MALAPPURAM
The courtyard of Kailasamandiram, the headquarters of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, witnessed a Mohiniyattam performance by Kalamandalam Aruna R. Marar on Sunday night. The dancer entertained the crowds for more than two hours with grace and bhav.
Aruna stole the heart of the crowds when she presented a Viswambara Stuthi paying obeisance to Lord Viswambhara, the deity of Arya Vaidya Sala. The Viswambara Stuthi was penned by Arya Vaidya Sala founder Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier, and it turned out to be a tribute to P.S. Varier.
“I felt so blessed to perform before Lord Viswambhara, especially on a very special day. It marked the birthday of P.S. Varier. I was so lucky and blessed to perform at Kailasamandiram on this special day,” said Aruna.
Aruna took the crowds to different phases of mythical stories through her solo Mohiniyattam concert. Although she began with a usual Ganapati hymn, her special choreography on P.S. Varier’s Viswambhara hymn struck a cordial chord with the crowds.
Aruna then moved on to Changampuzha’s popular Kavyanarthaki, before enacting the romantic scenes of Shakuntala and Dushyantan. Swati Tirunal’s famous lyrical Panimathi Mukhibale followed.
Although she put up her best performance in all dance pieces, she excelled herself in the Ajithahare lyrical from Kuchelavritham Aattakkatha. Aruna’s expressions of Kuchela’s meeting with Krishna took the show to a sublime level.
Aruna also performed Thyagaraja Swami’s Ksheera Sagara Sayana. She took about 20 minutes to portray Gajendra Moksham and Panchali Vastrakshepam. The audience had fulfilling experience when she finished the show with Swati Tirunal’s famous Dhanasree Thillana.
Aruna, who has been teaching Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kerala Natanam, and Kuchipudi for over two decades, said it was a refreshing experience after having been restricted by COVID-19. “I had my first performance after COVID-19 in January. Now, we are looking forward to livelier days,” she said.
Kalamandalam Karthikeyan provided the vocal support when Manasi was on the natuvangam. Kalamandalam Shaiju was on the mridangam, Vinod Koppam on the flute, Padmakumar Manjeri on the violin, and Kalamandalam Arun Das on the idakka.
