The Complete Surrender

By Shyamhari Chakra, "Bringing in mysticism into" - Express Buzz - Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Friday, September 26, 2008

Thanks to the initiatives of the Bhubaneswar Music Circle the City’s connoisseurs of classical dance and music had the first ever experience of Sufi Kathak (on Sunday) evolved and promoted by one of India’s young and brilliant dancers Manjari Chaturvedi since the past 13 years.

Belonging to the Lucknow gharana, Manjari, a disciple of Pandit Arjun Mishra, has attempted to introduce the mysticism of Sufism to Kathak.

‘‘The Indian concept of Nirvana is similar to the Sufi thought of Fana. The concept of merging of individual souls with the universal soul is common amongst both the Hindu mystics and the Sufis. Raas Lila tradition of Kathak is based on the divine love of Radha and Krishna that symbolises the torment of separation and ecstasy of union of man from God. My dance incorporates the mystic of Sufism through the dance of the moving meditation,’’ explained the exponent prior to commencement of her hour-long recital.

The dancer of eloquence and intensity narrated a story - the story of a very beautiful woman - through five dance sequences to explain the philosophy of Sufi Kathak.

In the first sequence the lady, who is very much in love with her body, decorated herself with ornaments. In the next, in all her finery she goes to meet her beloved one who becomes the formless Almighty for her in the next episode.

Moving on, the woman clad in cream-white costume adorns black costume - symbolising the uselessness of her body - and dances losing her identity. It’s the complete surrender of the ‘Me’ in her to the Almighty in the fourth sequence.

And in the concluding segment, the dancer becomes the dance in the dance of ultimate joy and union of the soul with the God. Sensuality merges into spirituality.

Supported by a magical light designing pattern, Manjari usually dances with two sets of musicians - traditional Hindustani music and the qawwals of Avadh - sitting on her both sides that create a mystical ambience.

The audience here, however, could not experience it as she performed to recorded music and inadequate lights for funds constraints of the hosts.