Speaking of seekers

Parwati Dutta brings Mahagami Gurukul's festival dedicated to Sharngadev to New Delhi this week.

Anjana Rajan | FEBRUARY 25, 2016 | The Hindu

There are those who insist Delhi is 'the' place to be when it comes to success in the Indian arts. Parwati Dutta thought differently. Though her pursuit of dance brought her from Bhopal to New Delhi, it once again took her far from the hustle and bustle of the Capital when she decided to spread her wings.

Trained in Kathak as a child in Madhya Pradesh from various gurus including Pandit Kartik Ram, among the last artists of the 'Darbar kaal' at the Raigarh court, Parwati had gone on to enrol at New Delhi's Kathak Kendra and also taken further training under Pandit Birju Maharaj. She learnt Odissi from Guru Madhavi Mudgal and later from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Then, some two decades ago, having performed and taught in various institutions and worked at thr prestigious Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Parwati decided to take her talents someplace where people never expected to need them. That's how she ended up in Aurangabad in Maharashtra. On the tourist map for its proximity to the caves of Ellora and Ajanta, as well as for its Bibi ka Maqbara, Aurangabad is, like many of India's places of interest, seemingly oblivious to its own rich history. This is where Parwati founded the Mahagami Gurukul, now known for its research and social outreach activities besides regular classes, camps and choreographic works. Among its major projects are the Sharngadev Samaroh and Prasang, dedicated to the 13th Century author of the Sanskrit text on music and related arts, the Sangeeta Ratnakara. The festival, now in its seventh year, comes to New Delhi for the first time. Comprising paper presentations, workshops and performances, the event also marks the 20th anniversary of Mahagami (an acronym for Mahatma Gandhi Mission).

The seminar (Prasang) aspect takes place this weekend at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, while performances (Samaroh) will be on Monday and Tuesday at the India Habitat Centre. Here Parwati talks about the aim of the festival and her own journey.

Edited excerpts:

How did the concept of the Sharngadev Samaroh materialise?

At Mahagami, we have attempted many other projects and events. A monthly Baithak series named Sahridaya, the Drishtikon lecture series, Aura-Aurangabad cultural tourism initiative, Sahachar inter-disciplinary workshop, Sadhana gurukul camp, etc., each aimed to address different areas of artistic development. While teaching and educating and informing the society remains our prime objective, there is a paucity of adequate resources developed through research. Sangeeta Ratnakara is considered one of the most important granthas after the Natya Shastra. It was written at a time when art forms were woven in a common thread despite diverse expressions in regional variations. Sharngadev integrates the technical aspects with the physiological, philosophical, artistic and aesthetic approach. Unlike Abhinaya Darpana and a few other texts that mainly deal with the movement vocabulary, Sangeeta Ratnakara ignites one's mind towards the innate expressions of the body and underlying possibilities. Sangeeta Ratnakara studies were initiated by Dr. Premlata Sharma in the late 1980s and early '90s, which is known to the researchers. I am glad that I could initiate a journey in this direction with an aim to establish a dialogue between the written, oral and practising traditions and finding a relevance of Sangeeta Ratnakara through the Sharngadev Samaroh. One more important discovery for me was the fact that Sharngadev lived in Aurangabad region where he composed Sangeeta Ratnakara in the 13th Century.

What has been the response from the non-dance/music knowing audience?

The response has grown over years. I try to initiate a discussion with students, their families and others who come in the folds of our various activities about our heritage and things that should be preserved and nurtured. The exercise leads to a kind of sensitisation, and an interesting dialogue emerges over time. I am overwhelmed to see the involvement of artists and seekers from other cities also who join us in our outreach activities as participants and even just as observers.

What in your opinion is the importance of the old treatises to today's practising dancers, and to the informed audience?

There are many concepts and deep thoughts that are written in the texts in concise form or in the form of riddles. Reading these evokes imagination and nurtures the intuitive mind, thus allowing the reader to unfold its manifold meanings. Based on one's knowledge of the art forms, 'sanskaar' and intellectual capacity, an artist can find its relevance. The aim should not be to immediately interpret it and perform. Some theories after understanding and realising are assimilated just to remain as an important dimension of the artist's vision. In that context too, these texts play an important role in the artistic evolution of a performer, which will certainly lead to the cultural development of the audience.

Who and which books have guided your study of texts such as the Sangeeta Ratnakara, etc.?

I was introduced to Sangeeta Ratnakara through an English translation by Dr. Premlata Sharma and R. K. Shringy and later a Marathi translation by Dr. G.H. Tarlekar. Not all chapters have been translated in the book. The text needs to be explored through different perspectives too. We don't come across much published work on Sangeeta Ratnakara. Vadya Adhyay, Taaladhyay and Nartana Adhyay [chapters on instrument classification, types of talas and dance and the rasas] have not been explored much compared to the scope of the text. Other than the shastras, I have adored all writings of Dr. S.K. Saxena, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan.

Was Aurangabad your original base?

I was in Delhi before moving to Aurangabad. I worked for a while as a freelancer, performing, teaching Kathak and Odissi at institutions and as a research assistant at Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts. I was keen to start a new journey, preferably in a marginalised place where I could explore many more possibilities with arts and our cultural heritage. Aurangabad city was not known to me and I had never been here before. The city is named after Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb who was known to have banned music and artistic activities.

So you simply selected an unknown town, like an adventure?

Yes! There was a request from a local educational trust to start a dance activity here. I thought of making it bigger. Gradually the institution evolved as a gurukul with many other activities. Mahagami Gurukul was founded in a barren stretch of land in 1996 with a humble aim... to create a cultural awakening and to produce some refined artists and art-lovers from this region.