The dance and music lovers of the city witnessed a splendid Kathak performance at Bhojpur Shiv Temple here on Monday. Renowned Kathak exponent V Anuradha Singh gave a spontaneous performance on the eve on Bhojpur Utsav.
V Anuradha Singh showcased her flair by performing Bhakti Kathak before the audience.
Bhakti Kathak is an alliance of two words " Bhakti " and " Kathak''. In this concord Bhakti refers to the religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of divine. Kathak which is one of the most dynamic of the eight classical dance forms embodies the natya (drama), the nritta (pure dance) and the nritya (expression).
When the Kathak dance movements blend with the rythmic and lyrical beauty of devotional Bhakti songs is used to portray the subtle complexities of philosophy and the overwhelming love for God , the Bhakti Kathak is executed.
Kathak and Bhakti are two sides of the same coin, Indeed the present form of Kathak predominantly owe it to Bhakti movement of 14th-17th century. During this era of fervent worship of Radha-Krishna, Kathak was used to narrate tales from the lives of these figures. Popular performances included Lord Krishna’s exploits in the holy land of Vrindavan, and tales of Krishna-Leela (Lord Krishna’s childhood).
It was in this time, the Kathak moved away from the ritual dance of the temple and began to be influenced by spirituality and devotional elements.
The loosely associated group of teachers or sants in Bhakti movement were Ramananda, Ravidas, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabhacharya, Surdas and Meera.
V Anuradha Singh, the eminent and leading Kathak exponent has reinvigorated the devotional Kathak by marvelously blending the famous Kathak depicts.