Ancient civilisations from across continents were all independently worshippers of the feminine divine, suggesting the dominant societal pre-occupations of community of the times, which was of fertility and sustenance.
Female divinities were viewed dichotomously as both creator/nurturers as well as fierce protectors. Such imagery over time has taken on a central role in South Asia.
The ancient Shakta tradition of worshippers of the feminine divine has over the millennia developed into a sophisticated philosophical study of psychology of human failings. Often times, the ill-understood metaphors of natural phenomena stand for astute observations on the human mind.
The Nitya Nritya Dance Ensemble has been on a journey of examining this fascinating gendered history over the last few years. We share our insights in our latest revisit – PUNAHA.
Bharatnatyam Dancers: Jyothsna Sainath, Sarayu Ramanan, Aiswarya Josyula, Parimala Maremanda, Rashmi Hungund, Srinidhi Sasidharan. Dancer bios can be found here.