With sahitya in Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, English, melodic instrumental accompaniment through the violin, flute, veena, and percussion provided by  tabla, mridangam, ghatam, Mizhavu, Kanjira etc, this composition, like a lakshana geet,  with gamakas, taans, solfa syllabic passages, rendered in perfect "sur" control and unison, provided a rounded immaculate melodic experience of the raga. Partha P.  Sans the workload of Kalakshetra as its ex- Director, she is regaining her old form as revealed in the combined rhythmic/interpretative passages in the Devi Stuti, following the Subrahmanya Kavutvam in Shanmukhapriya.

Chakrabarti while inaugurating the week-long convention- mentioning myriad examples of knowledge/research emphasising the interconnectedness of science and arts, no longer existing in isolated glory.  Watching over 20 youngsters sitting on the sides of the stage as legendary musicians perform, hands engaged in keeping taal — or watching  chubby 10-year-old Class V student  Krishna from Indore, sitting through the all-night music concert unblinkingly absorbed from 8-30PM to 8AM, one cannot but feel that Spic Macay is somewhere making a big difference, in kindling  cultural awareness. Between Guru Ghanakanta Bora and disciple Anvesha Mahanta, whose assertive nritta goes with highly communicative abhinaya, it was Sattriya of dignity and excellence, through items like Gurughat (an orchestral cymbal and drum opening with salutations to Sankaradeva) and Vandana, followed by  Ramdhani and Geetor Naach based on a "bhatima" of Sankardeva , namely  "Jaya Jaya Jadukula" describing the heroic exploits of young Krishna.In traditional mode, the warm tones of the "mangala vadyam" Nagaswaram provided the curtain-raiser, with Sheshampatti Sivalingam playing the Tyagaraja Kriti "Kanukontini Sri Ramuni nedu" in Bilahari. Knowing Shiva’s Yog/Bhoga character, Vishnu, on Shiva’s desire to again see him, as Mohini the enchantress, tests him. The melodious journey  through ragams like  Jayantasree

Behag, and a peppy "tani" percussion on the two tavils, concluded with the Western sounding band-inspired music. Divinity in the feminine aspect comprising manifestations like Ardhanariswari, Maha Kali, Annapoorneswari, invoking the Goddess in both benign and destructive attitudes, was textually compiled from different Sanskrit texts, with Raj Kumar Bharati composing the Ragamalika score.The why of Spic Macay was best underlined by the Director of IIT Prof.The second part in Hindustani classical featured students of Shrutinandan school of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, singing Raga Hamsadhwani, proving  that talent honed to excellence requires imaginative teaching. In what arguably was the most efficiently mounted sixth International Spic Macay Convention, held  in  the 2,100 acre township of  IIT Kharagpur, located at the historical Hijli Detention Camp ( set up in 1930 because jails could not accommodate youngsters participating in the Non-cooperation Movement against the British raj ) with staff members too leaving no stone unturned in providing help and assistance, the week-long event featuring over 300 artists conducting 40 workshops with several crafts and seven different kinds on Yoga and meditation alone, along with 30 live concerts, one saw India’s mind-numbing diversity in artistic, physical and mental disciplines, helping create evolved citizens.Led by the missionary zeal of the founder Dr.

The highlight was Anvesha’s superb presentation of Harihar Leela,  a recent creation, based on Shankaradeva’s  HaraMohan, the music in raga Vasant inspired by Kirtan Gosha prescriptions.  Hours of watching the unending creation/destruction process of sand particles comprising vibrating molecules and atoms,  carried by the waves hitting the rock on the shores that mystic scientist Fritjf Capra (read Tao of Physics) realised how Nataraja’s cosmic dance is a metaphor suggesting the endlessly moving energy particles.The dance component had many forms.

Mollifying a repentant Shiva, Vishnu later explains how Maya and Shrishti (that he and Shiva embody), co-exist as attracting polarities symbolising all creation, with  Bhakti the only means of triumphing over both.Young students at handicrafts workshop.Priyadarshini GovindEpitomising Bharatanatyam grace and exceptionally communicative abhinaya, Priyadarshini Govind charmed the audience. Kiran Seth, Spic Macay’s voluntary endeavour  over three-and-a-half decades,  of exposing  Indian youth to the heterogeneous tapestry of our cultural heritage embodying the wisdom, aesthetics and values of generations of artistes and thinkers,  has survived and prospered in the teeth of limitless obstacles. Suddenly eyeing a beautiful woman amidst nature’s bloom in enchanting spring, Shiva, his yogic vows forgotten, starts stalking her. Anvesha’s   expressional vitality, made each image come alive — docile deer, alluring woman, and the metaphor of the Bee and flower suggesting the inevitable attraction of male for the female.