यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत !
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् !!
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् !
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे !!

A perfect evening it proved to be. All rains, no traffic and a dance drama. I went to Kamani Auditorium near CP for the premier show of Krishna, “a dance drama depicting Krishna’s life from his birth to his libration”. Presented by Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, depicting various avatars of Krishna as a Makhaan Chor Krishna of Vrindavan, to the Raaslila of the Gopi Krishna, to the Krishna of Mahabharata imparting the universal message of the Gita to Arjun, the second of the Pandava brothers.

The most touching scene in my opinion was that in the very end with Gandhari, mother of the Kauravas. After the death of all her sons Gandhari curses Krishna for only he could have stopped the blood war, he being the all powerful Lord incarnation. He is cursed to die as a mortal, alone. To which Krishna says that it was HIM in every warrior who died, and for as long as he is alive, she (Gandhari) would not be childless.
The playful child Krishna stealing butter, played by a little girl was also impressive and full of naughtiness. Note exceptional performances were by Swapan Majumdar playing teenager Krishna, RK Sharma who was the Mahabharata’s Krishna and off course Poonam as the Radha. All three as always prove true to their roles. The choreography by Shashidharan Nair, too never stops to amaze me.

Krishna is another of the many great dance drama hits by the SBKK since it started in 1952. The most acclaimed productions like Ramlila, Krishnavtaar, Khajuraho, Karna, Meera, Dance of Shiva and Kumar Sambhav to name a few. I for one have seen each and every one of those shows except for the Kumar Sambhav.

Later while driving back to home my brain automatically went in for a reverse gear (Back to Past was it?). Old memories from the days of Amar Chitra Katha comics, and the tales related to Mahabharata, like that of the journey of Pandavas towards Himalayas and how one by one each of the Pandavas die except the eldest Yudishthir, who is accompanied by a dog to heaven towards Moksha, the tale of Abhimanyu and how he breaks into the Chakravihu. I thought I had forgotten those stories and tales but it proved negative. Old memories die hard!!! ;)
On a serious note they say Old is Gold, but I wonder why in today’s times no one seems to be reading our glorious history and traditions, have they have faded into a past of their own and mine too?

Previously on nHlog: Art capital of India, RAM a paragon of exemplary virtues, Manohar Singh

Previously on nHphlog: Krishna, Gopies, Khajuraho, Festival of Ballets, Ram, Ravana