Angika
11th February, 2018
Sanjukta Sinha, Kathak
Khilla Ramalayam, Nizamabad
In the spacious premises of the ancient Khilla ramalayam, the audience was a witness to the Kathak dancer Sanjukta Sinha’s “Angika”. As the saying goes, “Katha Kahe so Kathak”, Angika is a manifestation of the tukra, a celestial pirouette of the seasons of the heart — hope, anguish, joy and longing. The dancer and her troop took the spectators through four dance sequences – Aamad, Ghazal, Shiv Tandav and Tarana. Aamad, translating to “entry” in Persian, is the introduction of spoken rhythmic pattern into a Kathak performance. It is the guide and trendsetter. Ghazal is named after the ancient form of poetic expression and talks about the pain of separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. Shiv Tandav is an ode to Shiva’s power and divine dance set to the pulsating rhythm of Shiv Tandava Stotram. Tarana exemplifies the choreographic finesse characteristic of the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak. Technically challenging, it demands swift movements, complex intricate footwork and rapid turns. The different ragas to which the nimble footed dancers danced, were a sheer bliss and drew applause from one and all. It was a divine blend of dance and spirituality, cutting across all borders.
Artists
Sanjukta Sinha
Venue
Dichpally Ramalayam or Khilla Ramalayam is one of the ancient temples in Nizamabad. Owing to its resemblance to the Indore Khajuraho Temple, it is also called the Khajuraho of Nizamabad. It was built by the Kakatiya kings in the 14th century and is dedicated to Lord Rama. It is located on a small hillock in the middle of the village with about 100 steps to reach the temple. The entrance to the steps is graced by a decorative gateway which is richly engraved bearing the Kakatiya style of architecture. Before the main shrine, there is a large stone fort-like entrance with a small entrance. There was a fort surrounding the temple earlier and that is why it is called Khilla (Fort) Ramalayam. The temple was left incomplete and idols were installed in the 1940s.
This temple is one of the finest examples of stone architecture, built in white and black Basalt stone. It exhibits excellent craftsmanship through wonderful carvings of goddesses, animals, beautiful pillars and artistic beams of outer walls which attract large number of visitors. There are several carvings of exotic scenes from Kamasutra on the upper side of outer walls. The temple provides panoramic view of the village and fields around the lake.
