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Thread of devotion Artistes ‘constructing’ the temple.

The opening piece Jaya janaki raman created an aura of bhakti encompassing one and all. The piece presented by a group of well-trained dancers enumerated different epithets ascribed to Rama.

In the composition Takkuveni Manaku the poet sings in ecstasy and says when he is one with his Lord all his desires dissolve. There are no fears and no doubts. The piece enumerated all the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu which were performed well. The use of dancing space was done intelligently. The choreography never overshadowed the narrative. The exits and entries were well planned to create different landscapes.

Ananda Shankar Jayant’s histrionics came into full play in the piece Entho Mahanu Bhavudavu. The song began with describing the Lord’s beauty and then went on to showcase different episodes from His life. It was evident in this solo by Ananda Shankar that a classical dance is not just an aesthetic experience but can also be used as an idiom to educate people about different legends.

The dance-drama Sri Rama Ne Nama – Entha Ruchi Ra told the story of Bhakta Ramadas. For him the meaning of existence began and ended with the devotion of Rama. Hence he spent all the revenue earned by the Qutub Shahi dynasty to build a temple at Bhadrachala. When the king realised this he puts Ramadas (who worked as a Tahsildar) into confinement for 12 years. The presentation opened with the dancers showing the temple being constructed. Although a bit over-stretched the sequence was executed well - especially the place where female dancers got transformed, by the chisel of the sculptors, from mere ‘slabs of stone’ to ‘graceful sculptures’. The choreographer used a rope very creatively to show the boundaries of the temple and then the same rope was used to show the prison. The rope could well be interpreted as a metaphor. For a believer (here, the poet) what signifies a hope, a celebration, a meaning for a non believer (the ruler, Taneshah) it means control, suppression and inhibition. The space was used imaginatively to show the progression in time by shifting the position of the prison. The evening ended on a high note of bhakti. The spectators started humming with the dancers and the musicians. The power of the art, the literature and the music connected the performers and the spectators with one single thread of devotion.

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