As Navaratri draws near, the city finds itself preparing not just for devotion but for dance, a performance that celebrates one of Tamil Nadu’s most beloved deities— Meenakshi, the goddess of Madurai. Dancer Divya Nayar and her school Dakshina will premiere Meenatchi, a Bharatanatyam production that brings mythology to life with imagination and reverence.
Unlike many goddesses of lore, Meenakshi’s story is rooted in earth before it touches the divine. Divya, who has been fascinated by the Madurai goddess for a very long time, gives us a glimpse into the history of the deity. “She was born in Madurai to the Pandya king and queen and grew up to become not only the ruler but also the general of her army. When she went to Kailasa, she fell in love with Lord Shiva and that’s when she truly started showing signs of being feminine.”
Talking about what inspired Divya to take this particular story for the performance, she says, “Yes, she is an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi but she is also very dear to the people of Madurai. I loved how this deity was almost a living presence in the hearts of the people in Madurai. She is regarded more as the queen of the city than just a goddess.”
The production draws heavily from Divya’s own encounters with the Madurai Meenakshi temple. “Whenever I visited this beautiful ancient temple, I always wondered what it might be like if these sculptures came to life. When the temple is finally closed, do these sculptures tell the story of Meenakshi Kalyanam and the way she met Shiva? That is how this production is designed,” she says.
With nearly 17 dancers—many of them her own students alongside artistes from Kalakshetra— the performance follows the traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire. Audiences will travel through time, from Meenakshi’s miraculous birth to her coronation, her conquests, and the fabled marriage to Shiva, who appears not as the ascetic but as Sundareshwara, the beautiful groom.
The attention to detail extends beyond choreography. Costumes are designed in collaboration with Tuhil, a boutique handloom label reviving vintage Kanjivaram saris. “The dancers usually don the stitched costume, but this time around, we are draping all our costumes just like how the people of Madurai would wear a sari, as we wanted it to be like an homage to the uncut fabric,” Divya shares. Complementing this are pieces from heritage temple jewellery makers in Nagercoil, anchoring the performance in Tamil tradition.
The choice of date adds a layer of symbolism. “It’s actually something we’re doing the day before Navaratri, on Mahalaya Amavasya. We felt that something on the goddess would be beautiful to celebrate during that time,” explains Divya.
INR 300 and INR 500. On September 21, 6.30 pm. At Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, Chennai. The performance will also be replayed on Tikkl from September 22-28 worldwide.
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