Siddhendra Yogi

[ Gist of the presentation by Dr. Krishna M. Gutala, of a Telugu  Celebrity, in the Regional Languages Celebrities  series, in the India Community Center, Cupertino,  on  17^th August  2018 ].                                  

  

            AADI  GURU  SIDDHENDRA YOGI

        Life and works,  as also  Kuchipudi Dance.

  Extracts from Google.  Compiled by Dr. Krishna M. Gutala

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“ Naasthi  Thayshaam  Yasah Kaaye   Jaraa Maranajam  Bhayam “

“ The body of achievements of those blessed souls  who have attained mastery of rasaas, and are lords among poets,  does not suffer from old age or death “                  

                                                                                        Bhartruhari   450 A.D 

Art is expression. Expression of the highest order, an offering which satisfies Gods and humans, at the same time. An offering of the soul, from the soul, and by the soul.  Art knows no boundaries.  Artistes know no barriers.

Art takes life, and flourishes in the hands of inspired, visionary masters. They shape it into a form which is so powerfully mesmerizing and enthralling, that their creations are remembered, and celebrated for endless centuries. Legends are woven about them, and they are remembered in each and every exposition of that art form. Blessed be the man who renders such service to art. Great is that person whose name rests on the lips of admiring humans, a hundred generations later! No politician, no statesman, and no technocrat, can lay claim to this honor; it is reserved for the artist alone!

As an enduring art form, with its recorded history dating back to 500 years, Kuchipudi, as we know it today, also owes its greatness to those loving masters who shaped its destiny. Those Guru-s who poured their lives, blood, sweat and tears, as an offering to Kuchipudi art, nurturing it, strengthening it, and handing it down the generations, not just as an occupation, but as a way of life, for evermore.

Foremost, among them, stands Paramaguru Sri. Siddhendra Yogi, that enigmatic figure, whose name is known to each and every Kuchipudi practitioner, but about whom so little is known for sure. As the primeval author of Kuchipudi’s  Bhama Kalapam, and as the person who regularized Kuchipudi into a distinctive style, in one way, Sri. Siddhendra Yogi has been the progenitor of the art form as we know it, the instrument of initiation.

It is a matter of great academic importance, that a specific date for Siddhendra Yogi’s lifetime, or, information about his origins, has never been established. Scholars have placed him to have lived from anywhere between 1100 A.D. to late 1700s. Many stories are in existence about his life --- so many that we cannot even list all of them here. However, a popular version as recounted by Kuchipudi Bhagavatulu runs thus:

“ Siddappa, a young lad, was born into the Chinta family in Kuchelapuram (present day Kuchipudi). He lacked an interest in studies and education, right from childhood. Hoping to rid him of his dullar behavior, his parents performed his thread-initiation ceremony, but was of no avail. After some time, he was married to a girl from the Bhagavatula family. One fine day, without telling anyone, Siddappa ran away. No one knew where, and his family was crestfallen. They asked the touring Bhagavat Mela-s to inform them immediately, if they got on to the trail of Siddappa in any foreign land they visited. They kept praying for his safety and well being.

Siddappa in the meanwhile, became a disciple of a Vaishnavite pandit in Varanasi, who was adept at all the Veda-Vedanga-s, as also the Alankara Sastra  and Abhinaya theory. Under the Pandit’s  tutelage, Siddappa soon became one of the prime disciples, who was praised all over Kashi (Varanasi), for his strong grasp and brilliant understanding. On his Guru’s advice, after some years of study, Siddappa set forth to his native place, Kuchelapuram.

In his enthusiasm to see his long lost parents and wife, Siddappa reaches Kolluru, on the banks of Krishna river. Right across the river was Kuchelapuram. It was rainy season, and the river was flooding. Amidst the roar of flood waters, Siddappa egged on by mortal bonds of love and affection, jumped into the swirling waters, and tried to swim across. Midway, he lost hope that he would make it. Surrendering himself to the Almighty, and expecting that his end was near, he renounced all worldly bonds, and took the vows of an ascetic. He ceased struggling, accepting his fate to be one of immediate death. However, lo and behold! He drifted to the bank, and there opened his eyes, only to realize that, as an ascetic now, all the bonds he craved for, were banished forever.

