Preethi Sriram
By Preethi Sriram
This article is inspired from attending the dance show “The Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim,” by Raneee & Aparna Ramaswamy’s Ragamala Dance Company. It was presented at the American Dance Festival, at The Reynolds Industries Theater at Duke on July 6, 2022. This article is a personal interpretation of the artistic masterpiece from the perspective a “Rasika” or enjoyer of the Indian arts.
Mother Ganga, or the Ganges, has been a holy site and a place of pilgrimage for those who wish to see the city for its rituals and to feel the presence of the divine mother. Mother Ganga is said to have descended through the matted locks of Shiva, where the flow originates from Vishnu. Mother Ganga washes the sins of those who bathe in her waters. Adi Shankaracharya wrote in the well-known Bhaja Govindam that to drink just a drop of the Ganges, and worship Govinda, and the individual will have no issues with death. From cradle to ashes, Mother Ganga nurtures the soul through its various cycles.
How can we invoke the divine Mother’s blessings for washing us from our sins as a mother would wash a child so lovingly who goes outside and plays in dirt and comes home to be enveloped in the love of Mother, just as Krishna so played the naughty child and Yashoda lovingly disciplined baby Krishna?
How can divine Mother help us to not only bear and endure, but understand, and transcend the concepts of Samsara? How to reach Mother Ganga? Do we have to take a physical journey to the banks of the Varanasi to be able to feel her presence?
Philosophies in Sanatana Dharma say no: we do not have to go anywhere- Mother is here if we meditate on her. But that leaves a conundrum for the seeker- How to meditate? Who will teach to meditate? What Guru to seek? How long to sit with Mother? It is hard to sit still even for a few minutes Mother as the mind wanders here and there- how to control this mind, so fickle in its ways?
This is where the arts are but one medium to seek Mother Ganga where the arts and the artists become the Gurus to guide the new practitioner in their endeavor. The Gurus of dance and music, the Raneee & Aparna Ramaswamy’s Ragamala Dance Company, created by a Mother and Daughter dance team, may be the spiritual guide to take us on a journey to Varanasi.
How does the music of the spiritual Varanasi sound? What is the celestial music of the land? Hear the chimes of the bells to call in the divinities. Feel the beat and the bols of the mridangam. Listen to the flute- The enchanting flute of the cowherd Krishna. Hear the intricate jathis from the musical instrument of the dancer’s feet tied with salangai, tapping to a rhythmic beat of worship.
What does spiritual Varanasi look like? – see the blooming of the flowers. See the bee take the nectar from the various flowers, of all colors, which are all rich in shades and beautiful and unique, just as all people. See the trees, blessed by the Divine Mother, glorious in weight from the fruit and flowers. When it rains, how beautiful! The dark clouds are a representation of the beauty of the divine Krishna, Neela Megha Shymalan.
What are the devotees doing? Watch as they perform the Surya Namaskar on the banks of the river Ganga to greet the morning, as they calm their mind to start the cycle of the day. Watch as they bathe in the Holy waters of the Ganga to purify themselves and to learn their connection of the Atma to the Parabrahman.
Mother Ganga flows through the matted locks of Shiva, or Gangadara Shankara. Shiva- Bho Shambo/Shiva Shambo Swaymbho. Shiva who is also known as Nataraja- The Divine King and Guru of Dance who mercifully taught the divine dance to Bharatha Muni to help the people of earth to stop fighting and to learn dharma. Shiva, who wears ashes and is found in the crematoriums. Shiva who forgives easily and has the forces of spirits known as Bhutha Ganas. Shiva, the devotee of Vishnu, helping the souls to find Vishnu. Dhimi tha Dhimi tha Dhimi Dhimi Kita Thaka Thom: Watch the awe-inspiring dance of Shiva.
Mother Ganga- Your presence is felt. Your divine love is here and is everywhere. You are showering us with your divine love and mercy. Mookam karothi vachalam: With the grace of Mother Ganga, Shiva, and the ultimate mercy of Vishnu, the fool is now a poet. Mother Ganga is washing me, and I am one of her children.
And the stage goes dark: The dancers take a bow. We applaud. The meditation was nearly 85 minutes. I am overjoyed. The Gurus of dance and music have taught me how to meditate.
Preethi Sriram is a classical Indian dance enthusiast and lifelong learner of dance. Contact: SriramPreethi@hotmail.com
