" Setu Bandha Re ", a unique stage show conceived, coordinated and performed by local artists stole the hearts of hundreds of viewers who came to celebrate Diwali during the annual Diwali function of the New England Marathi Mandal at Littleton High School on November 7 this year.  "Setu Bandha re", figuratively means "urging to build bridges" across the seemingly vast differences in languages and traditions by promoting greater understanding, and respect for the diverse cultural traditions of India.   The show featured several short plays, dances and music from India that represented several Indian states (from East to West and North to South) such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujrat, Punjab, Orissa, West Bengal, TamilNadu, Kashmir, and Assam.  It was a very special way to introduce young Indian Americans to the diverse culture and traditions from India. 
 
The story went like this:  Two young girls from Boston are visiting their uncle in India and get tired of seeing the same old Pizza Hut and McDonalds mushroomed in the streets of Mumbai where their uncle lives.  To help them see the "real" India, their uncle then takes them out of the city and on a journey into India with his son (and their cousin brother) and introduces them to her rich artistic and cultural traditions.  
 
Their journey begins with a prayer to Lord Ganesha - here you are introduced to the famous eight Ganesha Temples in Maharashtra such as Moreshwar of the MorGaon, Chintamani of Theur.  This first dance was based on a famous Marathi song "Ashta-Vinayakaa Tujhaa mahima kasaa" featuring young boys, girls, and men and women wearing traditional maharashtrian costumes.  The selection of this song and choreography needs to be commended because the song features several Marathi musical styles including laavni, powada, and aarti.  This piece ended with traditional lezim played by the dancers as they danced as is customary in Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations back in Maharashtra. 
 
Another festive tradition of the Koli (Fishermen) people of the Maharashtra coastline is the energetic Koli-Dance.  The dances were performed  by adults and younger generation in traditional Koli clothes.  The little girls dancing in brightly colored sarees looked cute as they waived their buckets in air.  The older performers danced to the tune of "Mee Haay Koli" with such vigor and enthusiasm that engaged the audience instantly in the journey of the young girls. 
 
Next the girls embarked on the journey of South India. A beautiful rendering of Bhagyada Lakshmi, a song from Karnataka by two young girls; a short play on Tenali Ram presented by young boys; a mesmerizing dance melody of Bharatanatyam and Mohini-Attam to the tune of "Karmanye vadhikaraste" performed by young girls were followed by another highlight of the program - an Odissi (Orissa) dance performed by Ms. Mouli Pal.  Mouli is a seasoned artist and completely captured the attention of the audience with her beautiful facial expressions and elegance.  From Orissa, the troupe from Boston/Mumbai moves onto West Bengal to listen to the beautiful rendering of the song "Amaar Shonaar Bangla" by several young girls and boys and then to Bihu - a folk-dance from the state of Assam.  The highlight of the Bihu was the beautiful live music made by local artists, the clothes, and the well-coordinated traditional dance performed beautifully by men and women dressed in traditional clothes that was really unique and relatively unknown to rest of the India. 
 
After a short break, the program resumed with journey starting from Gujrat with a Dandiya / Garba fusion dance on "Chhel Chaabilo Maro" by women dressed in pink and blue ghagra-cholis. This slightly modern version of the traditional dance form was indeed very engaging. 
 
No  Marathi program can really be complete without a mention of Chhatrapati ShivaJi Maharaj.  Several boys and girls presented a short play depicting various stages in the life of King ShivaJIRaje Bhonsale starting from the oath for Swarajya (Self-Governance), Meeting between Afjal-Khan - Shivaji, and finally escape from Delhi with a final coronation of the legendary king.  Audience loved the play.
 
Next, the girls from Boston went to Mathura to learn about Krishna, and a short and sweet play brought forth the fun Krishna had in Gokul and the Vishva-Roopa Darshan Yashoda had at the early stage in Krishna's life.  Later several young girls dressed in Ghagra choli danced beuatifully to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's rendering of the  "Baje Muraliya" song. 
 
The fierce queen of Jhansi was portrayed in Jhansi Rani, a play based on the fight she put up with limited resources against the British in the early 19th century in Madhya Pradesh.  From the intense heat of the battlefield, the next stop was the peaceful dance "Ghoomar" from Rajasthan followed by a scene from Akbar's court with Birbal, his vazir famous for his wit and intelligence.   The Muslim influence in India is also present in the Qawwali presented by local musicians who presented live music with numbers like the sufi number "Khwaja mere Khwaja", and with all-time favorites such as "Dum-a-Dum Masta Kalandar". 
 
The journey continued to the state of Kashmir with a Kashmiri dance presented by women dressed in beautiful Kashmiri dresses and headscarves. 
 
The journey of these young girls from Boston with their uncle and cousin ended in Punjab with a breathtaking dance of Bhagra based on "Hadippa" performed by several artists dressed in various shades of green.  The dancers performed the dance with great precision, vigor and enthusiasm.    It was a fitting end to a great stage show. 
 
What made the show special is that with this show, NEMM crossed the boundaries of Maharashtra in a spirit of celebrating diversity of influences without sounding overbearing.  Another feature of the show was that it was conceived and coordinated entirely by all local artists - Kaumudee Deuskar, Vaijayanti Karandikar and Vijay Shriwardhankar.  In addition, several choreographers -both very young and older - and directors helped to bring the pieces of the program together.   The enthusiasm of some hundred participants, musicians and make-up artists, back-stage managers and assistants, sounds and light artists was very special and really helped the show to be a truly memorable event.   The food presented in an Anand-Mela was delicious, the shopping stalls were inviting and the program was very well coordinated.  The entire NEMM committee including Mr. Shripad Godbole, the current President of the NEMM Committee; the show coordinators and participants deserve to be commended for pulling together a great event. 
 
The list of participants and coordinators is available at http://www.nemm.org

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