London witnessed a spellbinding confluence of Indian classical dance and cultural storytelling as the Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence presented 'Maatru Vandana' at The Bhavan. This unique event paid tribute to divine mothers through an exquisite blend of Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi, and Kathak, seamlessly merging the essence of Indian traditions with the UK’s centuries-old Mother’s Day observance.
A special highlight of the evening was the reading of a goodwill message from Buckingham Palace, extending His Majesty King Charles’s best wishes to the Sanskruti Centre for its artistic endeavours. The event drew a diverse audience of around 250 attendees, all captivated by the cultural synergy on display.
At the heart of the performance was the Sapta Maatruka stotra from the Matsya Purana, narrating the valorous saga of seven divine mothers in their battle against the demon Raktabeeja. The performers brought these celestial figures to life: Sanvika Kommineni as Brahmani, Debanjali Biswas as Maheshwari, Manju Sunil as Koumari, Lakshmi Pillai as Vaishnavi, Sree Lalitha Kotla as Varahi, Priya Kushwaha as Indrani, and Ragasudha Vinjamuri as Chamunda, who ultimately vanquished the demon. This spectacular portrayal symbolised the eternal struggle between wisdom and ignorance, expertly compered by Sushil Rapatwar, President of Wembley Stadium Speakers Club, and Prachi Ghotankar, RJ at BHF Radio. The audience deeply resonated with the performance, which encapsulated the moral, emotional, psychological, and spiritual essence of motherhood, as well as its significance in maintaining harmony in nature.
The evening commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by esteemed personalities, including film and TV personality Paul Brett, Professor Peter Austin, author Tejendra Sharma MBE, and Parvati Nair. This was followed by a soul-stirring invocation song by Anjana Vasa. The programme also featured captivating performances by Dr Debanjali Biswas (Manipuri), Debabrata Pal (Odissi), and Arundhati Srinivasan (Bharatanatyam), along with young artists Madhusri Prasanna, Darshika Vijay, Srihitha Shunkishala, and Nischitha Mohan.
The reverence for motherhood was further accentuated through moving performances by ENT surgeon Dr Srinivas Merugumala and a talented group of young dancers, including Shreya Khare, Kritika Vulchi, Aditi Mote, Ayati Shanmugam, Devanshi Uppula, Diya Shanmugaraj, Diya Vishwanath, Kaavyajhari, Manasvi Ravuri, Meera Appilose, Sanvitha, Shriya, Sucheta Mangalagiri, Shravani Shivshankar, Sai Samruddhi Vuthpala, Sweccha Manikireddy, Tanushreya, Yoshita Chama, Ahana Hegde, Ananya, Anuja Tirumalasetty, Dr Ruthvika Bhandari, Sanvika Acha, Shreyashvini Gunda, Vanamala Acha, and Vinmayi Gopathi. Debabrata Pal’s evocative demonstration of 'Nritya Chitra' showcased the divine attributes of Chamunda Devi.
For over a decade, the Sanskruti Centre has been dedicated to promoting Indian and South Asian performing arts and linguistic diversity through research-driven thematic performances.
