Rhythm Divine

IT was a double treat for music and dance lovers of the city on Sunday, when the 42nd Pracheen Kala Kendra Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan saw a Carnatic flute recital by flautist GS Rajan (in the picture) and Guru Ranjana Gauhar and her troupe mesmerised the audience with Rabindranath Tagore's Chitrangada set to Odissi dance.

Born into a musical family, Rajan is one of the sought-after flautists and music composers of today's times and what Rajan played in the evening's recital was true raga sangeet, which had both the gamakas of Carnatic music and the steady tuneful notes of Hindustani music.

In the second part of the programme, Ranjana Gauhar and her troupe paid homage to Tagore through her presentation of his masterpiece Chitrangada. Through her dance production, Gauhar recounted the tale of Princess Chitrangada, a brilliant and brave character mentioned in the great Indian epic Mahabharata. She was a warrior princess of Manipur, who fell in love with the mighty Arjuna. The musical dance-drama was a lyrical portrayal of the many emotions of a woman, her dignity, individuality and worthiness. Gauhar's movements and designing were simple and effective and she was absolutely brilliant in the role of Chitrangada.

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