Norbulingka, nestled in Dharmsala, Uttarakhand, India, surpassed my expectations. What I had assumed was a typical monastery turned out to be a centre of varied cultural activity. Norbulingka Institute, as I reflected on the title once again, with the tagline 'Heart of Tibetan Culture,' I found the centre doing justice to it.
Naya Theatre, curated by Habib Tanvir in 1959, aimed to reverse the colonial trajectory of Indian theatre while connecting it to India's culture and tradition. Tanvir is known mainly for two interventions in Indian Theatre. The first was that he introduced local artists in his performance, and the second was that he broke away from the proscenium theatre into diverse spaces. He adopted the folk form Nacha of Chhattisgarh, in which music and songs play a complementary role in the performance.
The performance starts with a benediction, a characteristic feature of the Natyashastra, in which the artists seek a blessing from the god for a successful performance. Both Dr Bhalla and Deepti encircle the stage till the apron, starting from the left wing, their bodies bend in gratitude, hands folded, seeking blessings from God (bhudevi), followed by the audience and the co-artists on percussion and vadyas.
"Captured in a villanelle consisting of 19 lines" Timelessness of nature's art! O, flowers of the golden shower! From where did you learn the art of Adoring the bower Thou art lovely and selfless at any hour Assisted by the winds blowing through the trough O, flowers of the golden shower! Starts in Autumn, blooms … Continue reading A Villanelle: The Golden Shower of Summer
Watching puppets perform is the same as watching humans. The only difference is, puppets perform at the stage whereas human in real. Before I begin this post, I pay my sincere gratitude to Dr Kiran Seth and his initiative SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth)- a noble step toward … Continue reading The Art of Puppetry: Dadi Pudumjee’s Marionette Theatre
Pragmatic's Personas 