It is this struggle between worldly bonds and spiritual bliss, which is the undercurrent of his magnum opus, the Bhaama Kalaapam.  Bhaama’s materialistic convictions, and how Sri. Krishna removes those illusions, forms the crux of the story’s  symbolism.

It is a great loss, that no concrete records of Sri. Siddhendra Yogi’s life or activities exists. This in itself has been the reason for several severe disagreements in the academia on everything from his birth to death, to Bhaama Kalaapam. It is hoped ardently that the present day and future researchers will take up this matter, and solve the existing riddles.

Here is an extract from the publication “Hinduism Today” of 15 Feb 2003:

VIJAYAWADA, INDIA, February 12, 2003: To the chanting of Vedic mantra-s, a statue of Siddhendra Yogi, creator of the world famous Kuchipudi dance style, was consecrated in a temple, constructed adjacent to the temple complex of Sri. Bala Tripura Sundari and Ramalingeswara Swami, in Kuchipudi village, Krishna district. Kuchipudi exponent and internationally acclaimed dancer, Vempati China Satyam, said this was a very important day for all those performing Kuchipudi dance worldwide.  “ We must all remember that we are leading decent lives because of Siddhendra Yogi’s  bhiksha, and we must repay our debt at least in a small measure” he said. He hoped that the Government would take steps for developing Kuchipudi as an International Center for dance and tourism.

KUCHIPUDI: Kuchipudi is an established dance form originated in Andhra Pradesh. This classical dance is named after a village Kuchelapuram, 65 km from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, and became popular due to the patronage of the Brahmins practicing it.

Kuchipudi dance is known for its impressive, quick footwork, dramatic characterization, expressive eye movements, and spirited narrative. It is a blend of taandava and laasya elements. A distinctive feature of this dance is, the execution of the dance on a brass plate, and moving the plate to the accompaniment of Carnatic music. (Also, during this execution, a small vessel full of water, is placed on the head by the dancer, and balanced, without spilling a drop of water, during the hectic movements and footwork!). The Kuchipudi performer, apart from being a dancer and actor, has to be skilled in Sanskrit and Telugu languages, music, and manuscripts of the performance.

It takes at least seven to ten years to master this art form. There were two parallel dance forms ‘Nattuva Mela’ and ‘Naatya Mela’. The former developed into Bharata Natyam, and the latter into Kuchipudi, usually performed by both women and men in conjunction.

The Kuchipudi is a dance-drama with three components: Nritta, Nritya and Naatya. The Nritta consists of Theermaanams and Jati-s, the Nritya of Sabdams, and the Naatya of acting with ‘Mudra-s’ (hand gestures, mainly using fingers) for the songs. Nritta encompasses steps and movements, in the form of patterns of dance which, though beautiful, have no meaning to convey. While fast becoming a solo presentation, Kuchipudi still has strong ties to the dance-drama tradition. It combines the elements of speech, mime, and pure dance.

ATTIRE  AND  STYLE:  The Kuchipudi dancers wear light make-up and ornaments like the Rakudi (head ornament), Chandra Vanki (arm-band), Adda Bhaasa and Kasina saara (necklace). A long plait is decorated with flowers and jewelry. The ornaments are made of light wood called ‘Boorugu’. The costumes are similar to the one worn in Bharata Naatyam. The saree is worn with a fan-shaped cloth in front, and a ‘Pallu’ (portion of saree hanging over the shoulder) at the back that is stitched. Ghunguroo-s (anklets) are worn on the feet. These are specially made for creating the sound to the rhythm of the footwork, and are an arrangement of bells stitched in a cloth tied to the feet.

Tarangam is a popular style unique to Kuchipudi, the source literature being Sri. Narayana Teertha’s ‘Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini’. This is the form where the dancer places a pot or vessel filled with water on her head, and feet balanced on the rim of a round plate, and manipulates the brass plate, and keeps moving, with gestures, without spilling a single drop of water. Another characteristic of Kuchipudi is, the ‘Naatya Maala’, a dance troupe consisting of men acting the feminine roles.

