In the 19th century, legendary poet Mirza Ghalib travelled to Benaras and mesmerised by its beauty penned an ode to the ancient city describing it as a beautiful damsel draped in the warm glow of a rising sun.
The ancient Persian masterpiece "Kaba of Hindostan" was enacted here in "Chiragh-e-Dair" a mystical fusion of poetry and dance by veteran Kathak guru Shovana Narayan late last evening.
The dance ballet, first performed by Narayan in 1996 is part of the annual performing arts festival 'Lalit Arpan Samman' organised by Narayan and Jyotsana Suri under the aegis of the former's repertory Asavari Society.
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The dance recital was followed by a santoor recital by Pt. Satish Vyas with Pt Ram Kumar Mishra on the tabla and music by Pt. Jwala Prasad. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan was present in the audience.
The ballet was the result of a discussion on Ghalib between Narayan and late Urdu poet Ali Sardar Jafri, who translated the ode in Hindi. The Kathak guru describes it as something that she fell in love with at once.
"In 1996 me and Ali Sardar Zafri were discussing about Mirza Ghalib and the way in which he saw Benaras like a beautiful damsel, the morning sun is her 'Bindi'. It was amazing, the whole simile, I just fell in love and that's how it came about. I got the poem and made it into a dance form," Narayan told PTI.
Talking about the choreography of the ballet, Narayan said that poetry has also been an essential part of dance since it gives the texture it needs.
"Dance has always had poetry in it, it has been closely interlinked with philosophy, with poetry, with painting because dance in a way sculpts out figures and paints figures with emotions on the canvas which is the space. The shabds, poetry, intros gives that beautiful texture to it," she said.
Eminent Hindi litterateur Namwar Singh, artists Krishen Khanna and Naresh Kapuria, Odissi dancer Sharon Lowen and Bharatnatyam dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy were also present among the audience.
