Bharatanatyam | Performance by 1000 dancers | RajaRajeswaram

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UNESCO has declared the Thanjavur Temple of Peruvudaiyar (Tamil) or Brihadeeswara (Sanskrit) meaning Cosmic Lord Siva as a World Heritage Monument. Built by Emperor Rajaraja Chola and consecrated in the year 1010 AD, the temple is unequalled in its size, majesticity, architecture, sculpture and serenity with an aura of divine beauty. It is here in the first tier of the compelling tower that the 108 Karanas (dance movements) of Bharatamuni's Natya Sastra was given sculptural codification for the first time in India. 81 such Karanas are seen as Siva figures. Rajaraja's longest Tamil Inscription gives details of his having employed 400 dancers and 240 musicians to perform regularly as part of rituals. For celebrating the 1000th year of this monument cum living temple, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam has compiled, scored & choreographed three Bharatanatyam dance numbers to be performed in unison by 1000 Bharatanatyam dancers at the Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur on Saturday, September 25, 2010 organised by Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) of which she is presently the President and Brihan Natyanjali Foundation, Thanjavur with the support of Government of Tamil Nadu. The numbers are Ganapathi Kauthwam, Thiruvisaippa of Saint Karuvur Thevar, the spiritual Guru of Rajaraja and Siva Panchakshara Sthuthi of Adi Sankaracharya. Each verse of Karuvur Thevar addresses Lord Siva as the presiding deity of the temple complex called Rajarajeswaram. These verses were probably his outpourings at the time of consecration 1000 years ago. This DVD is a documentation of the choreography danced by disciples of 15 Gurus.

Disc 1
Preparation
Devaram By Odhuvaars
Performance By 1000 Dancers
Ganapathi Kauthwam (Traditional)
Karuvur Thevar's Thiruvisaippa
Adi Sankara's Siva Panchakshara Sthuthi
Speech by Dr Padma Subrahmanyam &
other Stalwarts about the making