Present day Scenario:  Kuchipudi is majorly done as a solo performance, by the female dancers. The narrator has been done away with, as also the expressional numbers, which were sung by vocalists in the background. Now the same is enacted by the dancer herself. The element of devotion to the GODS, has been replaced by a lot of ‘sringaar’ (erotic flavor). The drama aspect has been reduced. The main expressional numbers are from: Jaidev’s  Ashtapadi-s, the Ramayana, the Purana-s, and  Thyagaraja’s  compositions.

Influences over the years:  Sri. Vempati China Satyam, who is one of the leading exponents of Kuchipudi, along with Sri. Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry,  have worked hard to restore this art form, and bring it back to  prominence. Sri. Vempati China Satyam is responsible for setting up the Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai, the oldest of the Kuchipudi dance schools in India.

Other well-known proponents who are celebrated Kuchipudi dancers are: Smt. Sobha Naidu (recipient of Padma Sri  - national civilian award), Sri and Smt. Raja  and Radha Reddy,  Smt. Swapna Sundari (an exceptional dancer and author),  Smt. Yamini Krishna Murthy,  Sri. Vedantam Satyanarayana ( famous in donning female roles), Smt. Uma Rama Rao, and Smt. Kaushalya Reddy.

Interesting Facts:   

1. Kuchipudi dancers earlier wielded a lot of power. A play/social commentary was performed to highlight the unfair treatment of a king in 1502, against abusive practices. The dancers succeeded, and even got the help of the army.

2. On 26^th December 2010, over 2800 dancers including 200 plus dance teachers, created a Guinness World Record at Hyderabad. This amazing event was performed by dancers from over 15 countries, and was for 11 minutes.

3.  This is a unique dance form as it makes use of four Abhinaya-s  namely: Angika, Vaachika, Ahaarya and Saatvika.

Modern  period:  The three influential figures in Kuchipudi, during the first half of the twentieth century, were Vedantham Lakshminarayana Sastri,  Vempati Venkata Narayana Sastri, and Chinta Vankata Ramaiah. Sastri-s focused on reviving and re-launching Kuchipudi, after classical Hindu dances came under sustained ridicule and political degradation in the British Raj, while Venkata Ramaiah was influential in productions for public performances, and developing specialized forms of Yaksha Gaana, another classical Indian dance, and Kuchipudi. Sastri is also remembered for encouraging and teaching Indian women to dance Kuchipudi as solo performers, and in teams, as well as working with artists of other classical dances, such as the Bharata Naatyam, that enabled the sharing and cross-flow of ideas. Vempati Venkata Narayana Sastri was the Guru of Sastri, taught him Kuchipudi, and was a key figure in helping preserve Kuchipudi art form. The historic All India Dance Seminar, organized by the national arts organization Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1958, thrust Kuchipudi dance to the national stage. Some of the Indian movie actresses, such as Hema Malini, started their career as a Kuchipudi and Bharata Naatyam dancer. Kuchipudi performances have now spread world-wide.

Major Kuchipudi dramas: The most popular dance-drama is Bhaama Kalaapam of Siddhendra Yogi. Narayana Teertha composed the  Krishna Leelaa Tarangini, a story of Krishna’s life, beginning from his birth to his marriage to Rukmini. Ramaiah Sastri, inspired by the Bhaama Kalaapam, wrote the Golla Kalaapam, which portrays the theme of an ethical satirical conversation between a Gopi and a Brahmin. Other commonly performed plays are the dance-songs (kriti-s) of Sri. Thyagaraja, and the 700 surviving padam-s out of the 4500 composed by  Kshetrayya  of  Muvvu.

Traditional  compositions  that have been internationally performed by Kuchipudi artists, particularly among  Telugu  diaspora  communities, include:    Sreenivasa  Kalyanam,  Rukmini Kalyanam,  Sakuntalam Bhaama kalaapam, Hara Vilasam, Prahlaada Charitram ( Holi festival related story), Usha Parineeyam, Sasirekha Parinayam, Raama Naatakam  (probably the oldest play), Mohini  Rukmaangada, Chaamundeswari Sabda,  Ardha Naareeswaram Sabda, and Payrini Thaandavam.