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 Manasa-Art Without Frontiers presents Nectar from the Blue Lotus Stein Auditorium, 7pm February 19, 2026 New Delhi February 14, 2026 NECTAR FROM THE BLUE LOTUS, a multilingual Odissi dance evening on Krishna Bhakti, is conceived and directed by Guru Sharon Lowen.  NECTAR FROM THE BLUE LOTUS is an evocative Odissi dance production that brings together Krishna bhakti poetry from across India-Sanskrit, Odia, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and Braj Bhasha-into a single, immersive artistic experience. Conceived, directed, and choreographed by Odissi dancer Guru Sharon Lowen, the work bridges ancient devotional thought with a refined, aesthetic sensibility. The production reveals bhakti as a shared emotional language-of longing, surrender, intimacy, and joy. Krishna emerges not only as Radha’s beloved, but as a symbol of universal love and the formless absolute, experienced through the living, breathing body of dance. Rooted in temple sculpture traditions dating back to the 2nd century BCE, Odissi’s sculptural stillness, lyrical curves, and the iconic tribhangi allows poetry to inhabit the body. The result is a performance that speaks equally to classical arts connoisseurs, contemporary creatives, and first-time viewers, without requiring prior familiarity with mythology.  The evening unfolds through a curated sequence that includes: * A traditional Mangalacharan with Tamil Vaishnava poetry celebrating Bala Gopala * A Malayalam composition by Swati Tirunal, where Radha confides her longing to a sakhi * An Odia classic by Kavi Banamali Dasa, interwoven with a pure dance Pallavi * A bhakti poetry by Mirabai welcoming Krishna to her home * A Sanskrit ashtapadi from Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda, intimate and sensuous in tone * A powerful Bengali poem by Chandidas, questioning devotion, desire, and social rupture * A concluding Mokshya and Nama Sankirtan, seeking grace and release. The production features dancers: Vishwanath Mangaraj, Nitisha Nanda, Pooja Kumar, Perrine Legoullon, Arunima Ghose, Ishani Bose, Devanshi Das, and Sharon Lowen herself. Accompanied by: Pt. Prafulla Mangaraj-mardala, Ashish Nayak and Dr. Vasudevan Iyengar - vocal, Dhiraj Pandey - flute, Soumendra Goswami - sitar, Prasant Mangaraj - manjiras. At: Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, 7pm. Open to all. Organised by: Manasa-Art Without Frontiers Presenting Partner - Uday and Sunaina Jain, Dhoomimal Gallery & Ravi Jain Foundation. Principal Partner - Dr.Rennie Joyy, Aalekh Foundation Patron of the Arts - Sanjay Arya-Shubhi Publications Friends of Manasa-Art Without Frontiers - Jyotsna Suri, , Sanjay Yadav MANASA-ART WITHOUT FRONTIERS is a trust inaugurated by Pt. Ravi Shankar. The organization has long worked at the intersection of classical tradition, education, and contemporary inquiry, making India’s intangible cultural heritage accessible to diverse audiences. Info: lowensharon@gmail.com Website: sharonlowen.com |
