Magical evening

And all we could do was stare in utter awe before melodies from four great musicians embraced our ears…this was the mood for Season 2 of 'Triveni - Music & Dance Festival'.
Ojas Adhiya
Ojas Adhiya
Updated on
3 min read

HYDERABAD: The sound of her jingling ghungroos put us all in a deep trance as she gracefully showed us her hasthaks (hand movements), energetically tapped her feet, and dreamily whirled — she was stunning, her golden churidhar glistening in the spotlight.

And all we could do was stare in utter awe before melodies from four great musicians embraced our ears…this was the mood for Season 2 of 'Triveni - Music & Dance Festival'. Organised by Surmandal, the festival captured the hearts of everyone in Ravindra Bharathi.

The programme kicked off with the kathak recital by danseuse Mukti Shri Mukku, who was accompanied by Akshay Kulkarni on the tabla, Krushna Salunke on the pakhawaj, Suranjan Khandolkar as the vocalist, Yashwant Thitte on the harmonium, and Anvi Shri rendering the padhant (recitation).

After a graceful aamad (entrance) and salami (salutation of the audience), Mukti Shri started off with the Rama Bandhana, an invocation to Lord Rama. A powerful thaat — a stylised pose that helps the dancer settle on stage — was followed by deft footwork in perfect synchrony with the padhant, taking our breaths away.

Mukti Shri did not just display her expertise in the dance form; holding the mike in her hands, she went on to explain exactly what she had just done, helping the uninitiated understand better. This was followed by Taal Pancham Sawari, a 15-beat cycle that only experts can perform. Ah, what footwork, what hasthaks, what grace — and she didn’t even break a sweat, just seamlessly flowing from one movement to the next.

She concluded her performance with two bandishes in Raag Abhogi — Sapne Mein Aaye Shaam (You came in my dreams Krishna) and Laaj Rakho Mori (Please take care of my dignity). While she whimsically depicted a playful Radha in the first bandish, her demeanour and expressions turned melancholic when she depicted Meera in the second bandish. Needless to say, we were moved.

Patri Satish Kumar
Patri Satish Kumar

The air then changed from an energetic joviality to a calmness akin to the seashore, setting the tone for a chaugalabandi (four-musician performance) by Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan on the sitar, Shashank Subramanyam on the flute, Ojas Adhiya on the tabla, and Patri Satish Kumar on the mridangam.

The performance featured a composition set in a 7-beat Rupak Tal, unfolding with delicate intricacies that highlighted the contemplative mood of Raag Charukeshi. This was followed by a soulful piece set in a 16-beat Teental, where the expansive rhythmic structure allowed the musicians to explore intricate taans (improvised vocal phrases) and melodic elaborations.

The audience thoroughly relished the performance, wishing for more and more. It concluded with a 16-beat Drut Teental composition in Raag Bhairavi, showcasing the virtuosity of the maestros — vibrant and electrifying indeed.

“This was such a well-organised event. Even though I am not a trained singer or dancer, just watching Mukti ji and the veteran musicians perform evoked emotions I cannot even explain,” said Shivani, one of the attendees.

Siddharth Hemmadi, president of Surmandal, said he was overwhelmed by the support from the audience. “My father, Mohan Hemmadi, contributed greatly to music and culture globally. He started Surmandal 55 years ago to serve music. He conceptualised Triveni to honour three great legends — Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi, and MS Subbulakshmi. After he passed away recently, I saw it as my duty to continue this. But slowly, it is turning into a passion, and I am enjoying my journey with Surmandal. We will organise many more wonderful events like this,” he expressed.

Indeed, both our eyes and ears were pleased. We went home feeling blessed, amazed, and peaceful — yes, perhaps this is what heaven feels like.

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