Raksha Karthik brings the lives and poetry of the twelve Azhwars to the stage
Natanam Institute of Dance will present Azhwars — a bharatanatiyam production celebrating the lives and devotional poetry of the twelve Azhwar saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Conceptualised by Dr Raksha Karthik and her disciples — the performance draws on the saints’ hymns in the Divya Prabandham to explore themes of divine love, surrender and bhakti. Raksha gets chatty with us about bringing their lives and teachings to the stage, translating their poetry through abhinaya and making their spiritual legacy accessible to audiences today.
What inspired you to conceptualise Azhwars as a bharatanatiyam production?
His Holiness Yadugiri Yathiraja Narayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamy invited me to perform Annamacharya Sankeerthana Sudha on Annamayya’s life. After watching it, he said that understanding a saint-poet through their compositions can guide our lives. This inspired me to explore other saints, including the Azhwars. Ananthan Pillai from Kanchipuram and Dushyanth Sridhar also inspired me to bring their lives and prabandhams to the stage.
The production brings together the lives and poetry of twelve Azhwar saints. How did you approach understanding their lives and selecting the stories you wanted to present?
Being a Sri Vaishnava, I wanted to explore the Azhwars and their Divya Prabandhams through abhinaya, moving away from the traditional margam format without dramatising their stories. I also wanted to weave the prabandhams’ essence with kritis, keerthanams and devaranamas by vaggeyakaras inspired by the Azhwars.
Since the Azhwars expressed devotion through poetry and hymns, how have you translated their words and emotions into bharatanatiyam?
The prabandhams evoke many emotions when deeply understood. The body, hastas and expressions become channels through which dancers communicate their meaning to audiences.
The Divya Prabandham holds a special place in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. How have these hymns influenced the choreography and musical choices for the production?
I selected paasurams relevant to the stories and paired them with related devaranamas or kritis. This helps audiences understand the hymns and appreciate their true meaning.
The Azhwars lived in a different era, yet their poetry remains relevant. What can today’s audiences learn from their devotion and teachings?
Devotion and surrender to the Lord were central to the Azhwars’ lives. Learning about their journeys and the trials they faced can help us apply their experiences to our own lives and insp ire us to become better versions of ourselves.
How do you balance the spiritual meaning of these compositions with the technical and artistic demands of a classical dance performance?
I have chosen sattvika bhava to portray the Azhwars’ lives and the essence of the prabandhams. I have also drawn on compositions by Purandaradasa, Annamacharya, Tyagaraja and Kanakadasa, whose works help audiences connect with the Azhwars’ philosophy.
Since your disciples are involved, how have you prepared them to understand and express the emotions and philosophy behind these devotional works?
I guide my students beyond choreography to understand the stories and philosophy behind these works. Through music, abhinaya, discussions and sadhana, they explore the Azhwars’ bhakti through love, longing, faith and surrender. I want them to see bhakti not merely as something performed on stage, but as something cultivated within and expressed through their actions.
What role does the musical ensemble play in bringing the poetry of the Azhwars to life?
The ensemble is the backbone of the production. My guru — vidwan Balasubrahmanya Sharma — composed the music, setting each paasuram to a fitting raga. Nattuvanar Bharadwaj Dayanidhi presents the conversations between the Azhwars and Perumal in Sen Tamizh. Flautist vidwan Jayaram Kikkeri and veena artiste vidwan Gopal Venkataramana enhance the ragas, while vidwan Srihari Rangaswamy on mridangam and vidwan DV Prasanna Kumar on rhythm pads add some rhyth mic depth.
Devotional themes have long been part of Indian classical dance. What makes Azhwars different from other productions exploring spirituality through bharatanatiyam?
Each Azhwar represents a divine attribute of Lord Vishnu. Poigai Azhwar represents Panchajanya, the Lord’s conch; Bhoothath Azhwar, kaumodaki, his mace; Pey Azhwar, nandaka, his sword; and Thirumazhisai Azhwar, sudarshana, his discus. Others represent Garuda, Bhoodevi and the Kaustubha jewel. The production blends the Azhwars’ Sen Tamizh poetry and prabandhams with kritis and devaranamas inspired by them, creating a distinctive devotional experience.
What do you hope audiences take away from the performance, especially those unfamiliar with the lives and works of the twelve Azhwars?
I hope audiences learn about the Azhwars’ lives, teachings and devotion to Perumal and discover the hymns and prabandhams they composed — their messages and the lesser-known works by vaggeyakaras inspired by them.
Entry free. October 24, 5.30 pm. At Sri Venugopala Krishna Swami Temple, Malleswaram.
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