Dakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel and Divya Goswami present virtuoso solo choreographies
The eighth Kalpodip Utsav was organized by Odissi dancer Pompi Paul at the IIC on 23 October 2023. Here, Pompi, Dakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel and Divya Goswami presented solo pieces. Lord Jagannath was seated on the stage, which was decorated using mogra and rajnigandha flowers. Dakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel – Bharatanatyam Dakshina took the stage after Pompi. Her first piece was ‘Saroja’. Saroja means she of the lotus. She dedicated the piece to her grandmother, Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan, who had passed away a little while back and whose memories were as fresh as the scent of the lotus in everybody’s minds. It was the beginning of the year-long performances called SwarnaSaroja that were going to be dedicated to the memories of her grandmother and guru. The lotus flower is a symbol of not only beauty but also of strength. It grows in murky waters, overcomes hurdles and grows towards the sun. The symbolism is that it overcomes all difficulties to grow towards knowledge. The gods
