Keeping in view the venue – Tirumala Devasthanam of Sri Venkateswara – and the Brahmotsavam period, Smt. Sindhuja and her group presented a Kuchipudi recital on Lord Vishnu and his manifestations. The performance commenced with an Annamacharya composition where Lord Venkatesa is eulogized in his human appearance, Sri Rama. In the next item, another Annamacharya composition Muddugare Yashoda, Lord is treated as a pearl of Yashoda’s – as the adorable Krishna. The episodes of marriage with Rukmini and Kalinga nartanam are delineated while presenting Krishna, the savior with various gems. In yet another Annamayya composition, Lord is worshipped as Narayana. The story of Lord Narasimha slaying Hiranyakashyapa is the crux of this composition.
The highlight of the evening’s recital was the Narayana Teertha Taranga – Mother Earth pleading to the Madhusudhana to free her from the torment she is facing by evil, just as he saved Gajendra from the clutches of a crocodile. Tarangam in Kuchipudi typically includes dancing on the rim of a brass plate. To showcase the technique and beauty of Kuchipudi, a Swara Pallavi and Thillana (with lyrics on Lord Krishna) were performed. The repertoire included the dance compositions of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam.