Journey to Divinity

Combines classical Odissi with multimedia, narration and visual imagery to explore Vivekananda's teachings through choreography, symbolic gesture and group composition. Conceived as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda for the Vivekananda Youth Forum, Mumbai, it is built on Swamiji's own poems — written in English and Bengali, translated into Hindi — and takes a kaleidoscopic view of his life in narrative form, using classical dance alongside narration and projected visuals. The programme runs in eight movements: the invocation Mangalacharan, in honour of Swamiji's majestic attributes; Vision of Shiva (‘Aum Jai Vireshvara’), portraying him as energy personified; Karma Yoga (‘Boyoge Payoge’); Death of Desire (‘Nache Uspar Shyama’), his prayer to Kali to dance upon the heart and destroy the web of Maya; Humble Truth and Realization (‘Prabhu Mere Avaguna Chitna Dharo’); Worshipping the Guru (‘Namo Namo Prabhu’), for the boy who gave his life to Sri Ramakrishna; Scaling Sublime Heights (‘Shivoham’) — existence absolute, knowledge absolute, bliss absolute; and Divine Soul (‘Nahi Shurjo’), Swamiji the poet on samadhi.