CHENNAI: As the Suprabhatam chants resound through Sathguru Gnanasabha Hall in Narada Gana Sabha, dancer Anwesha Das transforms into the majestic and righteous deity, Narasimha. The seasoned dancer opens with a measured Bharatanatyam alarippu — the stage reminiscent of a battlefield — and is an ode to the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Anwesha’s recital with five segments guided the enraptured audience through a multitude of emotions, and journeys – an adoring mother watches baby Rama take his first steps with Tulsidas’ Thumaka Chalata Ramachandra, a hero makes advances to his apprehensive lover, the powerful Chamundeshwari kills asuras Chanda and Munda.
On the left side, the ensemble — Binu V Gopal on vocals, Nagai P Sriram on mridangam, Easwar Ramakrishnan on violin, and Muthukumar B on flute _ accompany her mudras with their lyrical renditions of traditional compositions. As a student of classical dancer Urmila Sathyanarayanan’s Natya Sankalpa, Anwesha has been dancing for over two decades. This year, during the Margazhi season, she decided to bring Narasimha and expressions of rage — rarely featured in Bharatanatyam —to namma Chennai.
Of rage and power
The dancer’s first performance of this avatar, a thematic presentation on the then newly-renovated Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple of Yadadri, was in Hyderabad last year. “During the process of reading about Lord Narasimha and learning the dance piece, I was very drawn to Lord Narasimha. Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar proves that he would always protect dharma and appear before those in need,” she explains. Anwesha adds she wanted to bring power and dynamism to the stage, along with potent emotions.
From Greek mythology’s Medusa to the Yoruba spirit of the storm, Oya, legends, religion, and folklore have detailed powerful goddesses and women warriors. Anwesha’s central piece was a popular Daru Varnam – Maate on the divine mother Devi. “The essence of this piece was to showcase the power and grace of Devi through stories,” she says, adding the lyrics of the melody lauded the divine mother.
Just before Anwesha wraps up her recital by touching the stage with respect, she returns to a performance dedicated to Narasimha. With an Annamacharya Kriti, she narrates the popular tale of how the half-man halfgod deity emerged from the pillar to protect his beloved devotee, Prahlada, from asura king Hiranyakashipu. “This story is like a guiding star. It gives us faith and strength as we go through life’s ups and downs. I think it’s a story that never gets old and keeps inspiring us to be brave and stay hopeful, especially in times of adversity,” she signs off.