Maheswara
19th November, 2019
Trikayaa Dance Company
Rakesh Sai Babu, Mayurbhanj Chhau
Priya Srinivasan, Bharatnatyam
Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple, Srisailam
Trikaaya Dance Company presented “Maheswara” – an amalgamation of two classical dances – Mayurbhanj Chhau by Rakesh Sai Babu and Bharatnatyam by Priya Srinivas and troupe against the backdrop of Sri Mallikarjuna temple. The Chhau dance is a vibrant form of dance from eastern India that incorporates elements of martial arts into its movements. The dancers performed a repertoire that explored the divine glories of Lord Shiva – the serpent around his neck, the crescent moon on his head, the holy river Ganga flowing from his matted hair, the 3rd eye on his forehead, the Trishul as his weapon and the Damaru. SHiva is seens as the benelovent God, in tune with the world around him. The vibrant music characterized by the rhythm of indigenous drums – the Dhol, Dhumsa and Kharka and, the melody of the mohuri and Shehnai kept the crowd enthralled.
Artists
Trikayaa Dance Company
Venue
The legend is that Kumar Kartikeya, the younger son of Lord Shiva once got angry and came to the Kronch Hills from Kailash. Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati came here and stayed on with the name Arjun and Mallika. Thus the place and the temple were called Mallikarjun.
The shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna, picturesquely situated on a flat top of Nallamalai Hills, Srisailam is reputed to be one of the most ancient kshetras in India. It is on the right side of the River Krishna in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh. This celebrated mountain is also named as Siridhan, Srigiri, Sirigiri, Sriparvatha and Srinagam. It has been a popular centre of Saivite pilgrimage for centuries.
The presiding Deities of this kshetram, Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy, is one of the twelve Jyothirlingas and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi is one of the eighteen Mahasakthis and both are self-manifested. The unique feature of this kshetram is the combination of Jyothirlingam and Mahasakthi in one campus, which is very rare and only one of its kind.
The Mallikarjuna Linga is accessible to each and every devotee and anybody can go into the sanctum sanctorum of Mallikarjuna, touch him and perform Abhishekam and Archana himself to recitation of Mantras by Archakas without caste or creed or religion.
