Jothi Raghavan's Nrithya Katha

by Sangeetha Prasanna

Geetham, Vadhyam, Tatha Nruthyam, Trayam Sangeetha Muchyate! The meaning of this Sanskrit saying is vocal, instrument and dance are the three facets of Indian music. When a respected music school decides to present a renowned Bharathanatyam exponent, it is a rare occasion that calls for a celebration.  This celebration happened under the aegis of “Abhyaas School of Music”, an organization spearheaded by Smt. Aparna Balaji, who presented a Bharathanatyam performance by Smt. Jothi Raghavan’s “Nritya Katha” on October 14^th, 2024 at Billerica, MA. Smt. Balaji is a popular teacher in the New England area known for her pure classicism and personable teaching style of Carnatic music.

Smt. Jothi Raghavan needs no introduction to the art connoisseurs of Massachusetts.  She is a doyenne in the field of Bharatanatyam having imparted the art form to a multitude of students in the New England area for over 40 years through her institution, “Nrityanjali”.  A student of Sri. Swamimalai K.Rajaratnam Pillai and Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, Jothi is a torch bearer of the traditional art form, whose artistry and experience came to the forefront in this special presentation.

“Nritya Katha” portrays the two renowned devotees of Lord Vishnu, Periazhwar (or Vishnuchittar) and his daughter Godha (or Andal) who are revered amongst the 12 alwar saints in the Vaishnavite tradition. The songs and poetry penned by them known as “Pasurams” are popular for their lilting imagery, devotion, and love for the Lord.

 
The presentation began with a shlokam that paid obeisance to the main characters followed by a Pushpanjali in ragam Mohanam set to adi talam which described Periazhwar tending to his garden and making a flower garland while imagining himself as the mother to baby Krishna. Vishnuchittar is also known as “Periazhwar” as he always considered himself as someone older to the god, like a mother to a child or an older brother. Keeping this in mind, a mother’s joy in dressing her baby and her admiration for the little one were beautifully portrayed by Jothi. Lilting Sahana paved way to the “Pallandu, Pallandu” chant showing periazhwar’s devoutness and the description of Vishnu in all his grandeur. This was followed by a narration of Yashoda’s love for Lord Krishna in caring for him, playing with him, and seeing him take his baby steps. The depiction of Krishna’s antics of stealing the butter and getting scolded by His mother, were enjoyed by all. The pasuram “Oduvaar” in ragam Maand was a joy, both visually and aurally. Govardhana puja, Indra’s anger, torrential flood and the events leading to Krishna lifting the govardhana mountain were done with aplomb to a spontaneous applause from the audience.  Periazhwar’s poetry is hailed for its vatsalya bhava (maternal instinct) and Jothi’s effortless abhinaya and presentation stayed true to the sentiments expressed by the poet.

The next vignette performed by Jothi, aptly captured Periazhwar’s distress on seeing his garlands fall to the ground and the acceptance of the garland strung by Andal and her subsequent merging with Lord Ranganatha, paving the way for Andal’s introduction.  This was followed by a thiruppavai “Sitram siru kale” in ragam Brindavana Saranga that depicted both the “Pavai Nombu’ and “Dashavatharam” by intermingling them in a clever manner. Once again Jothi’s bhava combined with effective story telling was evident and  quite moving.

The performance concluded with the magnum opus “Varanam Ayiram” where Andal describes her dream of being wedded to Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam.  A young maiden’s longing and aspirations of marrying the Lord of her dreams by detailing all events leading to the ceremony were beautifully portrayed. The shringara and adhbutha rasas were classic and spoke to Jothi’s versatility in this art form.

Sri. Rajkumar Bharathi’s musical score with a plethora of ragas enhanced the presentation to great heights. The use of male voice for Periazhwar and a female singer for Andal was a good idea, keeping in mind the two central characters. Interspersing the dance with explanations of the episodes by Jothi aided the diverse audience to better understand and deeply appreciate the original verses rendered in pure Tamil language and highlighted its relevance to the Vaishnavite philosophy.  

When artists with many years of experience and training ascend the stage, they bring so much value to the artform. Their performance is always a learning experience for the younger generation. One came away amazed by Smt. Jothi Raghavan’s enthusiasm, vigor, and devoutness in a performance that never lost a step or a beat and enthralled us all.  Thanks to Abhyaas School of Music for the wonderful opportunity to appreciate both song and dance and to Smt. Jothi Raghavan for the energizing performance.

Sangeetha Prasanna is a Bharatanatyam dancer/teacher trained at Kalakshetra, Chennai India and founder of “Natyarasika School of Dance” in Acton, MA.

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