AT GREAVES WE HAVE A LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF LEADING EXPERTS THROUGHOUT INDIA WITH A RANGE OF INTERESTS AND SPECIALTIES.
HERE WE INTERVIEW DR REKHA TANDON A LEADING VOICE IN IN ODISSI DANCE AND ITS ROOTS IN YOGA, TANTRIC RITUAL AND ODISHAN TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE, AVAILABLE FOR SPECIAL INTEREST TOURS TO ODISHA AND BEYOND.
1. What has inspired you & can you give a brief outline of your interest, and lifelong study with the Odissi style of classical Indian dance?
When I first visited Odishan temples around Bhubaneswar as a teenage dance student from New Delhi, I felt my whole being drawn back by many centuries! I had been training in Odissi for a few years already, and had tasted the delicious feel of its lyrical movements, melodies, rhythms and sensual-devotional energy towards an enchanting flute playing Krishna in my dance classes, with a sense of always entering a magic world. Here on the temple walls was a whole universe of Gods, Goddesses, semi-divine beings, musicians, acrobats and dancers, pulsating with these movements in present time. I was entranced. Odisha and its temples have, to this day, a central place in my heart and mind, and continue to feed my engagement with dance as a form of devotion, and now also as embodied tantric self-enquiry, which I teach as ‘Dance as Yoga’.
2. Is this classical dance still thriving in temples today?
Odissi stopped being a formal temple ritual supported by the state in the 16th century, with the final defeat of the last great Hindu kingdom in the region. This turn of events coincided with the flowering of the bhakti movement in the religious consciousness of Odisha which believed that elaborate temple rituals were not required to attain enlightenment. The best and fastest way to God was through singing, dancing and self-surrender. This allowed elements of the temple dance ritual to remain alive for the next four centuries amongst the people as devotional songs, rhythmic pneumonic syllables, myths, mudras and movements, which found their way into several folk performing arts.
Not long after Indian Independence in 1947, a concerted effort was made to use these living resources along with old manuscripts on dance and music, and sculptural imagery on temples to recreate a ‘classical temple dance’ distinct to Odisha. Odissi’s founding Gurus were particularly inspired by the sublime sensuality of the languorous maiden motif or alasakanya on temple walls, and sought to bring her spirit alive in their choreography. This endeavour has continued through successive generations of their students ever since.
3. Can you please explain a little about the types of tours you are able to provide. What would you be able to cover with our clients for say 2 to 3 days in Odisha? Or for those with more time and interest what could they expect?
In India, art and the Gods have been inextricably interlinked for centuries. Odisha went through different religious and artistic phases in the mainstream religion patronised by its rulers, leaving behind beautiful artifacts from before the start of this millennium. There was Jainism and Buddhism, which gave way to the worship of the Hindu Shiva, then Shakti arrived along with a retinue of Mother Goddesses worshipped among forest communities. This led to a flowering of Tantrism where temple dance became an integral part of mainstream religion, and finally there was a merger of all existing religious streams under the banner of Lord Jagannath, who was the Hindu Vishnu as the presiding ‘God-king’ of the entire region.
There are several layers and bye lanes to this story, and depending on individual interests and the time available, we explore different facets of this history by visiting archaeological sites and reading them for their changes in architecture and sculpture, along with exploring the living traditions of dance and handicrafts that still thrive in Odisha today.
4. Which are the cities that you like to focus on and are you able to explore the ways these cities have evolved today?
We will focus on Bhubaneswar, Konark and Puri, and also visit some sites in the countryside between them. Bhubaneswar’s Old Town has 1000 years of temple building all within a small area so the changes in philosophical and religious thought over time is very clear to see. Konark has the magnificent Sun Temple, dedicated to Vishnu as Surya, with an entire structure created for the performance of dance and music to celebrate the military victory of King Narasimhadev Ganga who built it in the form of a chariot driven by seven horses on 24 wheels, by the Bay of Bengal. Puri is a bustling pilgrim town where Lord Jagannath continues to reign in people’s hearts even now, drawing ardent devotees from around the world. The town is surrounded by villages that have spent centuries in the service of the temple through their ritual traditions of painting, sculpture, palm leaf etchings, papier-mache, applique, sholapith flower decorations, among other things. This is where we will also visit and interact with Gotipua dancers who continue to perform during the famous Rath Yatra once a year.
