Reflecting at THE ATTIC

Almost twenty days past the 19th of March. The day FROM THE ATTIC performance series got premiered. After all the buzz, hectic hours of work, endless phone calls, piles of paperwork and sleeplessness, there is a certain quiteous that has returned to my everyday life. Much has changed forever though after the March mid week. I have made many friends and some foes. Many many have come forward to appreciate my work. People I respect, shared the evening with me, spent time understanding my thoughts and showed respect to my work. An evening that in many ways introduced my pre -occupations to the world. I am being asked to speak, share my work at various forums and Attic has managed to interest everyone in history, art and performance.

As I return to a normal pace of everyday routine of work, classes, writing, my reading and the stillness of my life, I am reflecting. What is the one thing that stands great people apart. My Gurus, Sarasama, the Tiruvazaputhur Kalyani Grand daughters, TSP mama, TNR Sir, Ramachandran Sir, Raghu mama and the many others. The women dance gurus of mine, may not be women of letters but were/are certainly not illiterate. I recognize literacy as a quality that nurtures equanimity, a sense of neutrality and personal integrity.

Life to these women has not been too fair. Actually, life is not fair to anyone but it is how we face that adversity that makes us the people we are. I found my teacher Sarasama's  ability to talk with ease and humor always very fascinating. She would hardly speak about her personal life. She was always surrounded by her students. She found a good quality (albeit funny) in everyone and appreciated them for it. Her humor was in many ways her shield from the harsh realities of life.
Jeeva teacher too is a bundle of joy and fun. Their endless childish bickering and arguments would have me in splits. TSP mama managed through the years on his wheelchair with his gregarious sense of humor and jokes. TNR's one liners are my staples, while Ramachandran sir (a man one would consider to be more serious) would break into an unexpected joke or impression, much to our delight. As far ad Raghu Mama is concerned, I would sing in between peels of laughter.

The core of their art (all of theirs) is couched in a simple innocence. Even while the world burdens them with layers of misnomers, criticisms and betrayals, it is the sheer strength of their personal integrity that stands them high.

Their strength also is "உற்றது சிந்திக்கும் உணர்”. Their knowledge of people and the world was/ is not  "paasagyanam" but a deeply intense “patigyanam". They seem to interact with people and the world with the intense philosophy of "மேவாமல் மேவுதல்” that is to work the ways of life without letting it affect their deeply held personal value.

I am stunned into silence when I reflect upon these. The merit of a teacher's integrity upholds their ability to for ever create an impression of unattainable purity both of their art as well as their heart, in the minds of their pupils.

I am indeed a very fortunate disciple of such gurus of great merit. If you too are, believe me when I say, their breed are a rarity and you can feel quite chosen.

Dr.Swarnamalya Ganesh
Reflecting at the ATTIC (a reflection of my Gurus's shining integrity)

Covenant with the Attic

He was the most illustrious of his dynasty. The moment we hear his name our minds will wander to the temple city of the South- Madurai 

He ruled from Madurai between 1623-59. This mighty king was not just a great ruler but also a very keen connoisseur of the various arts. It was in his court that the legendary Nilakanda Dikshita, nephew of the celebrated advaitin, Sri Appaiyya Dikshita was. He was also patron to Sri Kumara Gurupara Swamigal who wrote the beautiful Maduraikalambakam describing the various lilas (acts of playful deliverance) of Lord Sundareshwara, the presiding deity of Madurai.

According to the traveler's accounts of Taylor in the Oriental Historical Manuscripts "He was seated on a the beautiful gem studded throne placed at the natakashala where he would spend his evenings watching dancers sing, dance and perform the various dances in the light that glows from the torches that would illuminate the room"

He was a great patron to Tamil scholars, painters and sculptures. Speaking of sculptures, did you know that there are several sculptures of this famous King in the Madurai temple which depict him as a young lad (as a Prince), a youthful king in his prime and then also as a middle aged man (with a paunch) and a beard! 

When you walk around the Aarukaal Pitham  of the Minakshi amman temple at Madurai do not forget to see Him standing majestically with his reigning Queens in tow!!!

When I was shooting for a production of Mr.Bharathiraja called "tekkatti ponnu" I was travelling every month for several days to Madurai, Dindugal and Theni. To me that was God sent time to spend with my "heroes" I would wander around these palaces and temples for hours in between my shoots, staring at each of the stones, sculptures and paintings. In my research, when ever I would have doubts, pauses in thought process, a hiatus, I would go back to stare at these faces, places and take a waft of the atmosphere in...and there I would somehow find an answer, a solution, some what like a covenant between them and me! Will tell you more in detail

watch out for more 

https://www.facebook.com/fromtheatticcomingsoon

Dr.Swarnamalya Ganesh

Covenant with the Attic

Tekkatti Ponnu stealing her moments with her
heroes

Nataka shala- covenant 

swooning at the Chutzpah, in awe at the Attic

They waltz in together. Two women adorned with beautiful nose rings, toes rings, chutti, Jadai billai, naagar, their silken pallus sweeping the floor, thick braided hair swinging from side to side, they walk into the room. Every eye turns towards them. The air is filled with the scent of the champaka, punnaaga, mallika and jaati flowers sewn into their long dark tresses. Holding her heads low, they take a bow. While doing so, one of them looks up at Him and gives an ever so slight,  faint smile that no one but Him and her are aware of. They steal glances as the women bring their palms together for a ceremonial Namaskaram. Then slowly they move their hands up above in a ceremonial salaam!

