Yet another milestone was reached by Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence as it presented a unique theme of Sapta Tandava at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan last week. The auditorium was abuzz with Aum Namasshivay and Har Har Mahadev chants as the seven Tandavas were presented in different dance forms on centuries-old compositions.The program, titled Sivoham, had an explanation of different Tandavas and their contexts, performed by Shivani Bhandari (Kathak), Arya Arun (Bharatanatyam), Yogindra Maravante (Yakshagana), Lakshmi Aveen (Kuchipudi), Ragasudha Vinjamuri (Bharatanatyam), Manju Sunil (Mohiniattam) and Dr Pritha Dasmahapatra (Odissi). Through this program, the lyrical works of composers such as Mahadeva Sambho and Shahuji Maharaj (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's grand nephew) are also highlighted. Lord Shiva was invoked through classical and folk dances by 20 performers in the beginning. Chief Guest Amish Tripathi, Director of The Nehru Centre, and Guest of Honour Dr Nandakumara, Executive Director of The Bhavan have spoken on the occasion. Amish's words on Shiva's consciousness were thought-provoking. He has commended the initiative of Sanskruti Centre in bringing out such a novel subject to UK audiences. Artists were felicitated, followed by a vote of thanks by Sushil Rapatwar. The program was conceived & executed by Ragasudha Vinjamuri and anchored by Radhika Joshi and Raj Agrawal. About 300 people attended this program, and many of them expressed profound appreciation for the rich content of the evening.
