain exuberance, while interpreting thecompositions, surrounding Krishna at Nathdwara where each jhanki portrayshim in a special mood, as flautist, player with children, Sringar purush to whomkheer is offered as raja bhog, with music on certain instruments played for him.The dancer tried to capture a feel of Banke Bihari Lal with devotees pushingand shoving through impossible crowds to have a darshan of the Lord. ‘Wakeup’ (Jagiye Gopal Lal) say devotees trying to get the young Lord out of his bedin the morning. The feat of the young Lord lifting Mount Govardhan on his littlefinger to save his devotees from a watery end thanks to the torrential rains sentdown by Indra and the various leelas leave the devotees in wonderment. Thenritta apart, Abhimanyu’s abhinaya communicated little.

Through a long career, Odissi dancer Jyoti Shrivastava has kept her annualGuru Pranam Utsav in homage to her late guru Srinath Raut, alive. This year themain guest artiste was Ramli Ibrahim of Malaysia who along with his discipleGeethika Sree added colour to the festival. The presentation of the Pallavi inRageshri, an old creation choreographed by Durgacharan Ranbir for his disciplesLeena Mohanty and Ramli Ibrahim, was done with a new idea crafted on to thePallavi which is Ramli’s usual approach, to ring in the changes. The renditionbecame a sringar interaction between two dancers. The other number the twodancers presented was Nava Rasa, where together and at times singly, the itembrought out the nine dramatic sentiments. Geethika is evolving into a fine dancer.

Leela Venkataraman

Nartanam 159

Among Jyoti Shrivastava’s students at Vaishali Kala Kendra, Rahul Varshneyshowed equipoise, and ability to hold stances well while executing AshtaShambhu. The only problem was a very old tape where the ukkutas could hardlybe heard and between the utterance and mardal player and the dancer’s steps,immaculate timing was lacking. A new recording with the music in Malkauns is amust. In the opening Mangalacharan and the Moksha, some group arrangementswere very attractive. A somewhat tired looking Jyoti performed abhinaya to theAshtapadi Keshi Mathanam Udaram with the recorded music in Sudha Desi,composed and sung by Rama Hari. Dasha Mahavidya as a group presentationhad disciples from Vaishali Kala Kendra. Jyoti must also think of items which gobeyond the traditional numbers -which have been presented year in and yearout.

On the other two days, groups and single dancers from various citiesparticipated with each day’s proceedings starting right in the morning. While thedancing pertained to varying standards from promising, finished to very raw,some troupes like that of Madhulita took more than the time given to others andthis should not be allowed. But the most delightful presentation of this teacherwas from six year old Angelina Avnee presenting Radhasrani sange Muralipani.This student of Madhulita based in Bangalore is a natural and the only critiqueone can make is what the child showed as the dance of Radharani and MuraliAha ki sundar dise with the little one’s tribhanga thani so perfect.

The third evening’s highlight was the recital by the Abinna Sundar GotipuaNrutya parishad. The youngsters danced the abhinaya as well as Banda Nrutyavery well, with fine singing on tape by their director Basant Kumar Maharana.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We thank the Sangeet Natak Akademi, NewDelhi, for its partial financial assistance forthe publication of this journal.

Publishers, Nartanam

DELHI DIARY