While every man in the room stood transfixed by the sheer grace of their moving fingers, their hearts suspended in mid air only to be jolted back to real time with His resonating voice. Oh learned sire! ask them the questions. Test them. Show to the world what they possess! Nervously, the scholars chime together

"Ayyaiyaa swami...nagara lakshmi saraswatilu saakshaatkarinchi andaga parikshaleenaiya?!!!"
 "Aiy aiy our great master! these are the incarnations of Lakshmi and Saraswati standing before us here, how do we quiz them?!!!"
 HE was mighty pleased with this response, however coaxed the scholars to ask a few questions, only to gloat their prowess in the presence of the men of his world.

Just then entered a hurrying page boy. He was carrying a palm leaf letter. "Excuse me master. I am ordered by the sovereign's first lady to hand this over immediately to her" Saying so, he pointed the leaf in the direction of one of the women. Unfazed, she reached for the leaf and deftly swirled in open. She read it  and let out a small chuckle. Slowly she walked across to the other corner of the room and gently stood on a low raised stool whose legs were adorned with the golden lion motifs. Lions with pearls hanging from their wide open mouth. She placed one foot delicately upon the lion's mouth and spoke thus,  "Oy! boy" she said and  paused dramatically, looked around to ensure that her voice was echoing through the room. "Tell her, the first lady, that if she has the talent, she may keep Him engaged and retracing back to her chambers often. No point grudging my skill" and with that she waved her hands for him to dismiss. She swayed across the room towards Him and found a smile playing at the corner of his lips. She had
won. Her friend hid her amusement behind the edge of her pallu. They looked at each other, nodded, bowed down  and made a triumphant exit from the room, leaving jaws dropping.

What chutzpah, this woman!!!! who is she? who is HE? who is the other lady?

Coming soon....FROM THE ATTIC

https://www.facebook.com/fromtheatticcomingsoon

Dr.Swarnamalya Ganesh
Swooning at her chutzpah in awe!

P.S: No. the woman is not me! the photo is here only to promote the event "From the Attic". Just in case you all were wondering:-)

RAM LALA walks into the attic and I hear him-finally

Namaskarams,

I am guilty for my long silence. I know I can blame it on my work load, travelling and much more, but all that would be lame. When we are aware of the body of work people like Dr.Raghavan, TNR Sir, M.Goplakrishna Iyer and others have done, writing, working and writing more I hang my head in guilt. However, Bharati said "yamakku tozil kavidai..." I therefore say "yamakku tozil kootu". I dance before I write the process. But friends, in the last several months I have had so many experiences, each worthy of a blog! I have shared them with friends with whom I have conversed and upon their insistence, I choose for this writing my experiences with Ramayana. 

Although, chronologically (in my life) Ramayana has featured much late, it has occupied a prime place. As a child I grew up, like most Indian children with tales and stories of and from Ramayana. We are taught to look up to Rama as God. He is mighty and gracious, strong and kind at the same time. He is ideal and therefore adorns our pooja rooms as an idol ! Being tamil Iyers, in my family Rama was not the prime deity. But as a young child, I watched Ramayana on TV. Strangely, I never learnt any dance composition on Sri Rama for several years (did Sarasama intuitively sense my lack of understanding and connection with Rama?) except for the stray Bhavayami Raghuramam which I learnt musically but never cared to dance to, on stage. 

I never paused a second in life to wonder why I had never willingly chosen any composition on Rama. Ofcourse, I did learn and perform the mandatory Pancaratnams (which by the way are very unsuited for dance, according to me). I learnt several Tyagaraja kritis in my paatu class and practiced them steadfastly, but never was I ever moved by any of these songs on the Rama level. To me they were symbols of Tyagaraja's devotion to Rama, his God and epitome of musical genius. 

As a young student of S.V.Venkatachalam sir (principal of Rishi valley school), mentor who taught me vedic chanting and bhajans for over a decade, I learnt several Tulsidas Bhajans. "Tumaka chalata ramachandra bhaajata peenjaniya", a beautiful composition on baby Rama walking around with his anklets tinkling. As sir explained the song, I was visualizing "kaalalandige gejja....Krishna nee beegane baaro..." of baby, blue krishna walking towards me with his anklets tinkling away, to sing and enjoy Tumaka chalata ! 

As a young soloist, during the early days of my performances, I have never performed many compositions on Rama. One fine day, my guru was to teach me Yaro ivar yaro, the Arunachala Kavi song. Glancing at Sita, stopping at her sight, Rama, the charmer? I just couldn't put a face to the name. He was to be Rama, the man who let Sita go. He was the man who ambushed and killed Vali. He was to me a man who waged a war, killing many for a personal vengence (even though Sita is Bhumija, she was one man's wife). Maybe Sita was better off with Ravana who atleast wanted her bad enough to fight for her. Maybe Rama was no God. How is this itihaasa an ideal for the world? Why is a man exalted when he has deserted his wife who had gone through much? Swarnamalya, the strong feminist had emerged.  

To me Rama was the name of a God I use a million times a day as an axiom in adages and an absurdity in sheer desperation, example "aiyo Rama ! or Raaaama chandra murrrthi!!!(sigh)" I didn't hate him but I wasn't exactly a fan.

Sometime during the middle of 2012, my students and I were planning our Ranga Mandira's Anniversary. It was a very special occasion and we wanted to stage a production that would involve all our students. During discussions, all my students unanimously screamed "Akka! the Ramayana!". I was startled by the roar and conviction in the voices of even my 3 1/2 year old tiny tot. I made weak attempts at alternative suggestions but was promptly shot down with un controllable over enthusiasm. They were bent upon the Ramayana and I had to choreograph. 

