On 25th February, the much awaited Gudi Sambaraalu celebrated at Sri Dharmapuri Kshetram saw a huge audience witnessing a variety of classical dance styles of South India. The invocatory vedic chanting was followed by Dr. Yashoda Thakore’s Kuchipudi nrityam – a vivid potrayal of Swagatham Krishna, a kriti of Oothukkadu Venkata Subba Iyer. Executed in thishra jathi, Adi tala, the dancer depicted young Krishna’s confrontations with the demons Mooshikasura and Chanooramalla, and then with the elephant Kuvalayapeetom, at the entrance of King Kamsa’s palace. She also interpreted seven incarnations of the Lord, who finally appears before his fervent devotee much to her elation. Next was Bhavana Gauri who performed a Bharatanatyam repertoire. The grand finale of the evening saw Smitha Madhav and group performing the Shiva Thandav – an apt offering to Lord Shiva.
Each of them entranced the audience with their own style as they delved into the bhavams of each of the compositions eliciting thunderous applause from the audience at the end.