5. Are the temples in this tour still practicing temples, will guests get to see any of the dances, or temple rituals during the tour?
Many of the temples we will visit have local people coming there for daily worship that can be witnessed, but unfortunately the pilgrim sites of Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar and Jagannath Temple in Puri require you to be Hindu to enter.
We will, however, meet Gotipua dancers in their village gurukuls (some of whom were part of my repertory company for ten years) and depending on the tour dates, also attend performances of Odissi staged by Odisha Tourism at some major temple sites.
6. Is there a particular cuisine that guests will experience on their journey?
Yes, Odisha has its own distinctive dishes that can be experienced in both the hotels, as well as at local restaurants, and for those with an adventurous spirit, the Lingaraj and Jagannath temples continue to offer different kinds of bhog for the deities, which can be tasted by visitors outside the temple.
7. If guests wished to extend their tour with you beyond Puri, Bhubaneswar are there other parts of the state, or the south that you do accompanied tours to?
We don’t ourselves, but we can make suggestions. Odisha is a rich melting pot of religions, cultures and communities. Apart from Hindu temple sites, there are some exquisite Buddhist sites less than a two-hour drive from Bhubaneswar that are well worth a visit. There is also a vibrant tribal (Adivasi) culture in its forested hinterlands, for which the Tribal Museum in Bhubaneswar is a good starting point. And for nature lovers, the Simlipal National Park (a tiger and elephant reserve) and the Bhitarkanika National Park (a mangrove forest) towards the north of Odisha, and Chilika Lake (home to thousands of migratory birds) in the south are very rewarding destinations. However, when going into such areas, visitors should be properly protected against malaria etc.
8. Are there other artforms, or local crafts that will be seen when travelling through this region?
In the metropolitan areas, Odishan ikat textiles as well as its silver filigree jewellery are very distinctive and beautiful, as are its painting traditions on palm leaf and silk. Papier mache, basket work and fabric applique are among some other crafts special to the region.
The tribal communities have wonderful brass and beaded jewellery, and their own tribe-specific weaving and embroidery traditions on textile, basket making and ritual painting on the walls of mud homes. They also both grow and gather, delicious fruits, grains, medicinal plants and spices.
There will be many opportunities for shopping and browsing in local markets selling such items along the way.
9. Your husband also has experience in travel and accompanies you on the tours, what is his experience and interests that he is able to share?
My partner Michael Weston has always loved raw nature and spent many years travelling and documenting the music traditions of different tribal communities in Odisha. He was keenly interested in investigating the origins of music in the region and looking for the sounds of instruments seen in temple sculpture. He has used these elements in the soundscapes he created for the performance work we did over a ten-year period with our repertory company, while living in Odisha. He has also done extensive video and photographic documentation of temple architecture, sculpture, Gotipua and tribal life.
10. Currently you live in Tamil Nadu – are you able to give guided day tours in your charming home city of Pondicherry? If so, what are the highlights?
We are at Skandavan in the forested Auroville bio-region, which is within the Tamil Nadu State boundary. Pondicherry (or Puducherry) is not part of Tamil Nadu but a separate Union Territory contiguous with it, and borders are imperceptibly crossed several times a day when living in this area! Guided day tours are certainly possible, which Michael usually leads.
The French quarter of Puducherry is six kms away from us and has its unique French-Tamil architecture, along with what remains of the old Tamil trading community’s dwellings. Cafes and restaurants abound, as well as a variety of boutiques, shops and galleries. Several heritage buildings are now converted into hotels.
This French quarter also has the ashram established by the great 20th century saint, Sri Aurobindo, his samadhi site with that of his spiritual companion The Mother, Mira Alfassa, as well as various outlets for handicrafts and products made by the ashram. In between are some wonderful churches, cathedrals and to one side overlooking the Bay of Bengal, the Promenade with its rock beach which many local residents use for socialising along with their early morning and evening walks.
Auroville itself is a major tourist attraction. Its centre is marked by an amazing banyan tree beside the spherical-gold Matrimandir, designed for meditation on Light. There is a Visitors Centre with permanent exhibitions on the Integral Yoga teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, as well as restaurants, cafes and boutiques selling a wide range of designer-eco-conscious products made in the international community living here, ranging from clothing, accessories, home décor, furniture and foods.
