Jhelum Paranjape (Odissi Exponent and Director of Smitalay)

My association with Nalanda runs into several years. Initially as an eager and enthusiastic spectator to most of the seminars and conferences conducted by Dr.KanakRele and team. Then as a critic/commentator for the Marathi newspaper Maharashtra Times, where I wrote about their new production Santavani, at the request of Kanakben. It is thru Nalanda that I got introduced to stalwarts like Mani MadhavChakiyar, Mahalingam Pillai and VempatiChinna Satyam, at absolute close quarters. I will never forget the chilly winds and extreme cold that I experienced while watching Mani Madhav describe the Himalayas.....mind you, he was just sitting on a stool and only his eyes did all the talking. And the sixteen-year-old girl in love depicted by Mahalingam Pillai ... his frog eyes and big body in a lungi just vanished, I could only feel the young girl. Ohh, and the shock I got when I saw the graceful beautiful Satyabhama depicted on stage by VempatiChinna Satyam, transform into the real handsome man that he was, after the show. These helped me grow as a dancer, teacher. While training under Padmavibhushan Guru KelucharanMohapatra, I had a chance of being at Nalanda for three consecutive days with guruji and Kanakben, when his ashtapadis were filmed by team Nalanda. It was a very enriching experience, observing and imbibing the filming process, listening to guruji and Kanakben talking about how they felt about each ashtapadi and getting my mugful of energy from them. Then the time when SangeetNatakAkademi wanted an interview of Kanakben's to be done, and she chose me to do it. I visited her several times, got to know the full story of how she had to struggle to get Nalanda up to where it is now, how she as a child fell in love with Kathakali...etc. And during these days I fell in love with her as a person. Tough, very hard on the exterior, but soft on the inside. I was in awe of her, but these visits made me understand her, and I could always make my point of view to her without getting intimidated. And my latest association with Nalanda is Dr.KanakRele herself asking me to dance to her choreography. She had never stepped out of her zone prior to doing something for Kathak, and now she felt that she needs to do for Odissi. I am lucky that she selected me for her first venture into choreography for Odissi. She chose her favorite topic, SatyavanSavitri. As a young dancer, she had done this, and now she wanted someone to do it in Odissi. That was ME. It was several months of regular visits to Nalanda, me alone, sometimes with my musicians...that brought out the wonderful solo production, YAMA KATHA MAMA KATHA. Kanakben was kind enough to let me use the name that she had used for her production. The ambiance at Nalanda for this kind of work was superb. The girls in half sarees bustling around, the sound of footwork, the recording studio, and the library....the little canteen....everything added to the experience. And then Nalanda bestowed me with an award. And now the association further continues, as Nalanda has started the certificate and diploma courses for Odissi.