As a dancer and choreographer, I have always felt the need to comprehend and identify with the protagonist, the principle characters, the theme, the context and construct of any composition or story. To me, that is the first step to searching for the internal source knowledge  through which I seek the spiritual. How do I confess to my young students that I have no empathy towards Rama. How do I tell them that Sita was more of a hero in the Ramayana, according to me. How was I to depict Ravana as a villian while I infact admire him for his artistic prowess. How can I reinterpret the Ramayana and infuse my feminist ideas in the minds of young children for whom the epic was a story of good men winning over the evil ones? How am I to not be sacrilegious to The Ramayana and still perform it?

I needed a quick fix devotional trip into Rama's life. And I needed it now. I was desperate. Even as my entire school was preparing to meet the coming Saturday to start choreography on Bhavayami Raghuramam, I toiled with these uncomfortable personal confrontations. The day arrived. All my students filed in and waited for my instructions. I searched every corner of the room, every nook, every face in front of me, all the paintings and portraits that hang on our walls for some help, I needed to know that I was embarking on a journey (actually leading about 50 people along with me) that made sense to my conscience. 

When all eager eyes and faces were reverted towards me, I, in order to gain some time to orient myself, I asked everyone to close their eyes for a while. I called it meditation for creativity.

If only hearts could be heard, everyone in the room would have heard mine. It was screaming. Was I Rama impaired !?!!? Am I an un -devout Rama-atheist? I shut my eyes and called out to Sita. Believe me when I say, I was very melodramatic (drastic situations can call for drastic measures). I called out to her saying " you are a woman, you are a strong woman. I have never understood your Rama. Did he deserve you? Today, more than ever, I need to know some answers. Please help me. You will be my guide".

"Sri Rama rama rameti ramerame manorame

  sahasra nama tattulyam rama nama varanane"

My bold voice was echoed with 40 other voices. The second and the third time in unison. 

Suddenly, the dance hall was filled with silence. quietus. Every child opened her/ his eyes and looked me in the eye. The agarbatti fragrance filled our nostrils. The breeze from the ceiling fans were cooler. Our hearts felt something, a stir. A stranger had walked into the room. He was tall, dark and handsome. He was smiling and as he walked he swayed gently. We felt him. He was a feeling. He was presence. He was a singular thought. 

Vaanarootama sahita vaayu suno kararpita 

Bhanushata bhasvara bhavya ratnaaguliyam...

as I sang these lines, I had goose bumps. I was visibly in tears, choking. I was stunned. Was I moved for what Rama felt for Sita? What was so touching about their separation while he dumps her again after their union? I was truly puzzled. But my tears were damn real. It was there for everyone to see. Was I crying for Rama or Sita. I checked, and damn again, I was crying for Rama. Was he mortal or God? Did he manifest to show me his power?

Dr.A.K.Sharma, the archaeologist who along with J.P.Joshi, site inspected the excavations at Ayodhya and drew the following conclusions in a long affidavit and a 19 working days long cross examination by the Supreme court says, here are some of his arguments based on archaeological findings

1. Rama's birth place was Ayodhya. He was raised as a child there and a temple in commemoration of this was built here.

2. Any temple or Rajdhani, according to agamic sastra, if near a river,  has to be built on the north eastern direction of it. At Babri-ayodhya site the river flows at 19 degrees North Eastern direction to the site.

3. The walls of the temple but be constructed parallel to the river and here, the base walls that were excavated run parallel to the river.

4. Every mosque must face the direction of Mecca. But here Babri does not. The pillars will always face N in a way that they can offer prayers to the South. Here at babri the pillars are not N facing.

5. No exacavations have found minarets and Vaju tank, which are salient and are mandatory features in a mosque construction.

6. There are remains of "miharab" art found on the mosque walls which may lead archaeologists to believe that this was a site of Islamic worship all along. But, the concept of miharab for Islam was inspired frim hindu art and this has been noted in works like Tarikh-I- Farista (1452 CE, pg 70)

7. There is visibility of green sist pillars. There is no availability of green sist in UP but only in Sikkim.

8. There are so many animal figurines, human figurines on the walls at babri. These are not common sights we see in any mosques. 

9. Not a single full brick has been used for the construction of the mosque. The blocks and their measurements match exactly to that of the temple remains that have been unearthed.

10. There were four levels of flooring that were found. Each belonging to a temple. 

11. A circular Siva temple towards N. Its called pranal, a Rama temple, a Nandi temple  and one more. The last temple was perhaps in 1228 CE.

12. There is the Sita Rasoi (if excavated will unearth more reveling facts), a Buddhist monument on the southern side and more.

Thanks to these archaeologists, the ASI established the following and Justice D.V.Sharma wrote

"the disputed site is the birth place of Lord Rama and is personified as the spirit of divine worshipped as the birth place of the Lord Ram as a child. The disputed building was constructed by Babar, the year in uncertain but built against the tenets of Islam, thus cannot have the characters of a mosque".

Although the ASI has proved that this was infact the Rama janma bhumi and the temple of Ram lala was demolished and built over by Babar, we as Indians and heritage enthusiasts feel equally strongly about a mosque. That's our heritage and history too and we respect that part of our history as much. When we can't build, we have no right to demolish, even  though  Babar had done it. 

Now back to Rama. Rama therefore was a human being. He was born and raised as a child at Ayodhya.  Tumaku chalatu ramachandra indeed. But my questions about Rama as a stita-pragnya, udharana purusha were unanswered. 

If the Ramayana is an epic about human values and ethics, is deserting Urmila acceptable in order for Lakshmana to be a phenomenal brother? I do realize that the Ramayana is an epic that was in a  different place at a different time. But as an epic, it must have the ability to transcend time and stay relevant. 

Swami Dayananda Saraswati says, Rama is not a mandate of Dharma but its manifestation. If Rama stood as a manifestation of Dharma, then, shouldn't the basic tenets of righteousness remain unchanged through time? How are we going to appease the questioning minds of our generations? How are we to defend Rama's manifesto of Dharma at the wake of sending Sita to fire?

