Manipuri Dancer Bimbavati Devi Enthralls audience at Banasthali

It is said in the Great Preface of “The Book of Songs,” an anthology of Chinese poems dating from the 10th to the 7th century BC: “The emotions are stirred and take form in words. If words are not enough, we speak in sighs. If sighs are not enough, we sing them. If singing is not enough, then unconsciously our hands dance them and our feet tap them.”

Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth - SPIC MACAY is a non-political, nationwide, voluntary movement founded in 1977 by Dr Kiran Seth, Professor-Emeritus at IIT-Delhi who was honoured in 2009 with the ‘Padma Shri’ award for his immeasurable contribution to the arts. SPICMACAY’s intention is to enrich the quality of formal education by increasing awareness about different aspects of Indian heritage and inspiring the young mind to imbibe the values embedded in it. For this, the most accomplished artistes of the country render programmes of Indian classical music and dance, folk, poetry, theatre, traditional paintings, crafts & yoga primarily in schools and colleges.

To quote Friedrich Nietzsche “Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?” The role of Banasthali which is also the World’s largest fully residential women’s University in promoting fine arts dance, music, painting for the past over eight decades through various educational programmes has no comparison and it is logical that Banasthali and SPIC MACAY have joined hands in this noble exercise.

SPIC MACAY artist regularly visit Banasthali and one can say proudly in a lighter vein that there are just two categories of artists in India today – those who have visited Banasthali and those who will be visiting in the near future! On 19 Aug 2019, Department of Performing Arts Banasthali Vidyapith in collaboration with SPIC MACAY organized a Manipuri Dance Recital by well known artist Bimbavati Devi whom one can say confidently that she takes inspiration from quote of Martha Graham acknowledged as the Picasso of Dance, “Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.”

Born on 6 August, 1975, Sangeet Natak Academy Yuva Puraskar winner Bimbavati Devi received her training in Manipur dance under the guidance of her father Guru Bipin Singh, mother Smt. Kalavati Devi and also from Padma Shri Darshna Jhaveri. Later, she joined the Rabindra Bharati University and obtained Masters in dance. Inspired by her father, she was groomed to play the Pung (traditional Manipuri hand beated drum ) and also underwent training in the basics of Thang Ta (Manipuri martial art). This enabled the female dancers to perform the leaps and jumps and cart wheeling of cholom dances which were traditionally done by male artist. It goes without saying that she pursued her research interst also in Manipuri dance.

Bimbavati Devi has performed extensively in major dance festivals within the country and abroad including the Khajuraho Festival and Konark Festival, Uday Shankar Festival, Soorya Festival, and Nritya Pratibha. She has travelled to Paris, Singapore, U.S.A., U.K., Canada and Australia for her performances and lecture demonstrations.
She has been honoured with various awards and honours including the Singar Mani by Sur Singar Samsad, Sanskriti Award by Sanskriti Foundation, Aditya Birla Kala Kiran Puruskar by Sangeet Kala Kendra, Mumbai. Bimbavati has choreographed many dance-dramas such as Maitrika, Anubhavaamah Samavratee and Amitajyoti.

The elegant Sur Mandir auditorium at Banasthali was packed to peak on 19 Aug 2019. The audience was spellbound by the brilliance of Bimbavati Devi performance in the opening item Mathura Nartan which was followed by Abhisharika which depicted a desperate Radha, who is eager to meet Krishna. Her disciple Ms Ivana Sarkar performed Shiva Vandana based on Shiva Panchaksharam stotra followed by an innovative item which received a thunderous round of applause. Percussionist Tomba Singh with his gravity defying jumps and leaps had the audience literally sitting in the edge of their chairs.

Manipuri folk singer Pramila Devi hypnotized the audience with her Gauranga Vandana and her voice has the potential to cause seismic tremors in any auditorium. The concluding item Mahasakthi by Bimbavati Devi which paid tribute to Devi Jagadhatri, the goddess wielding 10 weapons had the entire audience mesmerized. Students and faculty who attended the Manipuri Dance Recital left with beaming faces and pride that they were indeed part of an institution which is a shining jewel in the crown among the institutions not only in India today but across the globe.

For more details about Banasthali see http://www.banasthali.org/

Banasthali Vidyapith
Banasthali Rajasthan – 304022
Phone 91 1438 228456 / 228341
Email: info@banasthali.ac.in
Website: http://www.banasthali.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Banasthali.org

About Banasthali: Established in 1935, the Institution which is also the largest fully residential women’s university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing women’s education and empowerment in India for the last eight decades. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Proud to be Banasthali alumni who call themselves as Banasthalites can be found in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe. Banasthali has the pride of being chosen as a Faculty Development Centre under the MHRD Govt of India Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) as well as for hosting Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) by NITI Aayog Apart from various National Rankings which include India Today #2, FICCI University of the year 2015, NAAC A grade, MHRD NIRF 29, in recent past, Banasthali has been in national and international media attention for getting Quacquarelli Symonds QS Asia University Ranking, QS BRICS Ranking, Diamond status under QS i-Gauge Indian University Rating and the overall Four Star Ranking in - QS Stars Rated for Excellence with 5 Stars for each for Teaching, Employability, Facilities, Arts & Culture and Inclusiveness.

This release was published on openPR.