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 Spinning Sand into Gold: The Dance of Devotion at Jahan-e-Khusrau - Anurag Chauhan e-mail: anuragchauhanoffice@gmail.com Photos courtesy: Jahan-e-Khusrau March 13, 2025 Marking the 25th year of Jahan-e-Khusrau, Muzaffar Ali's visionary festival of Sufi music and dance, Rang-e-Registaan unfolded as a masterful confluence of Kathak and Sufi folk traditions. Over the years, Jahan-e-Khusrau has established itself as a sanctum for artistic exploration, bridging the past with the present, the classical with the contemporary, and the sacred with the performative. Under the curation of Muzaffar Ali - a celebrated filmmaker and connoisseur of the arts - the festival has continually reaffirmed the transformative power of cultural expression. "Spinning Sand into Gold: The Dance of Devotion at Jahan-e-Khusrau" captures the essence of transformation - how the ephemeral rhythms of Kathak and the soul-stirring cadences of Sufi music elevate tradition into transcendence. The phrase "Spinning Sand into Gold" symbolizes the alchemy of artistic expression, where raw cultural heritage is refined into something timeless and luminous, much like the whirling chakkars that dissolve the self into devotion. This performance was not merely a showcase of skill but an invocation of mysticism, where movement became prayer and melody became revelation. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Sunder Nursery's ancient architecture in New Delhi, the event unfolded as a confluence of history, spirituality, and artistry, seamlessly bridging the past with the present.  Muzaffar Ali and Prime Minister Narendra Modi The presence of the Honourable Prime Minister at this landmark edition underscored the festival's cultural significance and its role in preserving and celebrating India's artistic heritage. In an era where the arts often contend with diminishing institutional support, such recognition serves as a testament to the festival's enduring impact. At the heart of Rang-e-Registaan was the Sanjukta Sinha Dance Company, led by the formidable Kathak exponent Sanjukta Sinha. Known for her ability to seamlessly blend classical precision with contemporary dynamism, Sanjukta presented a performance that was deeply rooted in tradition yet brimming with reinvention. Her signature control over chakkars (pirouettes) was on full display, executed with a breathtaking combination of speed, balance, and grace. The intricate footwork (tatkaar), punctuated by complex laya variations, resonated like a rhythmic conversation with the accompanying music.  Sanjukta Sinha Equally striking was her abhinaya - the expressive storytelling that defines Kathak. With each nuanced movement, she embodied the spectrum of human emotion, drawing the audience into an intimate narrative where devotion, longing, and ecstasy became palpable. Her dancers complemented her energy with seamless synchronicity, elevating the visual and emotional impact of the production. The musical landscape of Rang-e-Registaan was sculpted by the soulful voice of Mooralala Marwada, whose renditions of Kabir, Mirabai, and Ravidas lent the performance a profound spiritual depth. The live musicians played a pivotal role in shaping the atmosphere, with the tabla providing a powerful rhythmic foundation, the sarangi weaving haunting melodic motifs, and the harmonium grounding the compositions with rich harmonic textures. This interplay between movement and melody, rhythm and silence, was the production's true strength - an organic dialogue between Kathak and Kaafi, dancer and singer, tradition and evolution.   Divided into four segments, the performance unfolded as a layered meditation on human experience. Jogi transported the audience to a Kutchi village, where the synergy of dance and music became an act of shared storytelling. Vari Jau Re was a jubilant expression of folk rhythms, deeply connected to identity and heritage. Sajni Pyari Re delved into themes of longing and devotion, where Sinha's abhinaya found its most poignant moments. Finally, Dum-a-Dum Mast Qalandar erupted in an ecstatic crescendo, with chakkars accelerating into a whirlwind of motion, dissolving the boundaries between performer and audience, self and transcendence. What set Rang-e-Registaan apart was its commitment to both technical rigour and emotional honesty. The Sanjukta Sinha Dance Company did not merely perform; they inhabited the space, embodying the pulse of the desert, the echoes of poetry, and the rhythm of devotion. Their impeccable training, evident in their seamless footwork and controlled yet expressive upper-body movements, highlighted the evolving language of Kathak - where tradition is honoured, but boundaries are fearlessly pushed.  Muzaffar Ali's vision for Jahan-e-Khusrau has always been to create a space where art is not bound by form but elevated by spirit. This ethos was deeply felt in Rang-e-Registaan, where the desert was not just a metaphor but a living, breathing character - expansive, timeless, and filled with whispered stories. The production was not merely a performance; it was an invocation of memory, devotion, and transcendence, a meeting point of movement and mysticism. As Jahan-e-Khusrau celebrated its 25th year, the contributions of its organisers, artists, and musicians in sustaining and nurturing India's artistic traditions deserve the highest praise. In an era of fleeting digital spectacles, this festival remains a bastion of depth, where art is not merely performed but lived. Rang-e-Registaan was a testament to the power of movement, melody, and meaning to dissolve temporal boundaries, uniting past, present, and future in one breathtaking moment of artistic brilliance.  Anurag Chauhan, an award-winning social worker and arts impresario, combines literature and philanthropy to inspire positive change. His impactful storytelling and cultural events enrich lives and communities. |