Rama was a stita-pragya. He was steadfast in his approach to life. He was doing his best under all trying circumstances to follow this mandate of Dharma. The Ramayana is at the fulcrum of tribal-feudal   change. It was a story that brought the two worlds together in both camaraderie and conflict. Rama was a man who stood at the center of this large social operation. His story was not a single man's anger and revenge towards his wife's kidnapper. But, it was a war of social power and more importantly a war of personal conflicts, introspectively. Rama is exalted in the eyes of Sita. She was the foster daughter of Valmiki after she was left in the forest. She brought up Lava and Kusha in his hermitage. If Valmiki documented the life of Rama, no doubt, he would have heard much about him from Sita. Therefore, to see Rama as a virtuous man was through her eyes. Sita was a very strong woman. She was pragmatic and saw and focused on the Rama who was at the center of ethical and political operations. Ramayana being at the tribal-feudal fulcrum, even to Sita, Rama's vision to uphold Dharma of that time, was understandable in many ways. Its harder for us. Very hard for some of us. 

But the Ramayana is retold because it is absorbed into several cultures as their own. It has the ability to manifest. and to a large extent,Valmiki has provided for that in his earliest version.

Ramayana is not a story that juxtapositions desire, anger, greed against righteousness, patience etc, told me Dr.Nanditha Krishna. How true, for if we attempt a very plain black and white understanding we may end up like me, rooting for Sitayana. It is a story of man with nature. Man exploring his nature. His psyche and its deepest darkest moments. A stita pragnya wins over that darkness but the traces of his falls are there for all to see. It is human and it ought to be. It is not Lord Rama who wins our hearts its Rama, the human who is gentle, brave, worldly wise, loving, compassionate, stupid, irrational and flattering who is of our interest, He is one amongst us. He is human. He is exalted because his strive for righteousness won him the appreciation of Sita, the one person to whom he was not always dharmic. If we can win over the people we hurt and if they can recall us as righteous and as victims of situations that call for dharma to be manifested, then we are Rama. 

I am all for Sitayana, but it seems to me that she wanted Ramayana. 

Why else will I shed tears of unknown joy and sorrow for Rama every time I sing 

Bhanushata bhasvara bhavya ratnaaguliyam...

Why else will I feel the presence of a tall, dark, handsome, compassionate man whose presence I have never known or been sure of, when I summoned Sita, the Goddess whose voice as a woman I thought I represented. She made me realize that, her voice speaks the words of Rama because that is Dharma manifested for all of mankind, centuries ago, now and for centuries to come.

Bhaagayanaiya nee maayanento, Brahmakainakoni aada taramaa indeed !!!

DR.SWARNAMALYA GANESH

finally not so hearing- impaired to listen to Ram lala's gejja :-)

                                                 Ranga Mandira performs Srimad Ramayanam

                                                              The Udharana Purusha- Sri Rama

It was laundry day at the Attic !

Hi everyone, I know I have been silent for too long. I was first silenced by the loss of my dear Guru. I then took upon myself to throw that melancholia into finishing much of my research work that was pending. That done, now I am finally back to filling these pages. I have to say. So much to share. I was wondering where to begin. I was pondering if I should continue from where I left off or have a new take off point for the narrative. Then my talk at the ABHAI- Association for BHaratanatyam Artistes of India happened. It was part of a seminar on "socio-economic issues of bharatanatyam dancers-then and now". I was invited to speak for "now". Just as I was preparing to address some of the issues that they had specified to me, I realized there are so many cob-webs around us. I wish to share the paper I read out there with all of you. This is a growing concern for not the dancers alone but to the entire society, I believe. I have also made some suggestions as possible steps solutions. Read on...

"1. Bharatanatyam is a very inclusive art. In a trans- national environment that it is being nurtured now, it would be almost prudish to strongly advocate classicism, allegiance, orthodoxy, or even parameters of performance for, these very terms are themselves still in a rediscovery and redefining stage.

 2. Is Bharatanatyam over inclusive? We must know one thing, a classical practice cannot be over inclusive and still remain classical.

 3. Dancers of the 20th and 21st centuries are constantly facing issues of understanding and accepting the immediate histories and identity. Therefore performing allegiance to them is always questioned. If that allegiance will ensure quality, rigor and a certain accountability to classicism then it is for the dance practitioners to engage in such a deliberation. At an alpine level it would require a clinical approach to ring in and weed out elements of a classical form using academic history but more importantly performative historicity of the 18th, 19th centuries which are essentially our immediate past. But that is a topic for serious academic discussion and I shall keep it for later.

 4. With audiences and their tastes changing, funding structures for performances changing, even their very objectives, supply being enormously higher than demand, dancers have to come to terms with the fact that BN has become a global art. We are no longer dancing to aficionados and discerning rasikas (no, not even in the sabhas). We need newer reflective, critical updating of performative rules and values, as I said earlier, in the understanding of dance techniques and also the discourse that surrounds it all.

 5. There was a time a little over half a century ago when BN might have been endangered due to the cross roads it was at, precariously positioned between the disengaged devadasis and the pre occupied non-hereditary dancers. We have certainly come a long way from there. Today the problem is not whether it will continue as an art of prominence and identity but in what direction? Until a few decades back, questions of respectability were being asked. Will a dancer continue dancing after marriage etc? But today that is not the problem at all. Everyone is dancing, all the time. We are at a time when newer problems have arisen.

 6. What is the direction of this continuum? Where is sustainence? Will merit ensure you reach far and deep into the various performance arenas of national and global repute? What is the purpose of this maddening competition?

