Bhubaneswar: Love for dance, dancers and the history of Odisha’s classical form that originated from temple sculptures, was the central theme of the 72nd Ekamra Walks Old Town Circuit, on the International Dance Day, Sunday.
Participation of Odissi guru Padma Shree Ileana Citaristi added to the glamour and attraction of the heritage walk Sunday. She explained the genesis, evolution, patronage and the tradition of this beautiful dance form of India.
Taking over as the guide at the Mukteswar temple, danseuse Ileana talked in detail about the various forms of ‘ Alasakanyas ‘ depicted on the walls of various temples across the state. Deliberating on the sculptures at the Mukteswar temple, a 10th century marvel of Kalingan temple architecture, the Italy-born Odissi guru discussed ‘ Mugdha Nayika’, ‘Veenakara’, ‘Padmagandha’, ‘Nupura Padika’ and ‘Matru Murti’.
The danseuse not only discussed in detail the ‘Bhangi’ or postures of the ‘Alasakanyas’, but also answered queries from the 40 heritage walk participants.
At Parasurameswar temple, a 7th century wonder, she explained the ‘Chauka’ or the square -like form of humans. “It is also referred to as the Jagannath position as the Lord sits in this posture.
Later, at Art Vision, the Odissi training institute established and run by her, Ileana explained the various strata of Odissi dance form. She talked about its various stages and how they are related to one another as well as to the society.
“‘Mangala Charan’ in Odissi is like a seed. Similarly, ‘Batu’ is like the trunk of a tree. ‘Pallavi’ is akin to efflorescence or blooming of the flowers and ‘Abhinaya’ is like bearing of fruits on a plant. Lastly, ‘Moksh’ or salvation is similar to the fruits falling on the ground,” she explained.
To a question by Sai Rajesh, a research scholar from Fakir Mohan University, on what drives the seed to germinate and propagate, she said, “Like in many other traditional dance forms, the ‘Guru-Sishya Parampara’ has been mainly responsible for the spread and growth of Odissi across the globe.”
At the same time, she lamented that the pure form of Odissi and other classical dance forms are now being influenced by Oriya, Hindi film and Hollywood, besides the modern dances. “There is an urgency to conserve the original compositions of our great gurus and document them for posterity. In fact, the original creations should have copyrights. On this International Dance Day we should start thinking on these lines,” she concluded.
