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Thursday, February 13, 2025

An Enchanting Evening: Virtuosos Weave Magic with Their Performance

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Dilip Guha New Delhi : The India International Centre in Delhi hosted a prestigious double bill event on the evening of January 28th at the C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, featuring performances in two different dance styles.

 

 

The first presentation featured renowned dancer Mayukh Bhattacharya, a distinguished disciple of Guru Birju Maharaj, who presented a solo Kathak dance.

 

 

A gold medalist, Mayukh has become popular for his dance performances both in India and abroad. He has also received specialized training in the contemporary style of Uday Shankar, as well as in Chhau dance. In addition to his performance skills, he is a talented choreographer with notable achievements, including being a double gold medalist. He teaches classes in choreography and dance.
Mayukh has been learning since his childhood his passion for dance started at an early age but he has formerly done a master’s in Kathak from Indira Kala sangeet Vishwavidyalaya Raigarh with was a gold medalist in the sangeet Bhaskar in kathak from Prachin Kalakendra Chandigarh.

 

 

His performance has received wide appreciation for classism and lyricism, great footwork, and subtlety he has received a Sangeet Prabhakar gold medal and a Sangeet Bhaskar cultural talent scholarship from the Ministry of Cultural Government of India. besides holding the first position in his master’s.

 

 

Mayuk has performed in various prestigious festivals and stages in a repertoire of late guru Birju Maharaj and other eminent gurus.

 

 

 

 

The musicians accompanied for the expressive performance of the solo Kathak recital of the evening were Suresh Bhaskar on Vocal, Shri Amirkhan on Saragaye, and Sri Zakri Husain Parsi on Tabla.

 

 

 

 

Jhinook Mukherjee Sinha, a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer from Kolkata and a disciple of the renowned Dr. Guru Smt. Thankamani Kutty captivated the audience with her mesmerizing solo recital in the second presentation of the evening. With over 25 years of experience practicing the art form under Dr. Kutty’s guidance, her performance truly showcased her dedication and talent.

 

 

 

She is an impaneled artist under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and a top-grade artist of Doordarshan. She has received widespread acclaim for her performances at numerous national platforms, including the Chidambaram Natyanjali Dance Festival, Indo-Bosnia Cultural Exchange, Konark Dance Festival, Tanjore Festival, Madras, International Performing Arts Festival Bhubaneswar, Amaravati Festival, Kochi, and NCPSA Mumbai, among others.

Two years ago, she performed “Namami Gange” at the India Habitat Centre’s Stein Auditorium with her artists from the Dakshin Kolkata Nrityangan School, which she founded. The Bharatanatyam recital explored the link between rivers and femininity and received enthusiastic acclaim from the culturally aware audience.
She was the lead choreographer for the cultural events held as part of the G20 Summit events held in Western Europe in 2022 and was invited to the Nehru Centre London for the High Commission of India. She has performed at numerous national and international platforms, including the Chidambaram Natyanjali Dance Festival, Konark Dance Festival, and TEDx. She has performed across the world in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Europe, Singapore, and the Middle East.
Jhinuk has also been recognized for her contributions to the field of dance. Her credits include the Dover Lane Music Conference Exceptional Performance Award, Natya Rani Award, Nritya Jyoti Samman Award, NatyaKalaratna Award, Nritya Kalpana Shree Award, Nritya Subarnamani Award, Nritya Vibhushan Award, among many others. the Tilak Ratna Award, the Likhita Jyoti Award, the Salman Ahmed Award, the Lamchiya Kalakar Award, the Natya Rani Award, and the Nritya Jyoti Samman Award, among others.

With nearly three decades of experience, Jhinook showcased the rich tradition of Bharatanatyam through an hour-long recital. She was accompanied by Vocal and violin by Sri Anand Jayram and Mridangam by Sri Shankar Narayan Swamy
Her performance began with Manikya Veena, she herself Choreographed rendering a soulful Saraswati Vandana.
This was followed by a “Simhavahini Varnam” — the centerpiece of a Bharatanatyam repertoire — dedicated to Devi Jagadhatri, the world’s savior. This performance celebrates the divine power of Devi Jagadhatri, one of the main manifestations of Durga, who uplifts the world from sorrow, misfortune, and injustice.

The first part of the varnam narrates the story of Mahishasura and his three transformative forms—a buffalo, a lion, and an elephant—all of which were defeated by Devi Jagadhatri, showcasing her unparalleled strength.

The second segment traces the tale of Akal Bodhon. Shri Rama, on his quest to rescue Sita from Lanka, faced the challenge of Devi herself guarding the kingdom. Ravana, emboldened by her protection, underestimated Rama’s devotion. Lord Rama, performing a yajna with 108 lotuses, fell short of one lotus due to Devi’s divine trick. As the yajna neared failure, Rama offered his right eye in place of the missing lotus. Moved by his devotion, Devi permitted him to enter Lanka, signifying the triumph of devotion over obstacles.

The third segment explores the multidimensional aspects of Devi, not limited to wealth alone. Through the eight forms of Lakshmi – Ashtalakshmi, Devi embodies knowledge, wisdom, salvation, boldness, abundance, protection, music, and prosperity.

Devi is also depicted as Maa Saraswati, playing the Veena encrusted with gems, radiating the light of learning and creativity.

The charanam unfolds the unison of Shiva and Devi as Ardhanareeshwara, where Omkara resonates through the cosmos. The devotee seeks the blessings of Anand Mohini, invoking her repeatedly to rescue the world from its turmoil and bring harmony to the universe.

 

 

In this effort, they aim to find refuge in the universe, invoking the protective presence of SIMHAVAHINI Durga. This drama concept and direction, choreographed by herself, enthralled the audience with her unique Bharatanatyam performance, making the evening more exciting. Her remarkable performance(abhinaya) and precise footwork stood out, profoundly impacting the audience.

Next, she presented the kriti Jagadodhara, which beautifully depicted Maa Yashoda playing with her son Krishna, blissfully unaware of his divine nature as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The performance concluded with a Thillana – In Ragam Brindavani Sarang and Talam Adi. It is considered to be the most exciting piece and a befitting finale to a Bharatanatyam repertoire. Tillana showcases several alluringly picturesque poses and variegated patterns of movements executed with grace and elegance. It exemplifies all three elements of classical dance – Speed, Stability, and Line. This performance was too well-received, showcasing her strong training and artistic expression.
A packed audience was enthralled by her artistry and deeply moved by her expressive storytelling and technical brilliance.

Read More : Sasraya News Sunday’s Literature Special | 26th January 2025 | Issue 49 || সাশ্রয় নিউজ রবিবারের সাহিত্য স্পেশাল | চিঠি সংখ্যা |২৬ জানুয়ারি ২০২৬ | সংখ্যা ৪৯

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