 7. There is Darwinism at play here. Nothing wrong. That is a universal rule. BN in the past too has always operated on the survival of the fittest. Therefore, we need to quickly address the question of “fittest”. In a world where e-invites, facebooking, twittering and public relations stands paramount it is passé to stick to old world norms of “waiting in the wings for your turn”. Truth is there are no wings and certainly not a turn. BN today is a commodity. Are we to buy what is sold with amazing publicity employing tremendous marketing skills or are we to look for quality. I am not suggesting that quality is available only in thrift shops and so give up upscale mall shopping. That’s not pragmatic. Its alright let us embrace the popular, but the climb there must be fair and based on certain universal principles.

 8. It is futile to ask for cleaner scrupulous standards in offering platforms from organizers, you will be in solitude if you remain in your “shell”, not socialize, “know” the “people”, you will be damned if you do not send out a million request letters, applications, photos, phone calls, house visits and the jazz. So what do we do?

 9. I know of dancers who don’t want to do these things and then some who cannot do these things at all for genuine economic reasons. Then what?

 10. I have been asked to address some issues concerning one, my being an actor. I think India and Indians came of age a long time ago. The concept of stigma of multiple careers or roles has long vanished. There is a healthy example in Dr.Vyjayantimala Bali to show that entertainment business and classical dance will go hand in hand and stay parallel. I am a dancer from the age of five while I became an actor almost a decade later. With my comprehension of the perfomative history that is handed down to me and with my own research I work on principles that stay within the abuttal of classical BN. But that is for dancers, funding and platform agencies to see and recognize. If anyone is to have pre-conceptions about multiple career choices of dancers, especially when that choice is entertainment and media related then they are not only short sighted but also in denial. Personally, I believe that using that as a reason to debate on a dancer’s adherence to classicism (if at all that’s the concern) would be begrudging of that dancer’s vantage to media attention and other public absorptions rather than issues of adherence and classicism. Let us not forget that devadasis at the turn of the 20th century started appearing in cinema and also in stage plays like harischadra natakam, pavazakodi etc. Therefore cinema is not a bad word, actress is not a dirty word and popularity is not a cuss word!

 11. The second issue is me being a researcher. The problems of a research student, scholar trying to reconstruct older dance forms etc and the difficulties in that realm, are for another discussion. But in general BN for the longest time now has largely separated scholarship and practice. I have seen a lot of eye brows being raised when I used to say I am a researcher. I have seen scholars and dancers schuff at me when I went ahead to do my masters in Bharatanatyam seven years ago. The other issue I have noticed is that age is a huge factor. The pre-conception that younger people really can’t be scholars is also seen. Dancer/ scholars are far and few. It is too primitive to discuss the issues they face yet. But scholarship for dancers will encourage a comprehension of historicity and enable a firm identity. To that extent it is a social issue. Also isolated scholarship in dance without practice sometimes throws the art and science of BN vulnerable to angled, partisan-ed and even jaundiced views and constructions. Therefore, it will be great to have a generation of scholar/dancers who can put in perspective the art in entirety. This is of course not to take away anything from exemplary scholars who contribute to dance history.

 12. Any occupation receives the “professional” status in a society when its presence contributes constructively to the society’s growth and its absence levels a vacuum. The dancing community until the nationalist, colonial iron hand vanquished it from temples, had a very important significant role in the religious sphere of the society’s everyday life. When that very practice came under the scanner the dancing ritual was the first to be hit. We are soon moving towards a time when the diaspora and the dancing fraternity is assimilating not only non-hindu but also non-religious dancers. If questions of ownership of Bharatanatyam as a hindu art are raised in a few decades (God forbid) are we well prepared to face it? Can we rediscover a context for today’s dance and through that to dancers in order to enable a more significant place and relevance to the society it breeds in? I mean not ideal relevance like cultural and aesthetic upliftment which have themselves become matters of personal choice and global assimilation. I mean purpose and relevance like that of say doctors and lawyers perhaps? This was my response to a question that was raised by my good friend and dancer Jayachandran.

13. I wouldn’t dare give one solution to all the above problems. But here is a start, nevertheless. BN dancers are all over the world. The diaspora has an equal stake in BN as we do. Let us not remain in denial. If we consider Chennai as the “hub” of BN practice and performance, then it must create a guild. A guild that recognizes (using fair parameters of economic and resume professional artistes) giving them IDs to entail them fare and portioned opportunities on performance platforms, assess to funding agencies, medical insurance etc. Kautilya in the Arthasastra suggested that unmarried women dancers must be given governmental jobs as spinsters (to spin the yarn). Such was the socio-economic vision of our ancestors. Must not we follow suit? It is appalling to note that dancers have no retirement, let alone retirement benefits.

 14. This guild must take on issues of foul play and come as a mediation body in case of dispute. It must have a grievance redressal cell to help young dancers deal with issues of sexual harassment, exploitation by so-called patrons, organizers, scholars and others. It is all happening. We can pretend “holier than thou” but it is an open secret. It could take up issies of maximum and minimum wages for dancers and ensemble members. It must also enroll and encourage amateur dancers. Those who want to and absolutely must, can continue their marketing and purchasing of opportunities but should never be identified as a professional artiste. The audiences will be made to know the difference. In order to get a professional status they must fall within some stipulated parameters for both performative standards, experience, income and integrity. A time when fair application, audition and selection process must encourage dancers to become marketing savvy, promotion through innovative social networking can be encouraged and the “lobbying” with silk sarees, undue flattery, other “favors” and money cannot buy you platforms and awards.

