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 Vasundharotsava 2024 - Dr. M. Surya Prasad e-mail: drmsuryaprasad@gmail.com December 6, 2024 The ten-day Vasundharotsava 2024 held in Mysore at various venues including at the newly built Vasundhara Bhavana at Saraswathipuram, Mysore was truly awesome. It was the celebration of the platinum jubilee birthday (Amrithotsava - 75th year birthday) of the renowned Natyacharya Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy of Mysore. The ten-day celebration was unique, well thought, designed and dedicated by her disciples led by Dr. Lakshmi Rekha, Bhuvaneswari and other well-wishers. Dr. Vasundhara's second and third generation disciples paid rich tributes to their Parama Guru through their dance performances. Is it not a marvel to put up a beautiful and compact auditorium in the name of a living Guru of Bharatanatya? This happened in Mysore in the form of 'Vasundhara Bhavana' which was also an important venue of the celebration of Vasundharotsava 2024.  Seminar A seminar held in the Vasundhara Bhavana with leading dancers and critics participating in it was another milestone of the festival. The speakers Prof. Ramamurthy Rao, Dr. Veena Murthy Vijay, Prof. Sheela Sridhar, Poornima Gururaj and Dr.Kripa Phadke shed light on the "multi-facets and contributions of Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy to the field of classical dance". I had the privilege of presiding over the seminar.  Felicitation to veteran Vainika Prof Ra Vishweshwaran The recipient of 'Akademi Rathna' fellowship of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, veteran vainika-gayaka Prof. Ra. Vishweshwaran was felicitated on the occasion by Dr. Nagesh V. Bettakote, the Vice-Chancellor of the Karnataka State Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University of Mysore. The crowning program of the festival was undoubtedly - most appropriately too - the short and scintillating Bharatanatya by Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy in her own Vasundhara bani (style). The detailed aharya (as prescribed in the dance treatises, the sun, the moon, ear ornaments, nose ring, waist belts, arm bands, forehead pendant etc), the integration of Yoga, vibrant music with a predominant laya, enriching satwikaabhinaya et al describe the overall structure of Vasundhara Doreswamy's style of dance. Her dance with two distinct sections mostly locomotor movements - running, jumping, lifting the hands and legs, sliding or the movements mostly non-locomotor - reaching, melting, falling, swaying bespoke of the extraordinary and the vital energy possessed and generated by the accomplished artiste at the age of 75. Truly amazing indeed! Excellently supported by her disciple Sandesh Bhargav (nattuvangam), Deepti Srinath (vocal), Krishnaprasad (flute) and Shivashankaraswamy (mridangam), Dr. Vasundhara (in fully bedecked aharya) began with her own conception and creation of Melaprapthi (Poorva ranga vidhi, Vasantha raga, talamalika). The artistic integration of the primary concepts of mridanga and other layavadyas with the dance was an effective warming up. The nuanced faster tempo and laya sent the rasikas into raptures. It was rounded off with an obeisance to Goddess Chamundeshwari.  Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy Adaptation of ancient and rare Kannada literary works to dance is one of the significant contributions of the virtuoso dancer. One such 40 minute plus presentation of a Ragale of Harihara (Kumbara Gundanna) left the audience spellbound. The verse is all about the spectacular dance of Lord Shiva. True to her Vasundhara bani, as per the import of the verse, Vasundhara was at ease in the execution of the varied foot movements and gaits. The Mayura (peacock), Turanga (horse), Bhujanga (snake) gathis etc, demonstrated by the dancer drew rapturous applause. In the depiction of the descent of the River Ganga into the matted hair of Lord Shiva the elements of time, space, energy and form were an audio-visual delight. The veteran dancer's attention to the sharpness in the body movements and lines was exemplary. The pacing or tempo, fast or slow and the music and movement relate so closely that the driving force of the piece became vibrant. Her trusted student Sujay Shanbhag's anchoring was useful.  Dr. M. Surya Prasad is a multi-awardee music and dance scholar, thinker and critic. |
