Shivamohanam troupe led by Jayakishore Mosalikanti performed at the Music Academy. Photo courtesy: K. pichumani
The time and effort that spectators put in to see a performance becomes worthwhile when the performance lives up to their expectations. While watching the group presentation ‘Triyambam’ by Jai Kishore Mosalikanti and his Shivamohanam School of Kuchipudi at the Sangeet Academy, it was such an experience of aesthetic pleasure that the Dance Festival of the Sangeet Academy provided a joy.
The show was conceptualized on the three aspects of dance – Nritya, Nritya and Natya – and revolved around the theme of three goddesses, namely Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga. As the stories related to each goddess unfolded, what remained constant was the rich tapestry of music and movement.
”Ya Kundendu Thushara‘Hara Dawala’, a simple salutation to the goddess of knowledge, was presented in Raga Arabic following the popular Muthuswami Dixit composition ‘Sri Saraswati Namostute’. The simple choreography and synchronized dance of the four artistes highlighted the characteristics of Saraswati.
The narrative progressed towards the goddess’s emergence from the ocean in ‘Sri Udhavam’, the story of Lakshmi and the Kshirsagar Manthan episode, culminating in the marriage of Lakshmi and Vishnu.
Jaikishore entered the story as the narrator, but soon became Parvat Mandara. When the snake was being pulled on both sides to churn the ocean, Jaikishore’s accompanying circular movements added to the appeal of the episode. Singer Aditya Narayanan’s singing in the wedding sequence and the beautiful depiction of the ritual was captivating. Its lyrics were by Pappu Venugopala Rao and music was by Kuldeep Pai.
The presentation was based on three goddesses. Photo courtesy: K. pichumani
The restrained way in which the story of Durga and Mahishasura was portrayed and the recitation of the lines ‘Jaya Jaya Durge’ (with many people singing it) was effective.
The highlight of Kuchipudi singing is always the dance on Tharangam or brass plate. Performed by one male and four female dancers, the Tharangam was choreographed by Narayana Tirtha with meaningful pauses and vigorous group and solo movements. A Thilana in Raga Brindavani, composed by Ramesh and Jaikishore, made for a happy finale.
The contribution of the music team in this show was huge, which included the singing of Sweta Prasad, the singing of Aditya’s jathis, the striking of BP Haribabu’s mridangam, the singing of Ishwar Ramakrishnan and B. Muthukumar’s melodious violin and flute. Padmavani Mosalikanti, Ala Venugopal, Vedya Spurti Konda, Satvika Reddy, Lakshmi Raghunath and Srisammohana Mosalikanti brought the choreography to life with their dances.
published – January 22, 2025 05:51 PM IST