 15. The guild must later bring under its fold artistic groups like the Bhagavatamela artistes, kaisiki natanam artistes”, folk artistes, contemporary and experimental artistes etc for these are our brothers and sisters and we need to fend for them as well. We are after all what we protect!

16. In short, we are a large number of dancers, scattered all over. We are not a community yet. Can we become one? The immediate history of this art was the disengagement of the artiste community and its rites of passage, assimilation and strict rules of adherence. Now, it seems that that community- ship is the need of the hour again. This is truly the hour of retrospect.

 17. In all…IT WAS LAUNDRY DAY FOR DANCERS, WE WASHED LINEN ALRIGHT, DIRTY OR OTHERWISE…THE IMPORTANT THING IS ARE WE GON
NA COME CLEAN?

 SWARNAMALYA GANESH
AT THE LAUNDROMAT- WITH QUARTERS ET.ALL

here is a  poster done by a person named Shashank on facebook. its perfect for this article, I thought. 

Soul searching at the Attic !

Dear all,

Well in the middle of the season we are. I have had a good month, except that I have had to make a few very important re schedules. But I believe that everything happens for a reason.

This time I choose to talk about a very important tradition that had changed my artistic journey forever.

Right about the time when life, both personally and artistically was really rough on me I took one of my pilgrim trips to my haven, Tanjavur. It was the month of april, may about 5 years ago. I wanted a big "time-out" from chennai and hence was stationed at tanjavur for a good 20 days. Tanjavur is not only a center of culture, but all pockets of small villages around it are rich with different cultural identities of their own.

During the time of the Nayak king Achyutappa, who was a great patron of arts, he had encouraged artistes and artisans of various art forms to come to his country. He promised them patronage and honour. It was under his guidance and great patronage that the Tanjavur Bhagavata mela natakams were encouraged. Achyutappa made large endowments for the up keep of this art form. He gifted an entire village as free hold lands for five hundred Brahmin families who had migrated from Andhra. They were the Bhagavatas. this village, which is presently called Melattur was previously known as Unnatapuri and during Achyutappa's time it was called Achyuta Puri. This bhagavatha tradition following the Sri Vaishnava cult, perform various melas (natakas) based on puranic stories. They perform Prahlada Charitram on Nrisimha Jayanti day and continue for the next ten days with Rukmini kalyanam, Usha Parinayam, Harischnadra and other plays.Several other villages including saliyamangalam, neegamangalam, ottukadu all situated nearby too have a bhagavatha mela tradition.

I share with you my experiences.

Secrets of the soul -a divine and defining experience! The Bhagavatamela festival.

Man is one psyche, one whole of which body, mind and spirit are aspects. Every individual has in him this vast whole of consciousness, this great amount of contents of which the conscious self is not fully aware.

Many a times, I ponder about the artistic unhappiness one feels from time to time. While the reasons range from commercialization to marginalization one other important reason is excessive intellectualization too. While looking for a solution we realisation that to regain the lost happiness, the means is to attain inner artistic tranquillity- which is again the very purpose of art.

While, we struggle so hard to recreate a “temple stage” in our city prosceniums, while under the glares of arc lights, sophisticated acoustics, contemporary commentaries and the works we struggle to achieve the inwardization, let alone the more elusive “rasanubhava”, here is a clan of artistes who know no less than absolute inner tranquillity. It was a conscious, yet effortless reach for the “daiva siddhi” that Bharata talks about in the Natya Sastra, as the highest achievement or attainment of aesthetic enjoyment and the purpose of art.

Natya, a drama with music, dance, dialogues, stories, stagecraft and theatrics is best preserved by these dedicated artistes or Bhagavatas. The Bhagavatamela festival at Melattur year after year bings alive the greatest living traditional theatrical art form of Tamilnadu.

As I sat through the different plays I was overwhelmed, overjoyed and this excitement reached a crescendo leaving me tranquil. That’s when I started thinking; Melattur is almost cut off from even the main stream town crowd of Tanjavur or any of the other nearby towns. Just the travel to this place through the almost deserted road increases a sense of anticipation. Add to that a reverence one feels as we move into the streets. We begin to feel at home as we join people, both locals and visitors all gathered outside their homes and talking to each other from their “tinnais”. The air is fragrant with a festive mood. From the oldest living member of the village to even a tiny toddler, everybody is assembling and also assuming a sense of responsibility.
How hard do we struggle here in the city to gather people inspite of all the communication and transportation facilities? The audiences of our modern theatres are at luxury. They feel no obligation or sense of responsibility towards either the art or the artistes. Ofcourse, let us not blame them completely because when we are in the audience, don’t we do the same?

At Melattur, the reverence the artistes- each and everyone of them show (including every member of the musical ensemble) by first paying their obeisance to God at the temple and then getting on stage, the way they sanctify the stage with unhurried rendition of Bhajana sampradaya namasankeertanams, todaya mangalams while sanctifying the atmosphere and space with sugandas like sambarani automatically transforms the “site” or the stage into a reverential space. The message they send out is very clear; “we are about to engage in no ordinary entertainment, hence in the name of God let us endeavour upon this divine journey”. And then there is a beautiful start sans commentaries, explanations or credits. Including the audiences too in the namasankeertanams truly purifies and prepares our mind for the oncoming divine experience. All this stands in total contrast to the blaring of names, titles and laurels won, accompanied by thunderous applause that we are used to in the city. We applaud here at the Bhagavatamela too alright. Example, when Sri.Natarajan, the prime mover of the Bhagavatamela and a senior artiste walks in as Lilavati one cannot resist the urge to want to welcome him with a roaring applause, such in his poise, grace and if I may say, beauty. But when Lilavati and Hiranya have a repartee about his uncontrollable anger or while watching the long drawn powerful conflict between Hiranya and Lord Narasimha one simply not only forgets to applaud but even to breathe. Such is the power of their performances. Sri.Kumar who plays an electrifying and brilliant Hiranya brings out the character with so many shades that while watching his quivering lips and angry eyes one forgets that Hiranya is supposed to be a horrific rakshasha and begins to like the character and his mannerisms. There is no big fuss about drawing a line between loka dharmi and natya dharmi etc here. They are governed by spontaneity and that involvement absorbs us so completely that words of praise or even applause seem simply inadequate and almost silly. We are only filled with a sense of gratitude to God for giving us an opportunity to be a part of such an amazing experience.

