On Mahasasthi (September 28), Satyananda Sangeetpeeth presented a novel Aagamani welcoming Sarada-Durga at Sree Satyananda Devayatan. Archanapuri Maa, a lyricist and vocalist par excellence, composed lilting music for this beautiful feature penned by her mentor Sreethakur Satyananda who had conceptualised the Sarada-Durga pujas in 1945. The impetus lay in the well-known fact that once Ramakrishna Paramhansa offered prayer to Sarada Devi, his consort. Swami Vivekananda had also declared that the holy mother was “living Durga”. This ideology followed to the core — and trained by veteran singer Krishna Gopal Ghosh, supported by Swati Dhar’s ingenious keyboard and Swami Gadadharananda’s sensitive and Shubhashis Ghosh’s voluble tabla and khol — the choral group was motivated to sing with contagious devotional fervour.
Meena Banerjee
The dance presentation by Aangikam (a little known school of Bharatnatyam, Rabindranitya, folk and creative dance in Chinsurah) at Gyan Manch on September 25 belied all expectations. The Bharatnatyam-based item, Namoh Vighna Vinayak, was an absolute treat to watch. The thillana, or the traditional end, showcased the artiste’s (Mohul Bandopadhyay) mastery over her craft. Based on raag Hindalam and adi taal, Mohul showed a technical finesse beyond her years. However, she had stock expressions for both grief and joy. Nonetheless, it was a laudable effort. The next presentation, the dance-drama Shubhodrishti — based on Tagore’s short story by the same name — was choreographed innovatively.
Shibani Chattopadhyay
The event organised by Kinkini Nritya Sangeet Kala Mandir at the University Institute Hall left everyone mesmerised. The dance dramas presented had great visual impact. However, the highlight of the evening was Swapna Mandir (Temple of Dreams), directed by Srirup Saha. It depicted the realisation of the dreams of a young, devoted dancer who, on the instruction of his guru, travels across the country imbibing the different dance forms. The light design and overall execution added a special festive touch to the show. Saha shouldered the dual responsibility of director and main performer with élan while Kartik Bose as the guru gave a noteworthy performance.
Jayashri Mitra
