The two faces of Navratri

(From left) Aparajita Sarma; Abhinaya Nagajothy

Back in July, when we had just started warming up to digital shows, New Delhi-based Bharatanatyam dancer Aparajita Sarma, PR and manager of Society for the Upliftment of National Arts of India (SUNAINA), noted that there was "too much of art, but no real economics behind it". "So, we started a monthly online festival, Ranga, with a low fee to give artistes a stage, remuneration and provide people with quality art," she says. And now, in its Navratri edition, Ranga, in collaboration with artiste aggregator Artkhoj, will showcase the dual aspects of the festival with performances by Sarma and Kuchipudi dancer Abhinaya Nagajothy.

Sarma, the daughter of renowned danseuse Guru Kanaka Sudhakar, shares that Navratri is not just about Goddess Durga, but also about the different avatars of Lord Vishnu. "I will present the story of Goddess Kamakshi, a form of Durga, through a swarajathi composed by 18th century poet Sri Syama Sastri. Kama means love and compassion, and akshi means eye. In this composition, the poet depicts his devotion to Kamakshi as his mother, and urges her to come and bless him," she explains. Nagajothy will meanwhile describe the exuberance of Lord Vishnu through a composition titled Keertanam Emani Pogadudume, she tells us.

On October 23, 7 pm
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