International collab "Jagannatha Astakam" - Megha and Krishnakali - Festival of India Toronto, 2020

Megha Subramanian (Bharatnatyam) in Toronto connects with Dr. Krishnakali Dasgupta (Manipuri) in Iowa to record this presentation especially for Festival of India, Toronto, 2020.

sung by Sunanda Patnaik in Raag Misra Gaara performed in Taal Keherwa.
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Megha has devoted almost three decades to Bharatanatyam, as an educator, practitioner and a story-teller. Before moving to Toronto she has conducted several workshops in understanding the language of dance, exploring divinity through ancient stories and exploring rasas, in colleges in Mumbai and in Hyderabad.

She recently published a story-coloring book, "Dance Your Way Out", which introduces people to the basics of all the 8 Indian classical dance forms like costumes, their stories and the states of India they are from.
https://www.amazon.ca/Dance-Your-Way-...

Her dance school - abhinayam.ca teaches enthusiasts of dance to think and explore themselves through Bharatanatyam. More than anything, she considers that she is a medium that enables people to build their own connection with the divine, through dance.
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Dr. Krishnakali Dasgupta is a senior student of Guru Smt. Poushali Chatterjee (Kolkata) and Dr. Sohini Ray (LA), both exponents of Classical Manipuri dance of acclaimed Guru Bipin Singh's gharana. She has trained and performed extensively for the past 22 years in Tandav, Lasya, Mridang playing and ThangTA (martial arts) forms of Manipuri dance.

She is a recipient of the Govt. of India National Scholarship for Seniors and the title of Sringarmani from Sur Sringar Samsad. Besides continuing her immersive training and repertoire performing of Classical Manipuri, Krishnakali also has been running a Dance collective -Mitradheya with her 2 guru bhagnis, Debanjana Roy and Debanjali Biswas , producing modern dance dramas using pure Manipuri movements, for the past 14 years.

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Meaning:

Who sometimes fervently plays His flute on the banks of the Yamuna river in Sri Vrindavana, who is like a bumblebee that blissfully tastes the lotus faces of the Vraja-gopis, and whose feet are worshipped by great personalities such as Laksmi, Shiva, Brahma, Indra, and Ganesha -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

Who holds a flute in His left hand, who wears a peacock feather on His head and a fine yellow silken cloth around His hips, who from the corners of His eyes bestows loving sidelong glances upon His companions, and who is forever known as the one who performs wondrous pastimes in the divine abode of Sri Vrindavana -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

Who on the shore of the great ocean resides in a palace situated on the gold-like crest of Nilachala Hill accompanied by His powerful brother Baladevaji and between Them, His sister Subhadra, and who bestows the opportunity to serve Him upon all the demigods -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

Who is an ocean of mercy, whose bodily complexion is as beautiful as a row of blackish rainclouds, who sports with Laksmi-devi and Sarasvati, whose face is like a spotless fully-blossomed lotus, who is worshipped by the foremost demigods, and whose transcendental glories have been sung in the topmost scriptures -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

When Jagannatha's Ratha-yatra cart is moving along the road, at every step assemblies of brahmanas sing His praises. Upon hearing them, Jagannatha, being an ocean of mercy and the true friend of all the worlds, becomes favourably disposed towards them -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

Who is the crown-jewel of transcendence, whose eyes are like the petals of a fully-opened blue lotus, who resides at Nilachala, whose feet are placed on the head of Sesa, who is blissfully immersed in bhakti-rasa, and who derives happiness from embracing the rasa-laden body of Srimati Radhika -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

I do not pray to Jagannatha for a kingdom, nor for gold, jewels, wealth, or even for a beautiful wife as desired by all men. My only prayer is that Sri Jagannatha-deva, whose splendid glories are always sung by Shiva, be the constant object of my vision.

O master of the demigods! Quickly deliver me from this worthless worldly existence. O Lord of the Yadus! Purge me of my limitless host of sins. Aho! You have promised to bestow Your feet upon the fallen and shelterless -- O Jagannatha Swami, please be the object of my vision.