IN STEP WITH THE SACRED

Kuchipudi dancer Amrita Lahiri, and musician Chandana Bala Kalyan bring their production, 'Mandala', to Chennai

- SONU M KOTHARI

N a captivating blend of movement and rhythm, classical musician Chandana Bala Kalyan, singing melodious ragas, and classical dancer Amrita Lahiri, setting a vivid choreography, wove together mysticism and spiritual symbols such as Mandala artwork.

Inspired by the craft, the performance transcended into a spiritual journey with each unfolding layer of realizations and acceptances.

The artistes took center stage at the Serendipity Art Festival 2023 in Goa to explore divine symbolism.

Following the positive response they received at this 15-day celebration, the artistes, along with their director Leela Samson, are set to tour other Indian cities.

After staging in Bengaluru on Saturday, they will be in the city today.

After a break, they will resume the tour to Mumbai and Delhi in December.

Titled 'Mandala', this production is a path that traverses love and disappointment to separation, and eventually, comes to an understanding that we are all one at our core.

"Mandala art is about concentric circles, finally arriving at the core, the centre.

This project's journey is similar.

It starts with a devotee and the outermost layer of devotion.

It goes through themes of Shringara (love), Viraha (separation), Maya (illusion), and Aikya (dissolution)," explains Chandana, a multi-genre musician from Mumbai.

Understanding the divine

In this poetic journey, the protagonists are deities Alamelu Manga and Venkateshwara Swami.