NCPA Umang

Choreographies From Margam: Celebrating The Divine Feminine
Presenting two pieces  : a navarasa varnam in praise of Goddess Meenakshi and a Bhajan exploring the primordial Goddess Kali.The varnam is a musical masterpiece of Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman that explores the Goddess in all her glory. Narrating several episodes from the time of her birth, her first encounter with Lord Sundareshwarar, Mahishasura’s confrontation with Adi Parashakti & subsequent submission at Her Lotus Feet. Kali Kalyani , explores the iconographic imagery of Kali.It is constant, unchanging, unforgiving.Time is manifested as Kali in Hindu Mythology , who appears dark & wild.She devours the supreme consciousness Mahakala. and then lols her tongue out in Swatmanubhuti – ecstasy. She is also kalyani – auspicious , as she paves the path towards evolution by dissolving everything into an undifferentiated shakti. She manifests as a full cycle. wearing severed heads, symbolising the greatest irony of life where dissolution gives way to evolution. 

‘Pandurangam Bhaje‘ is a multilingual solo dance drama in Kuchipudi style categorised as ‘Ekapatra Kelika‘.

 It is a journey of an ardent devotee from South India who begins his journey to Pandarpur and realises that in all the states of South India, the culture of praying Vithala exists and temples too accordingly. The compositions in those respective languages too exist and finally as he reaches Pandarpur his joy and ecstasy sees no bounds having the darshan of Panduranga Vithala and Rukmini with an abhang as finale.