Gandhari: The power of women

Raising awareness on the growing violence against women through cultural programs, Asmita Resource Centre For Women launched a series of dance ballets on September 2.

The campaign that began with staging of two ballets, Menakaa and Ahalya, earlier this month ended on Friday with another powerful show Gandhari. Choreographed and performed by Rajeshwari Sainath, the ballet, Gandhari revolved around the life of Gandhari, the queen mother of the Kuru Dynasty opening up the whole concept of dharma and violence.

Linking the violence against women and the greed for power and glory, the ballet is a powerful indictment of the destruction of human life that the politics of power unleashes.

Drawing on the connection between the violence on women and the extended destruction of war, it interrogates notions of honour, justice and dignity.

With Carnatic music and traces of fusion, the Bharatanatyam ballet was performed. The powerful lyrics in English were conceived and written by Vasanth Kannabiran.