On the evening of 15th June, the rasikas of Bangalore were immersed in a celebration of devotion. Curated by guru Padma Murali and Janani Murali, the Youth in Dance Festival has earned its place as a much-anticipated event in Bangalore’s cultural calendar. This year’s theme, Dasa Sahitya, brought together a stellar line-up of artists—Kruthika Thyagarajan, Sathvikaa Shankar, and the Padmalaya Dance Ensemble.

The dance festival offered a unique opportunity to experience the collective outpourings of Karnataka’s revered Haridasa saint-poets such as Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Vyasatirtha, Sripadaraya, and others. Drawing from this vast reservoir of devotional literature, the evening’s performances invited the audience to revel in the essence of surrender, the intimacy of longing, and the sublime beauty of divine grace.

Padmalaya Dance Ensemble

The evening commenced with a performance by the Padmalaya Dance Ensemble comprising Aninditha Ashok, Shreenithy CV, Shreya Visweswar, Kruthika, and Vishaka. The ensemble presented a visual interpretation of Madhwanama, composed by Sri Padaraja. Conceptualised and choreographed by Janani Murali, Madhwanama explores the three incarnations of Vayu  - Hanuman, Bhima, and Madhvacharya.

In his form as Hanuman, the tale of the young vanara leaping toward the sun, mistaking it for a fruit, was portrayed. Upon realizing his error, Hanuman seeks Surya as his guru and gains knowledge by walking backwards across the Earth, ensuring the Sun never sets on him —symbolizing that true wisdom never leaves a sincere seeker. These episodes were imaginatively visualised by the dancers on stage. As Bhima, Vayu incarnates once again to protect. The performance vividly depicted Bhima’s encounters—slaying the demon Bakasura, surviving attempts on his life by the Kauravas, and avenging Draupadi by killing the lustful Kichaka in her disguise. These Mahabharata episodes were brought to life with restraint and precision, avoiding exaggerated or animated dramatics. In the Kali Yuga, Vayu returns as Madhvacharya, born to dispel ignorance and guide humanity towards Maha Vishnu through knowledge and devotion.

The dancers were beautifully supported by R. Rajeev on vocals, Srihari Rangaswamy on mridangam, and Narasimhamurthy on flute. Light design by Keerthi Kumar, executed by Yonitha Jain, added visual richness and depth to the production.

Kruthika Thyagarajan

 With a commanding stage presence, Kruthika Thyagarajan presented Bandu hoda haadi, a thought-provoking work exploring the spiritual metaphor of departure and arrival. Her performance posed the question: "What if leaving wasn’t loss - but an arrival in another form?"

Beginning with the beloved Devaranama Jagadodharana, which depicted Yashoda’s blurred line between motherly love and divine realization, Kruthika layered the narrative with depth. Harshitha Vidya’s mellifluous vocals greatly enriched the presentation. Kruthika’s exploration of ‘departure’ was both philosophical and profound. Instead of focusing on physical partings, she highlighted departures in thought and ideology - the shedding of ego, status, caste, and material attachments, all of which fade before the eternal soul. Her work gently urged the audience to unshackle themselves from the arishadvargas (six enemies of the mind) and progress towards divine grace through devotion and surrender.

The work was grounded in insightful research and guidance from Acharya Raghavendra J. Prabhath. Dynamic rhythmic interplay between Sai Vamshi (on mridangam and kanjira) and the dancer brought a spirited energy, while Rakesh Dath’s flute infused emotional resonance throughout the performance. Kruthika’s tasteful costuming, props, stage setup, and lighting by Richa Das added to the overall visual appeal of the presentation.

Sathvikaa Shankar

The evening concluded with Sathvikaa Shankar’s Darshana vismayi, a production that beautifully interwove episodes from the spiritual lives of Raghavendra Swamy, Kanakadasa, and Purandara Dasa, all portrayed through their own compositions. In the first segment, Sathvikaa elaborated on the phrase Sundara Vadanane, describing the awe-inspiring five-faced form of Lord Hanuman as visualized by Raghavendra Swamy. This was followed by the iconic legend of Kanakadasa and Udupi Krishna, portrayed with remarkable sensitivity and quiet intensity.

The final segment delved into a lesser-known story from the life of Purandara Dasa. In a moment of misunderstanding, the saint strikes Lord Vittala, who had taken the form of his disciple to serve him. Later, in divine jest, Vittala, disguised as Purandara Dasa, gifts a golden bracelet to a woman, resulting in the saint being wrongly punished. This episode highlighted the playful reciprocity and deep affection between the devotee and the Divine.

Choreographed by Sathvikaa Shankar under the artistic direction of Anitha Guha, the production also benefited from scholarly inputs by Suchithra Balasubramanian. True to the title Darshana Vismayi, Sathvikaa’s performance was a true visual treat. With grace, poise, and apt characterisations, she brought each story to life. Sridhar Vasudevan’s soul-stirring music and nattuvangam, on a recorded track, elevated the experience to a realm of unblemished devotion.

Each performance specially curated for Youth in Dance 2025 reaffirmed the timeless relevance of 'Dasa Sahitya', inviting the audience into a space where dance, poetry, and bhakti converged.

Photo Credits: Temple Sounds, Bangalore.