Their technique, talent and artistic brilliance shine through with a power that oozes out of each voice that sings, each pair of eyes that express, each hands and legs that move. This power is palpably and directly drawn from none other than Lord Sri Narasimha himself from the temple right opposite to the stage. It is revelling to see how even Hiranya takes his strength from Hari. Everytime an artiste’s eyes fell on the temple, it glittered, dancing with joy and emotion as if, saying to Him “all this is your doing, for you and from you”. This absolute surrender reached the audiences like a wave of current. The young lad who plays Prahlada shines like a fresh pearl, timid and shy and yet showing bhakti and determination through his eyes that never once left the temple site.

The unhurried pace at which the Bhagavatamela natakas gradually unfold, scene after scene, helps the characters blossom and last in the minds of the spectators. This in itself contributes greatly towards reaching the aesthetic pleasure – Rasaanubhava. It is rather simpleton sometimes to expect this same feverish joy within the confines of an A/C auditorium, time clocks and an hour and fifteen minutes iron hand et al; Let us wake up and face the fact that by pushing our arts to the so-called grand venues we stripped much of its chance to unfold and leave a telling impact. The ambience and the audience play a very vital role in the aesthetic enhancement of any art. And if most times all we can have them remember is the colour of our costumes and some frivolous detail about the program that’s no success.
Notwithstanding the tough calls one needs to take on the choice between fast paced items to slow (chowka kala) pieces etc to retain audiences!, even the choice of language for commentary becomes somehow crucial and subject to criticism often. We think and come up with ways of simplifying and spoon feeding the spectators; Indian audiences, NRI audiences. Will the telugu audience like watching a tamizh varnam? Will the tamizh audience understand a telugu varnam? The dilemmas are endless. But at Melattur, which is a tiny village in Tamilnadu with predominantly tamizh speaking people, the Bhagavatamela natakas are presented in pure literary telugu. Ofcourse they do present an occasional tamizh play too like a Valli Kalyanam etc but definitely not with a prime motive of pleasing the tamizh audiences. It is extremely refreshing to see that there is no parochialism what so ever here. It is my opinion that it is only us, in the city who in the name of betterment and reach are over intellectualising the arts. The best tool that these traditional art forms like Bhagavatamela uses against this problem is, simplicity and adhering to tradition. They inculcate a taste for higher standards and understanding in the audiences rather than playing to the gallery. After all, how can the art be a tool of communication if its language is its own barrier or if its commentary leaves no room for interpretation? Of course by saying all this I do not mean to belittle the artistic greatness of those veterans whom we have seen and see as inspiring examples of how we can use the given space and time to create aesthetic joy on a city stage too. However, the accessibility we have to better ambiences, better aesthetics (viz a viz our great ancient temples) and how we almost overlook them and are quickly trading them for modernity and so called globalization urged me to think whether we are stepping into the global scenario without a definitive individuality and are allowing ourselves to be simply swept off our feet.

The religious and spiritual force that drives the Bhagavata mela artistes is telling. This great ritualistic nataka tradition answered many a questions for me. These dedicated artistes or Bhagavatas and faith taught me to never try to please anybody. I have to be truthful to my art and my heart. Criticism for that kind of process is abundant and success rather slow, but I learnt from them how to marginalize that disadvantage and look at the larger, bigger picture, where we might be part of a tradition building process. Of course traditions will have to stand the test of time. That will decide their destiny and future. But I shall strive to search deeper, farther and forever for the roots. I shall in the meantime, uphold what I have been left with, with sincerity and appreciation. How else can we explain how Sri.Venkatarama Sastri’s natakas (lived during the reign of Raja Serfoji) works would be fodder for powerhouse performances year after year, each year drawing the locals (repeat audiences) while being the canvas for stunning performances, fresh and new each time, yet still somehow unchanged for decades.

Afterall, creation is man’s lonely attempt to know his own strange and secret soul and its vocation along with his roots.

With this blog are some of the pictures that I had taken myself of prahlada charitram nataka. They belong to 2006, 07 and 08 I think.


Swarnamalya ganesh
Soul searching at the Attic !

Behind the Attic!

Dear all,

Before I continue any further my story I have to speak about something very important. Some of my friends who have been around me long enough might have heard these things a million times from me but saying it all one more time, for the benefit of the new listeners wouldn’t hurt.

Bharatanatyam is today viewed as the Indian cultural identity. It is and will continue to be a part of the intercultural and interdisciplinary movement. It is not simply an art form practiced or learnt. It is not even simply a tradition of a sect of people, country or religion. It is a way of life with whose practice come issues of rites, authority, ownership, transfer, power, social, economic, political and moral status, cultural hybridity, adaptability and the co-existence of older traditions and newer sensibilities.

All the above-mentioned issues are key factors in shaping this artform. They are each a story to tell. Different beginnings and different courses but they all have a common thread. The most important parts of this story belong to the Devadasis or Hindu dancing women who were dedicated to the various temples over centuries. Art was still very much in the custody of these hereditary practitioners.

