Photo Essay : A night at Elephanta

After escaping from office I directed myself to Gateway of India hoping to meet my friend from where we have to catch one of the special ferries which will take us to stage of Elephanta festival. The performers for the first day were Alarmel Valli renowned Bharata Nattyam dancer & the well known Pandit Hariprasad Churasia & co-artists. We got ur seat(small bed with a pillow) in the alloted space for our fees. It was comfortable seating, but nearly 30-40 feet away from the stage. The stage was having a small idol of Ganesh to the right & at the center it was the replica of the Trimurti of Elephanta itself.

Alarmel Valli started off the day with her performance. Her performance included a poetry from the Sanga Illaikiyam (Very old tamil literature period) of Kalitthogai.Her performance was very pleasant for the evening. Her talents were exhibited very well.

Then came Pandit & his group. His group included Vijay Ghate (on Tabla), Bhavani Shankar (on Paakavaaj) & Pandit's disciples. This is first time I'm attending Pandit's concert. Just relaxed & enjoyed it. Vijay Ghate & Bhavani Shankar did their job perfectly.

In complete it was a great experience being at such a place rich in heritage with some exceptional performances.

The Stage


Trimurti


Trmurti & Ganesh


Alarmel Valli - Bharatha Nattyam Performance


Hariprasad Churasia - Flute Performance