The Bhakti Collective brought a never-seen-before performance of classical music and poetry to the capital. In an endeavour to raise fund for underprivileged cancer patients, Bhakti Collective comprising three artistes had two successful Andal shows in Mumbai and Kolkata before they came to Delhi.

Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel hosted the 1-hour-and-15-minute performance, which was a tribute to Andal, the 9th-century Tamil mystic. Andal is one of the 12 Alvar (also called Azhwar) poet-saints of Tamil Nadu, known for her poetic outpourings of a longing for union with the divine. Her mystical songs continue to be sung through centuries to illumine contemporary consciousness. She sought to cross all boundaries and seek herself in consonance with the cosmos.

The performance by Carnatic vocalist Akhila Ramnarayan, National Award-winning choreographer-actress Anita Ratnam and cultural curator and singer Geeta Gopalakrishnan envisioned the search for Andal in a fittingly plural production.

The inauguration of the programme happened with Tamil delicacies and unique South Indian Flavors- the Venn Pongal and the Chakra Pongal. These two items are served as offerings to Andal, who is also revered as a Goddess, in the month of February. A beautiful light transition then took the audience to witness the performance by the artistes. Geeta Gopalakrishnan started with a narrative with Anita Ratnam amplifying it with her powerful dance. The revolutionary outpouring of love to Lord Krishna, the recitation of 30 hymns and a peek into the biographical details of the goddess, it all made sense through ease and truth, through dance, music and poetry.

The presentation was an act of faith in Andal’s wisdom and passion to speak to contemporary audiences who themselves are questors. Her extraordinary life and songs containing traditional cultural practices with timeless philosophy are woven together for urban audiences. Andal is sought through poetry, singing, storytelling and chanting in Tamil and English, and Bharatanatyam.

Speaking about Andal’s poetic influence, Geeta Gopalakrishnan said: “In the pantheon of mystic female poets, are Mira Bai of Rajasthan who lived in the 16th century, Lal Ded of Kashmir in the 14th century. Jana Bai of Maharashtra in the 13th century and Akka Mahadevi of Karnataka in the 12th century. Centuries before all these path-breaking women came, Andal, as early as the 8th century. She is venerated in the south and hailed as a mystic and poet, nothing short of Divinity. However, in the rest of India, she is barely known. Hence, we thought we could present the persona of Andal, through personal recollection, music, dance, and poetry. The proceeds of the presentation will go towards the cause of cancer and the expansion of Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata.”