Young Bharatanatyam artiste Manasa Sriram impresses with her sincere approach

Manasa Sriram.
| Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan

Manasa Sriram, a disciple of Mahalakshmi Ashwin,  began her recital at the Pongal Dance Festival 2025 with the invocatory hymn from the Thirumanthiram, ‘Ainthu karathanai’, in praise of Ganesha. She then moved to  a Ganesha Alarippu set to Tisra Nadai Adi tala, showcasing the essence of Bharatanatyam’s rhythmic foundation. Her movements were crisp and sharp. Following this, she performed a jathiswaram in raga Rasikapriya and Adi tala, a composition by Lalgudi Jayaraman.

For the varnam, Manasa chose ‘Swamiyai azhaithu vadi’  by the Thanjavur Quartet in raga Khamas. In the pallavi, the nayika  takes along her friend to witness the procession of Sundareswarar during the Chithirai vizha. Manasa captured the anticipation of the nayika moving through the procession, even as the sakhi questions her if the lord in the procession is the one from the pancha sabhas. The sanchari portrayed the heroine’s longing and devotion.  Manasa chose a unique keerthanai, a visual exposition of the Dasha Mahavidya of Durga. In ‘Sri Jagadeeswari’, composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman in raga Ahir Bhairav, the dancer showcased fierce emotions, and the transition from intense passion to serenity was seamless. The red-and-orange-hued lighting enhanced the performance’s appeal.

Manasa concluded her recital with ‘Gangai’, a mangalam. The orchestra featured Mahalakshmi Ashwin on nattuvangam, Nagai P Sriram (who also composed  the jathis) on the mridangam,  Srikanth Gopalakrishnan on vocals, Anantha Krishnan on the violin and Sruthi Sagar on the flute.