Kuru Yadu Nandana - Ashtapadi by Vishwanath Mangaraj

Kuru Yadunandana In this ashtapadi from Jayadeva's 14th Century Geeta Govinda, Radha expresses herself to her Lord Krishna in a tone of affectionate authority. Yadava hero, your hand is cooler than sandal balm on my breast. Paint a leaf design with deer musk here on Love's ritual vessel. My dark eyes put to shame even a cluster of bees; smudged by your kisses, brighten them again with kajal. My hair flies like Cupid's banner, make it beautiful as the peacock's crest. Fix flowers in my hair and put right my apparel and bejeweled girdle loosened by love play, Radha tells the joyful Yadu hero. Musicians : Mardala - Pt. Prafulla Kumar Mangaraj Vocals - Ashish Nayak Flute - Dhiraj Pandey Sitar - Soumendra Goswami Manjira - Dr. Sridhar Vasudevan Raag - Mishra Kaafi Taal- Jati Choreography - Padmavibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Music - Pandit Bhubaneswar Mishra Taught By - Guru Smt. Sharon Lowen Vishwanath Mangaraj has been a disciple of Odissi Guru Sharon Lowen for 26 years. He is an Indian Council for Cultural Research (ICCR) empaneled artist, Graded Artist of Doordarshan (National TV Channel of India), Empanled Artist of SPIC- MACAY and Senior scholarship holder by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. His command over the pristine technique of Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s style of Odissi Classical Dance has earned him praise and placed him as a torchbearer and as one of the finest upcoming artists in the Odissi guru-shishya ‘parampara’ (tradition) in India. Vishwanath is a professional performing artist and qualified teacher of Odissi Classical Dance and an actively performing male dancer representing the Odissi lineage of Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, considered the architect of this art form in the 20th century. Vishwanath shows that a male dancer can bring a masculine sensibility, with grace, to this dance style. He is humble, dedicated to his art and confident in communicating to audiences and students in workshops. He is also trained in Odissi Mardala (percussion instrument played mainly in Odissi Classical Dance) under his father, Guru Shri Prafulla Mangaraj and Guru Dr. Banamali Maharana. This also enhances his command over the dance. Vishwanath is the senior most Indian disciple of Guru Smt. Sharon Lowen and a part of Manasa Art without Frontiers which aims to facilitate intersections between visual, performing & other art forms and foster understanding of the rich cultural heritage of India. Vishwanath has been actively teaching at the Manasa Art without Frontiers Academy of Dance in New Delhi for the past 16 years teaching students at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels under the guidance of his Guru Smt. Sharon Lowen.