Bala Devi Chandrashekar presented her thematic Bharatanatyam production, “Mauli: A Timeless Tradition,” at Kalakshetra in Chennai [1, 2].
The performance bridges classical dance with regional spiritual history, bringing the cultural heritage of Maharashtra to a prominent South Indian stage. By translating a specific pilgrimage into the language of Bharatanatyam, the work explores how traditional arts can preserve and communicate ancient religious practices.
Chandrashekar, an internationally acclaimed Bharatanatyam exponent, scholar, and professor of practice, used the production to recreate the pilgrimage to Pandharpur [1, 2]. The work focuses on the Varkari tradition, a spiritual movement with a history spanning 800 years [1]. Through a series of thematic sequences, the performance depicts the journey of devotees as they travel toward the temple of Lord Vitthal.
The production aims to artistically capture the spiritual essence of the Varkari pilgrimage [1, 2]. This tradition is characterized by its inclusive nature, and the collective journey of the Varkaris, who sing hymns and dance in devotion. Chandrashekar used the technical rigor of Bharatanatyam to mirror the emotional and physical trajectory of these pilgrims.
By staging the work at Kalakshetra, a premier institution for Indian classical arts, the production highlights the intersection of different regional traditions within India. The performance serves as an exploration of timeless cultural heritage through a disciplined artistic lens [1, 2].
“Bala Devi Chandrashekar presented her thematic Bharatanatyam production, “Mauli: A Timeless Tradition,” at Kalakshetra in Chennai.”
The production of 'Mauli' represents a cross-regional cultural synthesis, using the South Indian classical form of Bharatanatyam to interpret the Marathi Varkari tradition. This suggests a broader trend in the performing arts where classical dancers move beyond standard repertoire to document and preserve specific folk and spiritual histories, ensuring that regional traditions like the Pandharpur pilgrimage are archived through high-art performance.
