Rasa Sundays 1: Vanavāsini

Venue: Vasantavana – the garden theatre, Mandala Cultural Centre

Please note: Tickets do not have assigned seat numbers. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note: Tickets do not have assigned seat numbers. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Programme

5:30 pm – The Story of Atri and Anansuya | Storytelling by Smt. Anupama Hoskere | Padma Shri Awardee and Founder-director, Dhaatu

6:00 pm – Vanavāsini – Bharatanatyam Presentation by Divya Hoskere

Ramayana Museum Display: Free entry on July 26th from 5 pm – 8 pm

A moonlit ode to the love of Sītā & Rāma

Synopsis

Sītā, radiant as she is, draws the forest towards her. She is Vanavāsini. The performance draws from a moment in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, when Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa visit the āśrama of sages Atri and Anasūyā. Sītā’s tender interaction with Anasūya puts her at ease in the forest. With warmth and affection, Anasūyā shares words of wisdom, beautiful jewellery, and flowers that never fade. The wise sage then asks Sītā to recount the story of her marriage to Rāma. As she relives the joyous moments of the svayaṃvara, the moonlit forest awakens as a living witness to the poetry of Rāma and Sītā’s eternal love.

Mentored by: Padma Shri Awardee, Malavika Sarukkai as part of the Kalavaahini Scholarship 2025

Lyrics & Scholarly insights: Padma Bhushan, Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh

Based on the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa

Music Composition: Mahesh Swamy & Smruthi Bhaskar

About the Artiste

Divya Hoskere is among the most prominent voices in Bharatanatyam today, critically acclaimed for her rare sensitivity to abhinaya, precision of technique and nuanced choreography. She is the foremost disciple of Sri P. Praveen Kumar at the Chithkala School of Dance.