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 A tribute unto the Guru - Lata Surendra e-mail: latasurendra@hotmail.com April 14, 2025 Sometimes in black and white, feelings flow as thoughts, seeking to be shared as the timeless wisdom through words. The past week has seen us miss the tangible presence of several legends who live on through their bequeathed legacy. Some whose contributions gathered merit and others who merited but did not receive the acknowledgement they deserved. But both categories have categorically transformed their programmed spaces in their own way and their worthiness would perhaps glaze the cheeks of their disciples or create a sense of guilt in those who could have but overlooked merits as an illusion even as the world around passively watched and wondered at the duality in an arty world where the loftiness of art and the manipulations of the mind walked or danced together. Thus, it is, that I thought of sharing a tribute to all those Gurus who have been instrumental in widening the connotations of the dance and its didactic potency and irrespective of poetic justice kept on reaching out to etch their love for the art as their very life breath! Readers may consider it as an Ode unto the Guru or may read it as an outpouring of feelings from an overtly sentimental heart. Whatever it is, writing always remains an outlet - a therapy and a buffer that has me come a bit closer to my very self as I allow words unguarded to get the better of me. Please note that the feminine attribute unto the Guru is purely because of the fact that the two legends who live on perennially through their art forms, Kumudini Lakhia (Kathak) and Dr Geeta Radhakrishna (Mohiniattam) who have merged in the divinity, were both women of incredible worthiness. A great mentor lives on perennially in disciples who keep alive the pulse she has urged each one of them to connect to. Through each class, her words relentlessly keep awakening you, the disciple, to the intensity of a connect with the teasing, challenging rhythm. Her creativity absolutely humbles you, as she brings to life lyrics, if only to drape the energised dust - that is the body - with meanings to share with waiting hearts; her in-depth wisdom that relates and equates her dance as her very life breath, has you relate to the unfolding enlarging universe. She awakens you to a never ending pulsating canvas - a poetry of existence slowly seemingly taking shape more within you than out... flowing through your Art as a journey, inside out as a never ending quest for that evasive perfection. She awakens you to an ongoing romance to connect with 'love' more than just lovers, to experience pain as more than just a separation beyond reaching arms and 'bliss' more than an embracing union. Each class has you awaken to her - as the Goddess, ever so visible and tangible in front of you and yet seemingly so very far away cradled in the wakeful lullaby that she progressively awakens and has you awaken to. A distance that has you watch and at the same time urges you to travel through timeless dimensions with her. How can such visionaries ever be equated with transient matter when you know that they have become that intangible bridge you can feel as a presence day after day, talk to day after day, shed tears unabashedly, break into folds of laughter. A bridge across dimensions to step on to, that helps you to move forward if only to transform to the light that lights up hearts with the blissfulness that is the visual prayer - Dance! In fact, this bond is akin to the 'detached attachment' of Jeevas with the Paramatma... ever so close and soulful that has you tangibly kiss the qualities epitomised on that centre stage again and again. Be it pain or joy, union or separation, all the antonyms seem to live as meanings in each other in 'rejuvenating climaxes' and 'cathartic orgasms', performance after performance. A timeless intriguing affair with that ever evasive perfection. And then one day, you awaken to find that she has merged with the light she was always leading you to ... and then YOU - SHISHYA, the disciple, relives each of those wakeful moments shared, until you realise that, what others term as that 'void she has left behind' becomes an endless pulsating 'Poornata' for you. How can a visionary merge in 'Shoonyam' and the finality of the term - Death? She has incarnated as the Goddess to awaken you, the disciple, to the benediction of the timeless you walk with always. Her Art scoffs at all epitaphs as she mocks death with her potent defining of the timeless - with the line, 'Death - thou shalt die' echoing and re-echoing in all dimensions. The apocalypse or Doomsday may come and go but through each creation is that creativity that soars beyond lives as mere life forms and humans as mere species. In fact, perennially Yuga after Yuga, with illusion will come that creativity that has heart beats transform to art beats and the benediction called life transforming to Art to kiss moments with romance and an affair with the 'self' within ever so complete if only to have every unfolding dimension echo the refrain, "DEATH THOU SHALL DIE." "अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशालाकया । चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः" “Salutations to the Guru, who removes the darkness of ignorance from our Blind (Inner) Eyes by applying the collyrium of the Light of Knowledge and by whom our (Inner) Eyes are opened!”  Charansparsh to all Gurus all over the world who have each of us come alive as LIFE!  Dr. Lata Surendra is a performer, mentor, an imaginative choreographer, a sought after curator, a dance journalist, a committed independent researcher, a sensitive poet and in the field of dance for over six decades. Response * So beautifully written, akka...A real tribute. Gurubhyonnamaha. - Sahana (April 15, 2025) * Your beautifully penned article was an absolute delight to read. Every endeavor you undertake - be it performance, choreography, teaching, writing, or speaking—radiates the depth of your devotion and the sincerity of your heart. May you continue to inspire and stay ever blessed. - Mala Sridhar (April 15, 2025) * Lata Akka, your words truly touched me. You've captured the spirit of the Guru with such depth and clarity. Reading this made me reflect on my own journey and the silent power of guidance. Thank you for sharing something so heartfelt and inspiring. - Vijayshree Pillai (April 15, 2025) Post your comments Pl provide your name and email id along with your comment. 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