OM was a well-honed performance by Santanu Chakraborty exemplifying Shiva’s tandavas in Bharatanatyam. By Utpal K Banerjee
The great Oriental scholar Ananda Coomaraswamy wrote once, “How many various dances of Shiva are known to His worshipers I cannot say. No doubt the root idea behind all of these dances is more or less one the same: the manifestation of primal rhythmic energy. Whatever the origins of Shiva’s dance, it became in time the clearest image of the activity of God which any art can ever boast of.”
Among Shiva’s sacred dances depicted in southern India, tandava has vigorous and brisk movements. If performed with life’s joie de vivre and Shiva as manifest Nataraja (lord of dance), the dance becomes ananda tandava. If performed in a violent mood trouncing all creation, the dance is then rudra tandava. In the ancient texts, at least seven types of tandava are found: Ananda, Tripura, Sandhya, Samhara, Kali (Kalika), Uma, Tandava and Gauri.
OM,presented by Santanu Chakraborty at the IIC, was a well-honed performance of Bharatanatyam attempting many tandavas — mediated by jatis — that were a delight to watch in a chiselled male body. Disciple of Sonal Mansingh and now groomed by guru V Krishnamoorthy, Santanu began with Surya Namaskar, followed by Mellaprapti dedicated to lord Shiva that chants: Vande Shambho, Uma Patim, Suragurum, Vande Jagat karanam… Set in raga Natai, the item had many interjections of Ananda tandava.
Shiva Panchakshara Stotra, followed in raga Malika (garland of ragas). Set by Adi Shankaracharya, this is a famous composition expressing the fervent urge of the devotee for seeing the lord. Santanu interpreted the item in Sandhya tandava that usually is a serene form: devoted to the evening adoration of Shiva at the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. Next was Thiru Chchitrambalam, set to raga Kalyani, a major foray into the Shiva lore: attempting both Nirguna (without attributes) and Saguna (with attributes). The dancer first expressed the philosophy of Akash (the space with no form); then Shiva linga as a combination of form and formless; and finally Akar (the supreme form): as Nataraja in golden hall of Chidambaram.
With a minimal change of costume, Santanu switched to an ode to devi, as the divinity that compliments the Purusha in Shiva. With the chant: Swayamvo Ganesha Janani, Durga devi, Radha, laxmi, Saraswati…in raga Rithigowla, the dancer created a sequence of Devi-images and the connected metaphors. Then came a Hindi bhajan: Sri Rama Chandra, Kripalu Bhajamana…where Rama’s extraordinary beauty was compared to a lotus blossom: with his eyes, face, fingers of hand, feet, indeed, every limb, mirroring a lotus-petal. The finale was a tillana, in raga Balachi, with another depiction of Shiva Nataraja in Ananda Tandava. Excerpts from the interview with the dancer:
What does the title OM signifyIJ
OM manifests the sound of space, resonating inner self within every life on this universe. It epitomises srishti (creation); sthiti (preservation) and samhara (annihilation). The traditional trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara — also makes a beeline into space as: Ekam Brahmam, Brahmam Ekam, OM.
What are the important features of TandavaIJ
The 32 Angaharas (decorative sequences of aesthetic body-postures) and 108 Karanas (aesthetic body-postures) are discussed by Bharata in the fourth chapter of Natya Shastra as Tandava lakshanam. Karana is the combination of hand gestures and feet-positions to form a dance-posture. Angahara comprises seven or more Karanas. 108 Karanas, included in Tandava, could be employed in the course of dance, fight, personal combats and in other special movements like strolling. The dance, in a nutshell, is a pictorial allegory of the five principal manifestations of eternal energy: Evolution, conservation, obliteration, illusion and emancipation. Thus, Tandava symbolises the cosmic cycle of creativity and total nullity, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death.
How do you visualise NatarajaIJ Does his dance tantamount to a celebrationIJ
When He dances with his one leg up, his jataa (matted lock) is set with crescent moon and with the Ganga coming out, he holds the fire and death on his lotus-like hand. With all his deadly abhushan (ornaments), when he dances, it looks indeed as if a big celebration is going on! His accompanying musicians are Bramha on cymbals; Vishnu on flute; all his ganas (devoted companions) playing different instruments and his mount — the carrier Nandi — playing the mridanga. With all that musical support, imagine his dancing the beautiful Ananda Tandava in the golden hall of Chidambaram.
Finally, what were the manifestations of devi that you contemplatedIJ
Such manifestations come as raudra (furious) rupa and shanta (gracious) rupa. Raudra is as Durga, Kali, Chandi, Bhairavi. Shanta is as lakshmi, Saraswati, Annapurna, Then the women who come as human incarnations of devi are: Radha, Savitri, Draupadi, to save the society.
