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 Kathak Darshan: A divine confluence of rhythm and devotion - Bijoy Shivram e-mail: bijoyshivram@gmail.com Photos: Tushar Pathak March 17, 2025 A visionary artist, an unwavering Guru and a torchbearer of tradition - Guru Pt. Jagdish Gangani has been instrumental in shaping the Kathak landscape, carrying forward the illustrious legacy of his father, Guru Pt. Sundarlal Gangani, who sowed the seeds of Kathak in Vadodara in 1951. His ceaseless dedication and profound understanding of the art form have nurtured generations of dancers, ensuring the perpetuation of the Jaipur Gharana's grandeur. Under his guidance, Kathak Darshan Charitable Trust has blossomed into a sanctuary for classical arts, uplifting underprivileged children and aspirants worldwide, embedding in them the spirit of tradition and excellence. The Pt. Sundarlal Gangani Kathak Nritya Mahotsav, now in its 23rd glorious year, stands as a testament to Guru Pt. Jagdish Gangani's relentless commitment to preserving and promoting Kathak. This prestigious festival has welcomed legendary maestros, including Pt. Birju Maharaj, Aditi Mangaldas, Shovana Narayan, and many more, each contributing their brilliance to this beacon of artistic expression. More than an event, the Mahotsav is an invocation - a confluence of devotion, artistry and an unbroken lineage of dedication, continuing to illuminate the path for future torchbearers of Kathak. Amidst the historical splendour of Vadodara's Kirti Mandir, the 'Temple of Fame,' where heritage and divinity merge, an evocative sanctum of artistic expression - Abhivyakti Sanskrutik Sthal - has emerged as a consecrated space. Nestled beside the revered Shiva Temple, this sacred ground transcends performance, fusing art with devotion, discipline, and an offering of pure spirituality. As dusk descended, draping the intricately lit Kirti Mandir in a golden embrace, the air grew dense with an ineffable celestial energy - pious, pulsating and imbued with artistic fervour. The ethereal glow of thoughtfully placed lights cast a soft, reverential radiance upon the Abhivyakti Sthal, preparing it for an offering of dance and music in the Divine's presence. In this sanctified setting, Pt. Jagdish Gangani, the esteemed curator of the festival, was seen performing a pradakshina of the stage - his every step an invocation, his presence embodying the deepest reverence. His gaze often lifted toward the Dwar of the temple, seeking communion with Lord Shiva, offering his dedication in silent prayer, invoking the Supreme's blessings for an evening steeped in grace and harmony. The moment was reminiscent of a timeless Padam, where a devoted seeker stands at the temple's threshold, pleading with Nandi to move ever so slightly, just enough to grant him a glimpse of Shiva. In an act of divine compassion, Nandi relents, allowing the devotee a sacred vision of the Infinite. In much the same way, this festival unfolds - not as a mere confluence of performances but as an act of bhakti, where dance and music become an offering, a darshan, a sublime communion between the artist, the audience and the eternal rhythm of Nataraja's cosmic dance. The evening commenced with two performances, setting the stage for an immersive artistic experience. Vrushali Pathak, a first-year Bachelor's student from the Dance Department, Faculty of Performing Arts, MSU, invoked the divine presence with a graceful rendition of Ganesh Stuti, followed by an elegant presentation of Paramparik Kathak in taal Teentaal by ICCR scholar Mymuna Amin from Bangladesh. Both dancers, training under Pt Jagdish Gangani, exhibited a refined understanding of the form. 
