Dance Chitra Viswesvaran and Pallavi Krishnan showcased their expertise as performers and teachers.

The week-long `Nishagandhi Festival 2005' was a delightful blend of music and dance that saw some of the best artistes perform at the Nishangandhi open-air auditorium.

Chitra Viswesvaran, a name synonymous with Bharatnayam, came with her group to enthral rasikas in the capital city. After an invocatory piece (`anjali') offered by students of Chidambara Academy, founded by Chitra Viswesvaran in Chennai, Chitra herself performed `Annamacharya kriti.'

Choreographic brilliance

The piece `Sreemannarayana,' set in raga Bauli eulogises Sree Narayanan, who assumed various forms to destroy evil. The choreographic brilliance of `Ganga kautvam,' was a mix of pure dance sequences embellished with eloquent pauses. Uma Nampoothirippad, an up-and-coming Bharatnatyam dancer, led the dance sequence. Raga Pooryadhanasi sounded apt for the piece.

The rhythmic syllables or `cholkettus' that intersperse with sahitya in `kautvam,' demands a lot from the accompanying artistes as well. Sukanya, the `right hand' of Chitra, as the senior artiste herself put it, excelled in rendering the sollus while doing the nattuvangam. The main piece `Kalyana Rama' in raga Hamsanandi brought to the forefront the creative excellence and imaginative power of Chitra.

The Tillana in Vivadi raga Rasikapriya, composed by R. Viswesvaran, came as a pleasant surprise. Nephew of the musical legend G.N. B., Viswesvaran's knowledge of Hindustani music lent grace to his vocal rendition. The popular Purandaradasa kriti `Jagadodharana' was the piece de resistance. Chitra Viswesavaran is always at her best in the abhinaya pieces on Krishna. The other dancers in her group were Sindhu Syam, Ashmita Raghavan, Sangeeta and Chindumathy.

Noted Mohiniyattom dancer Pallavi Krishnan staged her much acclaimed production `Salabhanjika.' A thematic group choreography in Mohiniyattom, `Salabhanjika' is unique for its technical perfection and synchronisation. This is her second group production in Mohiniyattom. For Pallavi, the inspiration for this philosophical work, `Salabhanjika,' structured within the restricted format of a classical art form, came from the success of her initial production `Rituranga.'

`Salabhanjika'

`Salabhanjika' is a sculpture, a woman, usually found at the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum of Hindu temples (Dwarapalika). `Salabhanjika' narrates the story of Ahalya through an illusive plot. It portrays the conflicts, dreams and aspirations that might have tormented Ahalya after a curse turned her into a piece of stone. A sculptor, looking for a suitable piece of stone to make a salabhanjika, finds this one in forest. He carves it into a beautiful salabhanjika, to be placed in front of a temple dedicated to Lord Rama. Even after becoming a salabhanjika, the statue retains the innate identity of Ahalya. Ahalya's presence makes the salabhanjika all the more feminine and graceful. Through these metaphors, the poet unfolds the contrast between bondage and moksha.

The story was conceived by Natyasastra scholar C.P. Unnikrishnan. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar's unparallel poetic skills enriched the theme and made it appealing, even to an uninitiated audience.