Anita began her presentation with two verses from the Lalitha Sahasranamam. An ode to Devi and her power. The shlokas were performed in the traditional Bharatanatyam style. She then went on to the different energy pathways. In between each of them, there was a short musical interlude with the tavil and nadaswaram. During the interludes, two dancers, Palani and Narendra Kumar, danced across the stage with movements symbolizing the chakras, or sometimes the coiled snake. Their movements were martial- like, and performed with bodies that knew no limits. The depiction of water was given a lot of attention. The pleasures of playing in the rain, and in the river, with the swara singing by O.S.Arun in the background, was enjoyable. The depiction of space too was interesting. The steps, some resembling Mohiniattam, were effective. So was the depiction of the navarasas for intellect. The delineations regarding each chakra was clear, but could have done with more elaborations. In the background was a sculpture by artist M.Natesh. It was symbolic of the ascent, spiraling upwards like a snake. This presentation was a collaboration between Anita Ratnam, and two young men from Canada, Hari Krishnan, and Devesh Soneji.

The attainment of bliss was depicted with the pouring of water over the blocks that had the lotus on it, signifying the flow of 'kulamrta', the nectar of spiritual emancipation. One cannot expect a lot of noise which would be better suited for victory in a war. Even so, it seemed like a tame ending. Within the same framework, the culmination of the journey could have been presented with greater impact. A thought provoking journey this...