The six seasons have long served as a profound source of artistic inspiration, influencing poets, musicians, dancers, and visual artists in countless ways. This year, Natyarangam, the dance wing of Narada Gana Sabha, marked its 26th year of presenting thematic dance festivals by selecting seasons as the central theme. Both senior and emerging dancers were invited to conceptualise, create, and present original choreographic works inspired by the seasons, showcasing their artistic interpretations in this special edition of the festival.

Titled Rithu Bharatham, the series showcased six dancers who delved into the diverse emotions, experiences, colours, and textures that each season evokes, all expressed through the medium of Bharatanatyam. This year's festival was held in memory of Natyacharya C.V. Chandrasekhar.

The festival inauguration began with an award ceremony in the presence of historian and environmentalist Nanditha Krishna, the chief guest for the occasion [see Box]. Following the inauguration, scholar and festival resource person Sudha Seshayyan delivered an engaging lecture on the origin of the seasons (rithus).

Excerpts from the presentation

The concept of "Rithu" (seasons) dates back to the Vedic period and was used in the Vedic calendar to denote specific periods to perform certain yagnas. The term rithu, she said, is derived from "Ritha," meaning order or the inherent orderliness of nature. The lecture further emphasised that "Rithu" is not just a marker of time but also a reflection of the moral and natural order of the universe. The Vedas highlight the symbiosis between nature and morality, suggesting that tampering with the natural cycle (for example, through human actions like climate change) can be catastrophic. She iterated on how the seasons are important and not the calendar. Ritha, the cosmic order, underpins this idea and extends beyond the physical seasons to moral conduct and societal balance. To disrupt the seasons is to disrupt the universe's balance, a message that resonates strongly in today's context of environmental degradation.