Dazzling Bharatanatyam Rangapravesam by Indian American Teen Varshini Nagam at Sacramento

NRI high school 11th grade girl Varshini Nagam Bharatanatyam Rangapravesham program was held with impressiveness at Harris Center Theater at Folsom, California State – USA on August 18th 2024. Varshini has been interested in dance since childhood. Varshini was trained in Bharatanatyam from the age of 6 under the tutelage of Guru Smt. Hema Satyanarayanan. Varshini embarked on Bharatnatyam debut. These days, when there is little patronage for the ancient dance arts, the performance of this Telugu dynamism of Bharatanatyam is thoroughly entertaining. Varshini mesmerized the audience for almost three hours with her gestures and dance poses. 

Varshini perform Varnam – Mathe Malayadwaja, a composition of Sri H.N. Muttayyah Bhagavatar. The phrase Mathe Malayadwaja itself means "Mother with the flag of the mountains" in Sanskrit, symbolizing the divine feminine force. This Varnam is a unique composition as it consists of two different sets of sahityas. One being a poetry describing King Malayadwaja Pandya, and the other featuring Solkattu Swaras. For this varnam, Varshini showcased two sancharis. The first sanchari tells the story of how Lord Ganesha was born. Goddess Parvati creates a little boy out of turmeric and sets him to guard while she takes a shower. When Lord Shiva arrives and tries to enter, the boy refuses to let him pass. In his anger, Shiva beheads the boy. Parvati, devastated, demands her son to be brought back to life. Shiva, realizing his mistake, places an elephant's head on the boy, and hence the boy was called Ganesha. This sanchari is particularly special to Varshini and her family, as her great-grandfather, Sri Bonam Anjaneyulu Garu, wrote the story and was the production executive for the classic Telugu movie "Vinayaka Vijayam," which depicts the birth of Lord Ganesha. The second sanchari portrays the fierce battle where Goddess Kalika Devi, an avatharam (or incarnation) of Goddess Parvathi, kills the demon Raktabeeja. Raktabeeja had the ability to reproduce from every single drop of his blood that touches the ground. As he fought, each drop of blood that fell spawned another demon, making him nearly invincible. Kalika Devi, in her wrathful form, consumed all his blood before it could touch the ground, ultimately vanquishing him and restoring peace.The exquisite footwork and scintillating beats Varshini demonstrated for this varnam had the audience applauding repeatedly. 

On this occasion, distinguished guests on the stage: Folsom City Council Member Mr. Chalamcharla Edukondalu said that the youth must continue the legacy of dance which is a part of Indian tradition. Rancho Cordova City Planning Commissioner Mr. Surender Devarapalli said that Bharatanatyam can bring balance to life and the power to harmonize emotions better. Bhaskar Vempati, the founder of Suvidha International Foundation, said that the youth of this generation should have access to some form of art. Mr. Vempati said that it causes decidedly good changes in their personality. They felicitated Varshini Nagam and presented her with certificates of appreciation. Varshini Nagam was given a certificate of appreciation from the office of California State Legislator Josh Hoover and US Congressman Kevin Kelly. Varshini was congratulated on the occasion of her Bharatanatyam debut and also appreciated her for achieving a junior certificate in the ‘SiliconAndhra Sampada' program. On behalf of 'Sampada' liaison Mrs. Shanti Konda, the organizers have presented an appreciation certificate signed by “SiliconAndhra Founder and Chairman Mr. Anand Kuchibhotla”.

With this program under the guidance of the local Kalashraya dance school, the famous Guru Smt. Hema Satyanarayanan was congratulated for completing 10 Bharatanatyam Rangapravesam programs. On this occasion and acknowledging Guru Hema's Bharatanatyam training skills, Folsom City Councilor Mr. Chalancharla Edukondalu awarded her certificates of appreciation on stage amid loud cheers. Guru Hema also received appreciation certificates from California State Legislator Josh Hoover, and US National Congressman Kevin Kelly on the occasion of completing her 10th Rangapravesham as Guru.

During Rangapravesam, Varshini popularly performed a variety of Bharatanatyam dances at the Harris Center Theatre. Varshini gave a treat to the audience during her Rangapravesam: She danced for pushpanjali, alarippu, jatiswaram, varnam, Sivastuti and thillana songs. More than five hundred Sacramento Indian Americans and friends attended the event and congratulated Varshini. The program started with the prayer song of Ganesha sung by Vishruth Nagam, the elder brother of Varshini. On this occasion, Vishruth Nagam sang Ekadantaya Vakrathundaya, Anandamruthakarshini and Annamayya Keertana "Srimannarayana" melodiously on the stage. Vishruth Nagam performed his Rangapravesam in Carnatic music in Vijayawada at the age of 15 in 2018. It is a rare thing that two children from the same expatriate family make their debut in different disciplines within six years, and with this inspiration, expatriates should introduce traditional Indian arts to their children. In this way, many have suggested that the Indian art tradition will surely spread beyond the country and abroad. 

This Bharatanatyam Ranga Pravesham performance features Sri Sai Rathina Sabhapati on vocals, Sri Gajendran Ganesan on mridangam, Sri Radhakrishnan Selvaprasad on violin, Sri Kadapa Raghavendran on flute and Sacramento local teen Vishal Venkateswaran on Kanjira. Varshini said that it was Guru Srimati Hema Satyanarayan who taught her Bharatanatyam education with love. Varshini said, "I would like to express my humble gratitude to my parents, brother, dear guests, the audience who watched the Bharatanatyam Rangapravesam performance, and the orchestra who supported me.” On this occasion, many artworks and pictures showing the excellence of Bharatanatyam, and India’s rich culture were displayed in the lobby of the Harris Center Theater and impressed the audience. The Bharatanatyam Rangapravesam event was completed with an authentic Telugu dinner served by the local Folsom Ruchi restaurant.

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