Late Kathak Queen Sitara Devi’s daughter Jayanti Mala inaugurated Kathakworld.com, a website dedicated to bring back the relevance and appeal of the dance to the younger new age audience through its experiential way of learning. This website would serve to be a one-stop destination for all those who are not only interested in learning the dance form, but also those who would like to know about its history, its social importance, and the potential to strengthen its footprint on a global scale.
Eeshta Bhatt, who has developed the website-Kathakworld.com as a tribute to Kathak maestro Sitara Devi on her 100th birth anniversary, says, “With the passing away of multiple Kathak icons, we have seen a gradual decline of aficionados and critics who understood the art form in its purest sense. It pained me to see the lack of interest in more traditional dance forms amongst my friends. I was really moved by the struggles of my guru and could not be an indifferent silent spectator while India’s rich slice of tradition was diminishing, slowly. Kathakworld.com will be instrumental in being a first step towards re-creating history.”
While launching the website, Ms. Jayanti Mala said, “I am extremely happy with this kind of an initiative. Through this website Kathakworld.com enthusiasts can learn about the dance form through engaging instructional videos online across the globe and reach out to wider set of audience.”
Compiling resources, books, existing content available, translating the old text into English, and through numerous conversations with her teacher Jayanti Mala, Eeshta started developing Kathakworld.com to overcome the gap in digital content available in English. Information about basic movements, positions, costumes, accessories etc. which is available online now, was not possible earlier. Kathakworld.com is a one stop solution to know all about Kathak.