Guru Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee's 'Fire' was a mesmerizing exploration of the eternal flame that fuels humanity - its power, its persistence, and its transformative force. Rooted in the myth of Prometheus, the performance was a visual and emotional journey through creation, destruction and emancipation. Harnessing the medium of Kathak to embody the spirit of fire, Guru Ashimbandhu's dynamic entries and exits, juxtaposed with the commanding presence of five formidable Kathak dancers - Subrata Pandit, Souvik Chakraborty, Avik Chaki, Susanta Ghosh, and Shuvrodip Shaw - created a breath-taking interplay of fluidity and strength. The taal and laya mirrored the pulsating energy of flames, while the contrast between stillness and explosive movement captured the fire's unpredictable yet eternal nature. This choreographic marvel conceived and directed by Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee, with music compositions by Sunondo Mukherjee and Ashimbandhu and a script by Amit Dasgupta, ignited the stage with its aesthetic brilliance, leaving the audience engulfed in its lingering warmth - a testament to fire's unextinguished spirit, its power to both destroy and create.  Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee  Dr. Preeti Sathe Damle The evening culminated in a spellbinding performance by Vadodara-based Kathak exponent Dr. Preeti Sathe Damle, an ICCR-empaneled artist and Gujarat Gaurav awardee. A devoted disciple of Pt Jagdish Gangani and faculty at MSU's Performing Arts College, Dr. Preeti Sathe Damle transported the audience into a world of intricate footwork and emotive storytelling. Her performance commenced with "Ek brahma urr dhari sundar," a thematic composition weaving numbers from 1 to 16 into the poetic beauty of Solah Shringaar. This innovative narrative unfolded into a captivating display of Paramparik Kathak, culminating in a vibrant Rajasthani Maand, further elevated by the percussive brilliance of Jeetu Shankar (Indian Idol fame). A true delight for connoisseurs of classical arts, the evening bore the unmistakable imprint of Pt. Jagdish Gangani, whose mastery of rhythm and lyrical precision in padhant infused the recital with unparalleled energy. His profound command over taal, combined with his unwavering commitment to the propagation of Kathak, reaffirmed his stature as a torchbearer of the Jaipur Gharana. Sharing the stage was his son Durgesh Gangani, a promising young artist poised to carry forth this grand legacy. An ensemble of accomplished musicians further enriched the performance. The mellifluous vocals and harmonium accompaniment of Kaushik Verma, the resonant pakhavaj of Praveen Arya, and the evocative strains of the sarangi by Arpit Mandaviya created a soul-stirring musical canvas. The percussive dynamism of Jeetu Shankar electrified the stage, while the synthesizer magic of Ajit Parmar added contemporary depth. Notably, the tabla accompaniment of Dwij Gandharva was an auditory revelation, his precision and nuanced rhythm amplifying the grandeur of each composition, his mastery echoing the very heartbeat of Kathak itself. Guiding the evening with eloquence and poise was Darshan Purohit, Associate Professor from the Department of Dramatics, Faculty of Performing Arts, MSU, whose adept anchoring lent a seamless flow to the event. A moment of great reverence was the conferral of the Pandit Sundarlal Chandrakala Samman, an honour instituted three years ago to recognize luminaries in the fields of art and literature. This year, the prestigious award was bestowed upon Kathak exponent Uma Dogra and Dr. Ghanshyamnath Kachhawa, a distinguished literary figure from Sujangarh, Rajasthan.  Uma Dogra  Dr. Ghanshyamnath Kachhawa The evening was not merely a performance but a reaffirmation of Kathak's timeless elegance - a celebration of tradition, an ode to mentorship and a tribute to the undying spirit of classical arts. As the final reverberations of ghunghroos faded into the sacred silence of the night, they left behind an ineffable resonance - one that lingered in the temple's hallowed air, in the hearts of the rasikas and in the very soul of Kathak itself. The festival, like an eternal aarti, continued to illuminate the path for generations to come, carrying forward the fire of devotion and discipline. In the quiet aftermath, as the last notes of music dissolved into the vastness of the night, what remained was an imprint - of rhythm, of rasa, of a divine communion where dance was not just an expression but a prayer, an offering to the eternal Nataraja, whose cosmic dance echoes through eternity.  Son of journalists K Shivram and Amni Shivram, the first Malayali woman English journalist, Bijoy Shivram is an accomplished Indian classical dancer trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. A passionate promoter of the arts and a skilled graphic designer, he currently serves as the Vice Principal of JG College of Performing Arts and the Assistant Director (Operations) overseeing 17 JG colleges. He is also the founder of Preksha, an organization dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in Ahmedabad. Since 2020, Bijoy has curated the YouTube series 'Gurudakshina - An Ode to our Gurus,' celebrating the legacy of mentorship and tradition. |
