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 Dr Sridhar Vasudevan shines in Saparya- Nrupa Somane-mail: nrupas@gmail.com Photos: Vinay Tiwari November 5, 2025 On the 16th of September 2025, Dr Sridhar Vasudevan presented Saparya at the Stein Auditorium, New Delhi. Saparya, the performance, is a beautiful portrayal of the core belief of Bharatanatyam, where dance and music is an act of worship and the dancer just a medium. The word Saparya is intriguing. "As God is propitiated by the blood of a hundred bulls, so also is he by the smallest offering of incense". Our everyday gestures, our little rituals and routines, our cosmically insignificant creations are offerings that please him. Such is Saparya - an act of complete worship and service where our very being is an offering in itself. Dr Sridhar Vasudevan finds this act of Saparya in the music created by the Trinity. Where music is beyond entertainment - it is a ritual composed of sound, gesture and movement. In the performance, he interprets each of the three through the lens of a different medium of worship. Dikshitar with Yantra Saparya: using deities, idols and accessible forms to express his devotion; Tyagaraja with Mantra Saparya: using chants and glorifying the name of the Divine; and Syama Sastri with Tantra Saparya: transcending the body to encounter the Supreme within.  Vasudevan entered with a crisp Melaprapti, with fluid graceful hand gestures, as he set the tone for the evening. Composed, dignified, each movement delineated in perfection, His performance was a chance for us to witness his inner devotion. The opening piece was Dikshitar's Pancha Matanga Mukha Ganapati which explored Yantra Saparya. With a sanchari describing the tale of how Parvati created Ganpati, to the origin of the elephant head, Vasudevan explored the symbolism and iconography replete in the composition as well as in our mythology. He followed it with Tyagaraja's Tulasi Dalamulache, focusing on Mantra Saparya. Tyagaraja's ultimate bhakti for Rama, his Sadhana murthy, reflected in his many compositions, Shri Rama's name repeated ever so oft as a beeja mantra was the focus of his interpretation. With delightful sancharis depicting the various flowers he is picking for worship, each performance continued to build on the theme, giving the audience a greater glimpse of the vast concept of Saparya. To conclude, Vasudevan chose Syama Sastri's Rave Himagiri Kumari for Tantra Saparya. Opening with the 6th verse from Soundarya Lahiri "Dhanur Paushpam," he depicted Cupid, who equipped with such unreliable and flimsy resources, is able to win over the entire world only with Devi's grace. He followed this with the swarajati, extolling the virtues of Devi, pleading for her blessings, seeking her presence - is she at the top of the Himalayas or deep within our hearts? Much like the trinity, Vasudevan offered his very being on stage, with him singing as he performed a verse from the Soundarya Lahiri. A renowned musician, he offered every piece of him in this process, creating a beautiful memory for the audience. An artiste who can, not just understand the music, but embody it, creates a piece of work rich in artistic merit.  Dr. Sridhar Vasudevan and Dr Madhusudan Kalaichelvan The vocalist Sweta Prasad gave a brilliant performance that evening. Her mellifluous voice, her ability to depict bhava, stood good in her stead. Ably accompanied by Manohar Balatchandirane on the mridangam, another hidden gem was Ananyaa Shankararaman on the nattuvangam. But the man who displayed main character energy as the millenials would describe it, was violinist G. Raghavendra Prasath. He shone especially in the sancharis, where he could create little nuggets as he followed the choreography, enriching the performance and the experience as a whole. Special mention for Dr Madhusudan Kalaichelvan who was the narrative scholar for Saparya. With a gentle smile on his face, he was the sutradhar, who led the audience through the spiritual and philosophical journey, unfolding the meanings of these words as well as the Vasudevan's interpretations. Unlike the compere who hides behind the podium or the curtains, Dr Madhusudan took front stage and let the narration be a seamless part of the performance, and not mere disjointed introductions. Dr Sridhar Vasudevan's idea took shape and flourished magnificently on stage that evening. It would be interesting to see further delineations along these lines by him.  Nrupa Soman is a Pune/Delhi based dancer, dance researcher and anchor of classical dance and music festivals. |
