Our Sacred Space annexe to open soon

Our Sacred Space, the one stop arena for cultural aficionados is about to expand with a larger area opposite Sangeet cinema in Secunderabad. Just a stone’s throw from the existing space, it has all the elements that Our Sacred Space is known for.

Speaking to The Hans India, Odissi dance exponent and brain child of Our Sacred Space, Nayantara Nandkumar says, “This (new) place was earlier a postal sorting office and was lying vacant. We decided to make use of it so that we could hold exhibitions, get-togethers, corporate retreats and also shift the weekly bazaar as there is enough space for 50 cars to be parked.”

For someone who worked on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge in California, Nayantara’s heart however lies in eco-friendly structures. The annexe has walls plastered with mud; every door and window grill have a story to tell. Its main hall can accommodate 500 people.

An imposing door at the entrance in bright red is sourced from Musheerabad and the grills on the window are not symmetrical but blend beautifully with the structure. The spaces on walls that were used to store letters have now been turned into a jalli that give the space not only light but also an ethnic feel, a striking feature of Our Sacred Space.

In addition, a 100-year-old Tamarind tree, which fell down due to rains, was pulled up with cranes and it is come to life, again. Our Sacred Space opened in January 2013 with a few activities. Today there are more than 20 activities ranging from Odissi, Yoga, Salsa, Ikebana, Bharatnatyam, pottery, pranic healing, Urdu classes, weekly organic vegetable market and talks by eminent personalities.

It gets its name from the belief that any performing art and activity that is in tune with nature is sacred. Nayantara says, “For me, the space in which you perform something as divine as dance is sacred, and therefore the name.”

By T P Venu