An Offering To The Divine

Art can transform us and bring us closer to the Divine. Let's promote our arts and our culture…

- Lalit Modi N

Long ago, Lalit Verma acquired a small piece of land. Driven by his passion for fine arts, he converted it into a cute and compact garden theatre with a beautifully designed sheltered stage for organising fine art expositions. People would sit in the open air garden, either on chairs or the grass, to witness the classic performances. It was a beautiful natural setting, like a tiny little resort.

Because of his obsession for art and culture, Verma sponsored and arranged dance and song shows, classical music concerts, plays, theatre festivals, live painting shows, magic shows, talks, exhibitions and art shows, camps, cultural evenings, film screenings, yoga and pranayama demonstrations, etc., in this little garden in Pondicherry. He did this out of passion and not commerce. He charged no fees for attending these shows, and admission was on a first come, first served basis. All with goodwill were welcome for this 'Oneness through art' movement. The ultimate aim was to promote fine arts and encourage cultural harmony.

On Friday, September 13, 2019, at 6 PM, Smt. Chitra Rinnesh, a prominent exponent of Bharatanatyam, was on stage presenting her romantic Bharatanatyam piece, 'Elle et Moi'. It was cloudy, but many guests had arrived. They were from different walks of life and from across the globe. It was a show for connoisseurs and ardent lovers of classical dance. There is never a dearth of such connoisseurs in Pondicherry, a spiritual destination by itself with French Colonial trappings. We filled the available space for one hundred and fifty people before time.