Tumkur (Karnataka) based Bharatanatyam duo, Dr T.S. Sagar and Ratika Sagar, was the only husband and wife duo to be featured in the recently concluded five days Girnar Festival in Jungadh, Gujarat, jointly organised by Patel Cultural Foundation and Patel Kelavani Mandal at their open air auditorium in the Bhalodia School Ground.
Dr TS Sagar said “We were very happy to be invited to perform for the prestigious national festival known as Girnar festival that attracts the attention of several performers from India and overseas, particularly youngsters. We were delighted to see the posters in the venue and also we were bestowed with the Girnar Ratna title which means a lot for us as we hardly get any exposure in states like Gujarat or Rajasthan, I suppose our performance would pave way for many festivals all over India, particularly the northern belt. I once again express my gratitude to the organisers.”
The Sagars are Founding Director of Sai Raman Kendra in Tumkur that imparts training in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. Several aspirants have been learning classical arts for the past few decades and the Kendra regularly organises annual shows to encourage youngsters and also to enhance the popularity of classical dance and music. Dr Sagar and Ratika have already won praises and honours for their continued devotion to divine art forms.
In the brief performance at the Girnar Festival the duo performed the Swati Thirunal Kriti – ‘Nrityathi Samba Shivoham” that incorporated the glory and grandeur of Lord Shiva as the cosmic dancer, the Lord of creation, preservation and destruction. In the Kannada composition “Namma Karuna Dikayo” the dancers portrayed the ardent devotion of the teenage Markandeya who was to be snatched away by Lord Yama but his devotion for Lord Shiva ultimately pays off when he holds onto the Shiva Linga and is protected by his divine grace and is saved from the clutches of death. It was sheer pleasure to watch the duo dancing with fine synchronisation and also while enacting varied roles, as they complimented and supplemented each other, creating a rare spectacle of artistic and aesthetic quality. Creating a lasting impression on the audience. Dr Sagar and Ratika deserves to be seen more often in other prestigious festivals.
