Aaduraatai the refrain song epitomizing the countrys warp and weft  through  the weave of Khadi through the charkha and spinning wheel, captured very imaginatively in the dance choreography an enmeshing through movements with dancers in horizontal and vertical lines.

At first glance, comparison between Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of Satyagraha, non violence and rejection of consumerist culture with an aesthete like Rukmini Devi, acknowledged as the high priestess of Indias post 1930 cultural renaissance, seems rather far fetched. Particularly so today when the moral fibre of people in all walks of life seems to be weakening.Apart from Sarva Dharma Saman-waya (regarding all regions as equal), aspects like Swadeshi, the Charkha and Spinning Wheel and Khadi as a means of liberating the Indian from the British colonizers Manchester cloth snuffing out our weavers bread earning, Ahimsa, both strongly supported with Rukmini Devis  bill in parliament for prevention of cruelty to animals initiated in 1953, (passed in the sixties)."   The pinnal or plaiting movements with strips of cloth hung from the ceiling spun by dancers movements into various patterns, made for eye catching choreographic geometry.Strong scaffolding for  the production came from the large troupe of over thirty exquisitely finished  Bharatanatyam- trained dancers, moving with the discipline and coordination instilled through years of rigorous practice, along with the matching quality of the music, by artists for years associated  with  Kalakshetra.

For Kalakshetra too, subjected to its governance churnings, this theme as its first big production with the new Director Revati Ramachandran having just taken over augurs well. Deep spirituality pervaded the philosophies of both Mahatma Gandhi and Rukmini Devi - Gandhijis political vision of non violence and cultural inclusivity sprang from deep rooted spirituality, and Rukmini Devi’s belief was that art sans spirituality had no meaning.Full of vibrant joy and immediacy, each song ushered in a different tone with not a dull moment. The performance narrative largely comprised abstract dance, brief episodic segments elaborating certain points where representational dance in a dance -drama pattern takes over as in the scene where the boastful King  (sarcastic mention of a gold mosquito net to ward off the mosquitoes in Swarga!) is drily told by the saint (munivar) that his dharma is the only possession the dead person takes with him. And yet both in their respective spheres were karma yogis. To open the eyes of the youth of today being brought up amidst a lot of lip service paid by many sections of people to a museumised Gandhi, revisiting the legacy of  his superb mind which helped shape our nationhood, with icons like Rukmini Devi inspired by his thinking, in  other avenues of art and education, is welcome. And yet both in their respective spheres were karma Yogis, who worked all their lives for causes dear to them without desiring the loaves of office, Rukmini Devi turning down the offer to be the President of India (she was nominated) for she felt that her work demanding all her time and energy was at Kalakshetra. To reaffirm the supremacy of Dharma  (righteousness) was Gandhi the Saviour with his undreamed of moral fibre - and to adorn life with art aesthetics of a sensitive artistic eye, came Rukmini Devi as Saraswati incarnate. Devika as the resource person provided the foundation.Coinciding with the Mahatma’s 150 years (to be observed all over the country for two years), that a leading art institution like Kalakshetra Material Handling Equipment Parts should spin a Bharatanatyam weave round a theme like “Shanti Sutra” is propitious.

The Delhi premiere at Abhimanch Theatre of NSD, seemed to attract a modest gathering on the opening day.R. Vocalist Sai Sankar of Kalakshetra composed the music, with dance choreography contributed by several senior staff members.Comparison between Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of Satyagraha, non violence and rejection of consumerist culture with an aesthete like Rukmini Devi,acknowledged as the high priestess of India’s post 1930 cultural renaissance, seems rather far fetched. Her approach to Education, inclusive of Art awareness and multi disciplinary training in arts and crafts, is followed in Kalakshetra. Rukmini Devi introduced Handloom weaving as one of the main functions of Kalakshetra, the Kalkshetra designs made world famous and coveted even today with the patterns of the "Rudraksham, Kuyil kan, Gopuram.  Soliloquies in a declamatory fashion by the artistes themselves, elaborating on Rukmini Devis statements or belief introduced an element of theatre. With Cultural Affairs Ministry support, Revati Ramachandrans concept and artistic direction with art activist V.