These were a group of people who were bound together by their way of life and profession; much has been said and written about them. These, community of artistes preserved for centuries, every aspect of this art as precious, ‘transferable only upon authority’ knowledge. They used rites, ownership, strict communal regulations, power and authority to practice and preserve this art form. It was hereditary just like how a carpenter’s son becomes a carpenter, goldsmith’s son a goldsmith. However, since this was not a caste but only a community or vrtti (a professional class), they adopted children from all castes to be included into the community and then trained them in their ways of life.

Most often people who’s prayers were answered, dedicated their first born to the temple, in service. A child would be given as a gift or donation to the temple or sometimes temples would buy children for a price. Now, as you read this I am sure it comes across as a cruel, regressive practice to you. But let us remember we are discussing a norm that was and therefore its important to understand the system from its socio-economic point of view.

During the various imperial rules in India, the temples were the seat of power and administration. They served as not only places of religious worship but as a cultural, administrative, economic epicentre. The temples were as wealthy as the Kings. They held separate treasuries and granaries. An entire village (within every kingdom there would be several villages) would be centred around a temple. Architecturally, houses on the four streets around the temple, their adjacent streets, the outer streets etc. were all allocated systematically to people of various professions who’s services were of hierarchical importance to the everyday up keep and administration of the temple and thereby the kingdom. It would not be an exaggeration to say that a prominent temple in a kingdom was the King’s public hall where his subjects would meet, get employed and interact with the King’s office. So, in this context the services of a devadasi were important only next to the priest! It was not only her duty to sing and dance as part of the various rituals but to also clean the temple, make garlands and do other such services. Therefore, to dedicate a child to a temple to be trained in the life of a devadasi was considered a great privilege and boon. Similarly, for a temple to come forward and buy a child (this is similar to hiring an employee today) means the child and her family are worthy of this honour (Don’t we feel elated if we get hired or campus selected by some fortune 500 company?). Besides, when children were adopted or bought from economically weaker families, the child found not only a home but also a whole new life and vocation which granted them among other things a social status.

It is true that some literatures in some contexts have spoken of dancing girls and the oldest profession going hand-in-hand. But they were far and few. The societal norms allowed for the devadasi to lead a life where she could chose her partner and live as an “ekacharin”(woman who is mistress to only one man) without being bonded in a marriage. They were hailed as Nityasumangalis (ever-auspicious) who were wedded to God. This meant that they were never touched by the societal evils of widowhood (shaving a woman’s head clean and making her wear white or khaki clothes and no bindi, flowers or any social interaction and considering her ill luck). They had rites of passage from the temple and were bound by religious norms. They underwent strict training, had a difficult social sanction order and then were expected to lead life according to religious codes, which were rigid. As a nityasumangali, a woman had the protection of a living patron and the deity of the temple for social identity. The devadasi was allowed to participate in the secular society to educate herself in artistic skills and exhibit the same in the midst of the connoisseurs. This gave her a unique position in the highly patrilineal society where other women had no role in public life. Every one hence had to respect her and treat her with chivalry.

Very often, for the want of a better explanation of a devadasi we hear people equating them to a catholic nun. While both are engaged in temple (God’s) service, nun hood demands celibacy and preaches virginity as a norm. But according to the Hindu nidhi and agama sastra we recognise the biological needs of every human (even those engaged in God’s service). Besides, the temples demanded heredity and skill in positions offered to workers. Heredity to ensure dedication and commitment. So, a devadasi was allowed and encouraged to have a progeny so that generation after generation dedicated servants to Gods and temples were groomed. However, it was not enough to be born into the community but one had to train hard to get competent in order to claim their rights. We must also remember that just as gaining competence was difficult, unless born or adopted and resident in the community with its internal facilities any training would be impossible.

There was an evolved division of labour as cinnamelam and periyamelam, which consisted of female and male service providers. The female devadasi being the central focus in a cinnamelam and the periyamelam consisting of nagaswaram and melakarars. Monetary benefits were shared in accordance to this hierarchy. Of course the devadasi remained the central force of the family under whose administration and governance the entire family lived. In a society, which denied respect and recognition to women, the devadasi was an independent professional maintaining an entire household well within the Hindu community itself.

Even the early travel accounts of Marco Polo, Nicolo De Conti, Nuniz and Peas do not call them prostitutes. They elaborate on their ritualistic duties and the high position and status these women enjoyed in the society. They also confirm that they were not married but were dedicated to the deities. A Dutchman Jacob Haafner who lived in India for more than 13 years during the late 18^th century and early 19^th century in his extensive travel accounts titled “reize in eenen palanquin” (1808) describes how he fell head over heels in love with a young devadasi named Mamia in 1786.

Devadasigal- Dancing whores?

The interest of the west turned to the devadasi, her unique social position, her art and beauty. She brought a certain aura of eroticism with her personality and life. This translated into a lot of literature and documentation by both Indians and westerns about devadasi, her life and work. All these constructions of a devadasi as a hindu high priestess who was exploited by the religious heads and the picture of her as a knowledgeable but impoverished maiden was very sensational and exotic for the western eye. By this time a new “elitist class” had begun emerging in India who s missionary education made them feel very self-conscious about their own traditions. They were fed with ideas of Indian moral systems being redundant and paganistic.

But sadly she has never told her story, hence much of the misnomer continues.

Devadasi means Servant to God. She is differently called as mahari, Talaikoli, Manicckam, sani in various regions of India. Why, even the French word Bayadere means a hindu dancing girl! Such is her allure!

I am a very proud student of one of the last few living devadasis of Tamil Nadu. It is not only a pride but I feel truly blessed and look at it as a divine ordain that through my Gurus I have the fortune of knowing their stories!

With more…in a while

Swarnamalya Ganesh

Behind the Attic!