PunarIKSaNa
- Nirvikalpa
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Performance Review – Medha Srigiri at Arulmigu Mallikeshwarar Temple, Pradosham Series
On September 5th, 2025, the Pradosham Series at Arulmigu Mallikeshwarar Temple featured a Kuchipudi recital by Medha Srigiri, a practitioner of the Vempati bani with over 17 years of training. For many in the audience, this was their first encounter with Kuchipudi, and the evening unfolded as both an introduction and an invitation into its unique blend of rhythm, storytelling and devotion.
The performance opened with Lakshmi Praveśam from Ksheera Sagara Madhanam, choreographed by the legendary Vempati Chinna Satyam. Medha brought to life the grandeur of the churning of the ocean and the serene emergence of Goddess Lakshmi, her movements reflecting both cosmic energy and divine grace. Her dancing here carried a sense of poise and strength that immediately drew the audience into the narrative.
This was followed by the ever-engaging Tarangam Govardhana Giridhara from Krishna Leela Tarangini. The piece sparkled with contrasts — Krishna’s playful mischief in Yashoda’s courtyard and his majestic lifting of Govardhana to shelter the villagers. Medha danced with delightful expressiveness, capturing both the charm of Krishna’s leelas and the grandeur of his divine protection. The choreography’s rhythmic vibrancy and narrative appeal made it instantly accessible, drawing smiles and nods from an audience that was meeting Kuchipudi’s idiom for the first time.
The concluding item, Pralaya Payodhijale from Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, traced the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Each avatar was rendered with clarity, from the gentle Matsya to the fierce Narasimha and the yet-to-come Kalki. Here, Medha danced with stamina and precision, bringing dramatic power to the verses and culminating in the trademark brass plate sequence that delighted the crowd.
What stood out across the evening was the vibrancy of the repertoire. Each item was chosen thoughtfully, ensuring that even those unfamiliar with the language could feel the narrative, the rhythm and the spirit of the performance. The audience, which might otherwise have been a passing Pradosham crowd, stayed from start to finish — a testament to how well the pieces connected.
Beyond individual items, the recital affirmed something larger — that art knows no regional or linguistic boundaries. In a Tamil-speaking temple space, a Kuchipudi performance in Telugu verse found resonance, uniting strangers through shared experience. It was a gentle reminder of why initiatives like the Pradosham Series matter: they create spaces where art, devotion, and community meet, leaving the audience with not just memory, but meaning.
