Vids. Archana & Aarathi present a Sapta Vidanga Stala kriti of Dr Rukmini Ramani – Nagapatinam- Paara Vaara Tharanga Natanam in Ragam Lathangi set to Adi (2 kalai) Talam in a concert on Dr Rukmini Ramani’s Compositions.
Vid. Madan Mohan – Violin
Vid. Kumbakonam Swaminathan – Mridangam
Vid. Sunil Kumar – Kanjira
The Saptavidangathalams are a group of seven temples in Tamil Nadu, India that are dedicated to Lord Shiva and are known for their emphasis on dance. The temples are believed to house unchiseled idols of Lord Shiva, and each temple has a unique name for the dance performed by the deity.
The processional deity in these temples is Thyagaraja or Somaskanda Murti. Each Murti has a special name and is known to perform a unique dance during processions.
When the deity is carried in a pallak, or palanquin, it is not a straight procession where people simply walk carrying the deity in a palanquin, as we might usually imagine. It is a dance procession where the people perform special dance movements while carrying the deity in the pallak. Every Vidangar is associated with a peculiar and unique nadanam or dance form that has a spiritual meaning attached to it.
Nagai Kayaroganeswarar:
Name of the Siva lingam: Sundara Vidangar
Dance form: Paara Vaara Tharanga natanam
Shiva is worshipped as Kayaroganeswarar. Here, the dance is like the waves of the ocean – Paara Vaara Tharanga nadanam. Kadal alai konjiyum varum, seeriyum varum. The waves can be soft and playful, or they can be wild and raging. When the deity is taken on a procession in a pallak, the people who carry the pallak enact these dance movements – the movements of waves in an ocean. Hence Nataraja’s dance at this sthalam resembles waves – small waves and big waves. The people who carry the pallak would know the procedure as to how to coordinate each of their movements so as to bring about this dance motion.
Dr Rukmini Ramani has composed kritis on all Sapta Vidangars.
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