Indus Valley Times

By Banaja Routray

Mumbai: Commencing Guru Purnima celebrations at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, the first weekend of its annual programming, ‘Parampara’, saw some spectacular performances by the finest Classical music and dance artists of our country. 

The Day 2 of ‘Parampara’ was all about the magnificent beauty of Indian Classical dance. Ace Odissi dancer and Guru Ratikant Mohapatra paid a visually stunning tribute to his father, Odissi legend Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, through a neo-classical interpretation of the traditional art form.

The recital was followed by another spectacular performance by award-winning Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, who brought alive myriad nuances of the dance form.

This year’s Guru Purnima celebrations commenced at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre with an evocative second edition of its annual programming, ‘Parampara’, which honours the timeless Indian tradition of Guru-Shishya.

Speaking on the occasion, Reliance Foundation Founder & Chairperson Mrs. Nita Ambani, who has trained as a Bharatanatyam dancer since the age of 5, expressed heartfelt gratitude towards her gurus. As a lifelong student of the arts, Mrs. Nita Ambani started training under the tutelage of Guru Menaka Desai, followed by Guru Arjun Desai, and then her Gurus K. Kalayanasundaram and Mythili maami from Sri Rajarajeswari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir. At the age of 40, Guru Deepak Mazumdar reinvigorated her dedication towards mastering the artform, bringing her back to the stage. An ode to the grace of such gurus, ‘Parampara’ symbolises Mrs. Nita Ambani’s vision of preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage for the future generations.

This year, she graced the inaugural programme in an elegant white-and-gold Kasavu saree from SWADESH. Crafted by the talented artisans of Kerala over 20 days, the beautiful handloom weave with a tissue pallu, magnificent border, and intricate details of meena kari butta makes a simple but sophisticated statement.

The second edition of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre’s annual Guru-Purnima celebration ‘Parampara’ commenced with the foot-tapping showcase of ‘Ghatam Symphony’, featuring three generations of one legacy family, on Saturday. ‘Parampara’ is a realisation of Mrs. Nita Ambani’s vision of preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage among the future generations.

Immersed in the beats of ghatam – a unique Indian Classical percussion instrument – the audience witnessed a mesmerising performance by ‘Vikku’s 3G’, as Grammy winning father-son duo T.H. Vinayakram and V. Selvaganesh, along with grandson Swaminathan and 15 talented students drummed up a euphoric atmosphere inside The Grand Theatre.