Water World

I wanted to complement the beauty and grandeur of Purana Qila,where the festival is held,with the beauty and grandeur of the Narmada. The monument is a compelling presence,as is the story of the Narmada. It is the only river in the world that has a tradition of ritual circumambulation — parikrama — through its entire length of over 1,300 km. Many people from India and abroad undertake this tough ritual pilgrimage. My piece,Narmada Parikrama,attempts to render the beauty of the Narmada as an aesthetic reflection of the actual parikrama of one of the oldest of the sacred Indian rivers. I had performed Narmada Parikrama at Maheshwar ghat on the banks of the river,but this one is different because it incorporates the space of Purana Qila into the choreography.

Traveller’s Diary

Narmada Parikrama is,however,not based on my own experiences of the river but on the works of Amritlal Vegad,a traveller,writer and artist,who has dealt extensively with the Narmada.

River Sutra

The piece explores the divine origin of the river,the folk thought and culture that reflect its oneness with nature; the river’s changing moods,its grandeur at Sahastradhara,the waterfall where the Narmada weaves a magical fabric with its myriad delicate streams; and the reverence for the river as depicted in Adi Shankara’s Narmadashtakam,the strotra recited during parikrama.

Performances at Ananya will be held from today till October 6 at Purana Qila. Narmada Parikrama will be staged on October 4. Entry free