Samyog – Viyog Comes to Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre

Asavari and Living Music Society for Arts are coming together to present "Samyog - Viyog" through classical music and dance. The dance programme will be presented by Padamshri Shovana Narayan (Kathak) and Vidushi Sunanda Sharma (Classical vocal) at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on Wednesday, November 13th, 2019 from 7 pm onwards. Dr. Lavlin Thadani will be the Sutradhar (XX) at the event. Shri Pavan Varma, a former Indian Foreign Service officer and ex-Member of Parliament, will be the chief guest at the event.

The concept of Rasa is fundamental to many forms of Indian art including dance, music, musical theatre, poetry, sculpture and literature. Rasa theory deals with the emotive content of a work of art -- how it is depicted, inferred and transmitted. In classical dance arts of India, Shringara Rasa holds the most prominent place among all the nine rasas. It includes passion, anger, jealousy, fear, and love.

Shringar Rasa is mainly divided into Samyog and Viyog. The programme explores and celebrates different dimensions of Samyog-Viyog through classical music and dance.

Samyog is a powerful emotion for the evolution of human existence. It leads to union of souls through communion. The whole experience of Samyog fills heart with joy. Sunanda Sharma will explore Samyog through a thumari. It will be followed by Shovana Narayan celebrating Samyog through her kathak recital on poem by L M Singhvi.

On the other hand, Viyog happens when the excitement of union ends. It entails grief, sadness, desperation. On separation from her beloved Krishna, Radha becomes restless and is not able to sleep. She invokes God (Rama) expressing her feelings in Viyog of Krishna. This Bhav (expression) is beautifully presented through a chaiti sung by Sunanda Sharma. It is followed by illustration of Viyog in form of kathak by Shovana Narayan through two bandishes of Kunwar Shyam rolled into one item showing disappointment at non-arrival of her lover and consequent non-fulfillment in Rag Sudharai.

After going through intense pain of being in Viyog of Krishna, Radha pleads Krishna to let her immerse her consciousness into her priytam (lover) to become one with him. It is beautifully expressed by Sunanda through kajari. The love between Radha and Krishna is the supreme emotion of Shringar Rasa. Shovana joins Sunanda in rendering of this ultimate emotion through khayal "Gobind gun gaavo" in Rag Kedar.

It is impossible to think of Krishna without thinking of Radha. Indeed, it was a union of love and devotion. This unbreakable union of love with God often leads to Bhakti. When one expresses true devotion, he/she is selfless in his/her desire to please the beloved. It is thought that by loving and serving the God, one will also love and serve the Divine in everything, thus finding salvation.

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