On exploring the many narratives in Indian mythology, one will notice the many shades of Krishna’s identity. As a child who was raised by the leader of the cowherds, he has been depicted in several accounts as a mischievous child famously known for stealing butter and doted on by his mother, Yashoda. At a later stage in life, Krishna—also an impressive flautist—is perceived as a lover who, through his tunes, would enchant gopis (female cowherds), particularly his divine consort, Radha. During the Kurukshetra War, he recounted the sacred song of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers. Through the many episodes of his life, there are several interesting facets of Krishna’s personality.
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Mandi House-based Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra is offering citizens a special opportunity to dive deep into the life of this Hindu deity, as they perform the 46th edition of the dance drama, Krishna to mark the occasion of Janmashtami—the birth of Lord Krishna—celebrated on Thursday.
The two-and-half-hour-long performance will commence today and will continue till August 19 at Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg. The piece traces various significant episodes of Lord Krishna’s life—Makhan Chori, Govardhan, Kaliya Raas, etc. The idea behind this production is to prompt people to take inspiration from the Hindu god’s life.
Helmed by leading cultural impresario and Padma Shri awardee, Shobha Deepak Singh—she is also the director and vice chairperson of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra—the performance will feature an amalgamation of Odisha’s semi-classical dance form, Mayurbhanj Chhau and Kerala’s martial art form, Kalaripayattu.
One can expect original music, ostentatious costumes and jewellery, and elaborate sets that add value to this production. Talking to us about how the show has evolved over the years, Singh concluded, “In the beginning, people were not interested in the second half of Krishna’s life [according to the Mahabharata]. However, now they are more interested in the Mahabharata bit because they already know about the other aspects.”
CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: ‘Krishna’, a dance drama
WHEN: Till August 19; 6.30 pm with two matinee shows on 3 pm on Thursday and Friday
WHERE: Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg