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Captivating performance by Sulakshana March 11, 2012 The Bharatanatyam recital by Sulakshana Jayaraman, disciple of Pandanallur Srinivasa Pillai of Pandanallur school, in the 112th Natya Festival of Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha on 10th February 2012 was captivating and exhilarating. The invocatory piece was Shiva virutham “Vande shambu uma patim” in ragam Revathy, where the devotee pays obeisance and salutations to Lord Shiva, followed by “Bho Shambho,” a composition of Swami Dayanand Saraswati in which the poet describes the glory of the Lord and implores His infinite grace. The piece-de-resistance was the varnam “Enneramum” in ragam Chakra Vaakam, a Tanjore Quartet composition translated into Tamil by Guru Pandanallur Srinivasa Pillai. This is a lyrical and evocative piece, painting in vivid hues and detail, the yearning of the heroine for her love, Brihadeeshwara residing in Tanjapuri. Set in a dialogue format with her friend, the heroine says, “O Sakhi! I am forever thinking of him,” creating a mood of longing and intense anticipation. Using the technique of sancharis, Sulakshana transformed into the heroine, who is unable to distract herself from the compelling thoughts of her Lord. The nayaki longing for the Lord was portrayed shorn of hyperbole or overstatement, but aptly and adequately. Nritta, nritya and natya aspects were delineated with finesse, marked by angasudham, adavusudham and araimandi poses.   “Moguduchi pilechedu” in ragam Sahana, a classic Kshetrayya padam where the heroine, who is in love with Krishna has to bid tearful farewell as she has to leave for the home of her husband, was the next number. In a poignant exposition, as if consoling Krishna, she says that she was wedded when she was just a child. Her husband is now beckoning her and she has to leave. The nrithya for this padam by Sulakshana bore ample evidence of her maturity. The fitting finale was thillana in Dhanashree, a Swathi Thirunal composition on Lord Padmanabha with brilliant footwork displayed by Sulakshana. Sulakshana brings happy memories of some of the senior most exponents of Pandanallur school always when on an earlier occasion in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, she performed a Nava Ragamalika varnam, “Swami Ninnae kori naanu,” one of the master pieces of the Tanjore Quartet, with poise and dignity.