The Gaana Nritya Academy in Mangaluru was alive with the vibrancy and fervor of traditional Indian classical dance as they presented ‘Varadarajam Upasmahe’ featuring Harinie Jeevitha, a renowned Bharatanatyam performer from Chennai. The dance recital, which drew in a full house, personified the pinnacle of classical art by weaving together intricate movements with profound emotional expressions. Harinie, a senior disciple of Sheela Unnikrishnan at Sridevi Nrithyalaya, elegantly showcased her command over the dance form, leaving the audience spellbound.
The inspiration for Harinie’s performance came from the euphoric 10-day Brahmotsavam festivities venerating Lord Varadaraja at the temple in Kanchipuram. Immersing herself into this labor of love, Harinie, with extensive research and due diligence, revitalized the exuberance of the festival complete with its rituals and celebrations. The production team’s dedication to authenticity and attention to quality was evident throughout the performance.
Harinie’s artistry was complemented by an array of compositions, including the revered ‘Varadaraja ninnu kori vachithi’ by Tyagaraja, Dikshithar’s ‘Varadarajam upasmahe’ in the raga Saranga rendered as a thillana, and a repertory of Sanskrit shlokas, Telugu songs, and Tamil pasurams. These compositions created a melodious foundation on which the dance recital was choreographed.
The event initiated with a multimedia display that provided a contextual backdrop of Kanchipuram’s Brahmotsavam. Accompanied by a narrator detailing the festival’s distinct utsavams and their characteristic vahanas (vehicles of the gods), the audience’s anticipation was palpably heightened. Harinie then appeared on stage, encapsulating the grandeur of the spiritual celebrations through her graceful and articulate movements.
Depicting the temple’s aura and the poses of procession through the streets of Kanchipuram, Harinie’s performance was a virtual tour for the audience, each feeling an integral part of the ritualistic heritage. The resonance of Vedic chants set the tone, enhancing the overall atmosphere. The precision in her portrayal of the various vahanas, including the vibrancy of the kulukkal (vigorous swinging), was remarkable.
A highlight of her performance was the representation of the garuda vahanam, part of the third day’s utsavam, captured through the varnam ‘Aadhiyugaththayan kandida nindra arul varadan’. Harinie’s dramatization of Gajendra Moksham, where Lord Vishnu on Garuda rescues Gajendra, the elephant king, from a crocodile was profound and emotive. With refined abhinaya (expressive acting), Harinie not only depicted the struggle and ultimate liberation of Gajendra but also conveyed universal themes of hope and divine solace.
The closing act featured the charama shloka from the Bhagavad Gita, ‘Sarva dharmaan parityaja’, ending with ‘Maa shucha:’ – phrases inscribed on the hand of the deity in the Kanchipuram temple. This sermon of surrender without fear was an apt culmination, drawing the spiritual thread that ran through the performance.
Harinie’s own choreography expertise was bolstered by the guidance of Chitra Madhavan and Sudhavalli Sri as resource persons. The pre-recorded orchestra was a compelling accompaniment, featuring the soulful nattuvangam of her guru Sheela Unnikrishnan, riveting singing by Srikanth Gopalakrishnan, the percussive prowess of Guru Bharadwaaj on the mridangam, Nandini Saigiridhar’s melodious violin play, B. Muthukumar’s emotive flute melodies, Anjani Srinivasan’s veena, and Sankara Sastrigal’s spiritual Vedic chanting.
The performance of ‘Varadarajam Upasmahe’ by Harinie Jeevitha was an evocative journey that transcended the mere physicality of dance to create a rich tapestry of devotion, culture, and exquisite visual storytelling. It was a testament to the continuing legacy and the dynamic vitality of Bharatanatyam as a profound form of artistic expression.
