Radha Paul’s enthralling Odissi performance 

Radha Paul, an Odissi dancer from Kolkata, enthralled the audience with her mesmerising Odissi dance performance at Shilparamam. The event was organised by Nirvana Dance Academy over the weekend. She performed four slokas of Odissi - Ahe Nila Saila, Shakarabharanam Pallavi, Interaction between Radha and Sakhi and Durga Maatha Vandhana.

Ahe Nila Saila was written by a Muslim poet, who visualises the Lord Jagannath outside the Jagannath temple as he was not allowed to enter the temple. In this sloka, he explains about Lord Vishnu, Gajaraja Moksha, Draupadi Vastrapaharanam and Lord Narasimha avatar.

Following Ahe Nila Saila, she rendered a performance on Shankarabharanam Pallavi which is based on music and does not have any literal text. The third one is the conversation between Radha and Sakhi about God Krishna. In this conversation Sakhi tells Radha that she may fall in love with lord Krishna if she visits the banks of the river Yamuna. The song explains the emotions Radha feels for Krishna.

The final sloka that she performed is ‘Durga Maatha Vandhana’ in which she performed the emotions of Goddess Durga Maatha. “My mother took me to dance classes from when I was five. She also is a good Bharatanatyam dancer. I always loved the Odissi dance form.

I did not compromise dancing for studies. I recently completed my Post Graduation in Geography from University of Kolkata. I’m happy to be performing in Hyderabad,” said Radha Paul, after the dance recital.