Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Kathak Recital Turns Devotion Into A Dialogue With The Divine
Aavahan was a Kathak dance show about talking to the divine.
Niral Uprit performed the solo recital.
She used dance to explore Ganesha, Shiva, Devi and Krishna.
The show did not simply retell their stories.
Instead, it asked whether traditional ways of praying still feel personal and meaningful.
Music, Sanskrit verses, English narration and Hindi poetry were combined.
A telephone was used as a theatrical way to “call” the Gods.
By the end, the dancer discovers that the answers she seeks may come from inside herself.
Aavahan presented prayer as an intimate conversation rather than ritual or surrender.
Niral Uprit performed the 40-minute solo recital at Ethnic Hall, Shilparamam, Madhapur.
Ganesha, Shiva, Devi and Krishna were explored through distinct musical and choreographic styles.
Traditional Kathak compositions and Sanskrit verses were combined with spoken word, English voiceover and Hindi poetry.
The performance concluded with the idea that the divine sought outside may ultimately be found within the self.
- Who
- Niral Uprit performed the recital, which was organised and introduced by Aditi Rao Ashtaputre.
- What
- Aavahan: Some Dialogues with the Divine was a 40-minute solo Kathak production exploring devotion, questioning and self-discovery.
- When
- The article does not specify when the performance took place.
- Where
- Ethnic Hall, Shilparamam, Madhapur.
- Why
- The production sought to examine inherited forms of devotion and explore a more personal path to the divine.
- Production
- Aavahan: Some Dialogues with the Divine
- Performer
- Niral Uprit, an Indore-based Kathak dancer and senior disciple of Guru Damayanti Miradwal
- Duration
- 40 minutes
- Deities explored
- Ganesha, Shiva, Devi and Krishna
- Musical forms
- Teentaal, Roopak and Ektaal, alongside kavitts, parans and bandishes
- Music
- Composed by Savni Bhatt, with tabla, pakhawaj, harmonium and bansuri
- Central idea
- The search for divine answers turns inward toward self-discovery