A Ramayana tale from another land
For many who visit Indonesia, the presence of Ramayana and that the large Hindu population in the country often comes as a surprise (though if we were better versed with our own history it wouldn't be so). Among the many characters from the epic who are worshipped is Hanoman and it is his role that Mumbaikars will have a chance to witness in their traditional dance form at the NCPA this week.
The Indonesia ballet troupe, Kabumi Upi from the Bandung province, will perform a piece on the Monkey God in a 60-minute piece that you must catch.
While we will be familiar with the story -- Hanuman's travel to Alengka Kingdom (Lanka), how he with his various powers, agility and strategy destroys Alengka and how Rama's struggle to defend his honour and defend his rights leads to a great war between him and Ravana -- the performance needs to be attended for the delicate hand movements and sharp eye movements of the dancers.
The movements for this troupe have been styled from the Sundanese dance genre sourced from Wayang (Javanese puppet). And it's not just the dance, the musical composition consists of instruments such as the gamelan (traditional bronze musical instrument) and angklung (bamboo musical instrument).
In fact, the angklung -- made from varying number of bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame -- was recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.
When: 6.30 PM
Where: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA
Call: 66223737
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