Madras Week programmes at the Press Institute of India this year got off to a splendid start on August 22nd with a presentation by Lakshmi Ramaswamy and her group of dancers and musicians. Titled Verse and Veneration: Famous Temples in Madras, it turned out to be a quite veritable treat – an interesting narrative that Lakshmi wove, backed by a captivating performance by dancers and musicians that brought the heritage and history of ages gone by alive, threaded through one temple after another.
Early humans, confronting the vast and often unpredictable elements — storm, flood and drought — began to personify these forces as deities. These gods were worshipped to seek protection, favour and a sense of control over the unknown. Over time, this primal fear transformed into a rich spiritual tradition, with verses and literature celebrating the divine in its many forms. Temples, once mere shelters for these deities, evolved into vibrant centres of community life, where art, culture, and spirituality converged.
In this context, Kalaimamani Lakshmi Ramaswamy, a senior dance exponent in India, presented, Verses and Veneration, demonstrated by herself and dancers from her institute, Sri Mudhraalaya. The performance offered an evocative exploration of six significant temples in Chennai, each deeply embedded in the city’s cultural and spiritual landscape.
The presentation began with a short anjali or invocation before stepping onto the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, one of the city’s most iconic shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. The dancers, Vidhyalakshmi G. and Aishwarya, depicted the mythological tale of Goddess Parvati, who, transforming into a peahen, worshipped Shiva under a Punnai tree. The choreography gracefully embodied Parvati’s devotion and the temple’s significance as a beacon of faith in the bustling neighbourhood of Mylapore.
From Mylapore, the audience was transported to Triplicane, where the Parthasarathy Temple stands as a testament to Lord Krishna’s role as the charioteer (Parthasarathy) in the Mahabharata. The parallel juxtaposition of Parthasarathy and Krishna represented by two dancers – Kavya Suresh and Vibha – gave a glimpse of Lakshmi’s unique choreographic perspectives.
Next, Lakshmi’s senior disciple, Jagyaseni Chatterjee, paid homage to the Vadivudai Amman Temple in Tiruvottiyur in a soulful presentation, Sundari Nee Divya, one among the Tiruvottiyur pancarathnam composed by Saint Tyagaraja. The temple, dedicated to Goddess Parvati, is a sanctuary for those seeking strength and protection. The devotee is elated as she beholds the goddess. She says, “It must be the fruit of my previous births that I have been able to experience you, oh mother goddess!” Jagyaseni’s straight-from-the-heart depiction of the undiluted happiness of the devotee moved the audience. Shreya’s Kalyani in the violin mirrored the deep emotions of the dancer, enhancing the intensity of the experience.
The serene hilltop of Thiruneermalai was the next stop, where the Thiruneermalai Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu became the focus. The dancers presented the four distinct forms of Vishnu worshipped here, each representing a different cosmic aspect – standing (as Neervanna Perumal), seated (as Narasimha), reclining (as Ranganatha) and walking (as Trivikrama or Ulagalanda Perumal). Performed by Uma Dinesh and Aparna Krishnamurthy, the composition was presented as a Ninda Stuti, specially composed for this occasion by S. Raghuraman and tuned by Vanati Raghuraman. The concluding part where the dancers alternate between the devotee and the four forms of Vishnu was an interesting delight.
the Tamil God of War.
The performance then moved to the bustling area of Parry’s Corner, where the Kalikambal Temple stands as a spiritual haven amidst the city’s chaos. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, the dancers depicted Kali’s fierce energy and compassionate nature with vibrant movements, portraying the duality of the goddess who both destroys evil and protects the good. Samanvitha Sasidharan’s powerful vocals along with Mahesh’s mridangam, echoed through the auditorium, invoking the goddess’s presence penned by Mahakavi Bharati.
The evening concluded with a tribute to the Kandakottam Murugan Temple in Kandakottam, dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Tamil God of War. Lakshmi had chosen verses of Sri Ramalinga Adigalar for the segment. Performed by her, it was a feast to the heart and soul. Her deeply involved abhinaya (art of expression) transported the audience to their very own personal spaces where the line between divinity and art narrows and merges to give an everlasting impact, reminding us of the enduring power of faith and the beauty of tradition in shaping our cultural identity. The dancer’s team also included Nirupa Venugopal who was part of the anjali.
Note: Lakshmi Ramaswamy is a first generation dancer. Devoted to Natya, she likes to immerse herself in the art form and help dancers and independent teachers of the art form blossom, a rare quality. She has several distinctions, including being the first to receive a doctorate in Bharatanatyam from Madras University, India’s first US Fulbright Scholar in Bharatanatyam, and recipient of the Tamil Nadu Sangeet Natak Academy Kalaimamani Award in 2011. Sri Mudralaya, the academy for dance which she established, is 31 years old.
(This article is by Jagyaseni Chatterjee, one of the dancers and Lakshmi’s senior disciple.)
from Webdoux