Venue: India Habitat Centre
Date: 4 December 2015

Mohiniattam, the dance of Mohini, the celestial enchantress of Hindu mythology, is noted for its graceful and sensuous movements. It is said that Lord Vishnu had disguised himself as a beautiful woman Mohini to allure Asuras. Therefore Mohiniattam is the dance of Lord Vishnu. Originating in Kerala, it is one of the eight classical dance forms of India.

The veteran Jayabrabha Menon enthralled the audience with her Mohiniattam recital on a recent cool pre winter evening. Krishna was a recurrent theme in the numbers that she rendered and her movements were reminiscent of the rice fields and golden beaches of Kerala. She was ably supported by the accompanying musicians and the vocalist deserves special mention.

Classical music and dance forms require a wider reach than what it has now. Thus, we in Delhi, yearn to see maestros at their art. Mohiniattam is not a very popular art here and we hope we get to see more of this classical dance in future.