Monsoon with Meghdoot

Interpreting selected verses in Hindi from the immortal work of poet Kalidasa, Meghdhoot – The cloud messenger

Workshop conducted by Rishiraj Pathak (Literature)
Guest Speakers
Piyal Bhattacharya (Dance)
Subodh Poddar (Visual Art)
Sandhya Raman (Costume Design)

Age Group – 18+

Registration : call: 8879114939 (Swapnokalpa Dasgupta)/9819002515 (Deepa Shinde) Email : kpuranik@ncpamumbai.com/mdsouza@ncpamumbai.com

Conductor:
Rishiraj Pathak  is a noted Sanskrit Scholar, proficient in the Vedas. He is a Poet, Musician and a Dance Litterateur, renowned for his knowledge in Ṣaḍaṅga veda, Rhetorics (Sāhityaśāstra), Dramaturgy (Nāṭyaśastra) and Musicology (Saṅgītaśastra). Dr. Pathak has been the University topper and Gold Medalist both in his Bachelor’s Degree in Sanskrit ‘Honours’  and Master’s Degree in Sanskrit (2011). Thereafter, he attained the Doctor of Philosophy from the Sanskrit Department, Delhi University, for his thesis subject ‘A Comprehensive Study on the Phonology, Semantics and Musicology of the Sāmavedic Accents’ . Dr. Pathak had the great fortune of having learnt the recitation of the popular forms of all the four vedas through Guru Mukh Parampara. He has received recitation training from Shri Guru Gangeshwaranand Chaturved Shodh Sansthan, Ved Mandir, Nashik, Maharashtra and Kotkasim, Rajasthan. He has had the opportunity to receive the training of the recitation of Sāman chants of the Kauthuma śākhā from Shri Nandan Mishra and Dr. Lambodar Mishra. He has learnt the Preliminary hymns of the Śākala śākhā of the Ṛgveda under the apprenticeship of Shri R. Ramesh Bhatt, and the Śaunaka śākhā of the first canto of Atharvaveda from Shri Atmaram Pondel, during the period 1997- 1999. Dr. Pathak hails from the lineage of the Mādhyandinīya tradition of the Śukla Yajurveda, hence, has received its knowledge and instructions from the eminent Vedic Scholar, Acharya Shri Rameshwar Dayal Sharma (1999-2004) and at present, is learning the Kāṇva Śākhā of the Śukla Yajurveda from Dr. Chandan Kumar Mishra. Owing to his interest in Music and other classical art forms, Dr. Pathak, also received preliminary training of Kathak from the renowned Kathak Dancer Smt. Monisha Nayak (2011-2013). Dr. Pathak has been awarded various degrees in different musical disciplines

Guests:
A researcher of Natyashastra, Kalamandalam Piyal Bhattacharya, for the last 15 years have been working on the practical reconstruction of Bharata’s dance and music tradition of Natyashastraic period. The main aim behind this research of him is to dig up the long-lost performance tradition of Natyashastra in totality. Thus, a complete repertoire and ensemble was envisioned and constructed as ‘MARGA NATYA’. To reconstruct the musical system of Bharata’s music tradition, he went through a long winding road. He learnt Saraswati Veena, Pakhawaj, Pung Achoba, Miravu and now learning Dhrupad and Rudra Veena of Dagar Gharana under Pt. Asit Banerjee. In March 2016 he went to Myanmar to learn traditional Burmese harp, to trace the migration of ancient Indian harp system to Myanmar.
He received Fellowships from Sangeet Natak Akademi, Ministry of Culture India, and was also conferred with prestigious grant for ‘Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage of India’, from Sangeet Natak Akademi, India. Of late, in July 2016, he launched his first ever reconstruction of Bharata’s Uparupak ‘BHAANAK’, the Natya presentation of Bharata’s tradition.

Subodh Poddar:
Artistic from the very childhood Mr.Poddar joined Sir J J Institute of applied arts.
Worked in many advertising agencies, simultaneously painted Dance live from Stage. This set of rapid paintings are his favourite and he calls them Dancescapes.

Subodh has been painting these Dancescapes in Chinese ink on Rice paper now for over 30 years. He has exhibited his work in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Italy, France and Morocco. Subodh also sculpts in bronze , Terracotta and ceramic.

Sandhya Raman:

Sandhya Raman is a costume designer, curator and focusses on socially responsible designs.Raman is the founder of Desmania Foundation. Sandhya Raman designs costumes for dancers practicing contemporary as well as traditional dance forms. Raman is an alumnus of the National Institute of Design, (Ahmedabad) with a specialization in Apparel and Textile Design.

Costume Designing by Sandhya Raman

• Goddess Central a dance drama which addressed the issue of female foeticide.
• Moonbeam (1991) choreographed by Jonathan Hollander Battery Dance Co. USA. enacted by Mallika Sarabhai
• SONGS OF TAGORE, choreographed by Jonathan Hollander
• Beauty and Beast: Bharathakala Natya Academy
• Padme: Anita Ratnam
• Interrupted Aditi Mangaldas and Drishtikon Dance Company
• Pralaya by Sampradaya Canada Lata pada
• The incomplete Gesture: Natya Dance Theatre Chicago
• Anekanta: Geeta Chandran and Natya Vriksha Dance company .