From the descriptions, it certainly suggests an impressive spectacle of a performance by a thousand classically-trained dancers to celebrate 1,000 years of the "Big Temple" in Thanjavur.The temple is not merely a symbol of the religion, but also of the rich history, and the achievements of the past. The construction of the Big Temple for that time period is a remarkable piece of architecture and engineering, and art.
It is also a reminder of how much the usage "the dark ages" overlooks the bright economic, cultural, intellectual, and creative light in other parts of the world--like in Thanjavur, under the Cholas.
One of the dancers who participated in this, Madhumita Srinivasan, writes:
The scene was probably similar to the one witnessed by King Raja Raja Chola 1000 years ago: grandly lit temple, an entire town wearing a festive look, and thousands gathered for a visual and aural treat around the temple courtyard with dignitaries to witness it.I bet it was. Am reminded of the historical fiction that "Kalki" penned--"Parthiban Kanavu." Come to think of it, I learnt a lot more about the history of Tamils--the Cholas and the Pallavas in particular--from Kalki's serialised novels that my parents had carefully bound together. My favorite though was "Sivagamiyin sabadham." In all those stories, Kalki helped me imagine the past in ways that no textbook could, and it would have been a wonderful experience to relive that past through this dance.
Srinivasan writes:
Then finally it was our time. The thousand, and in fact more, dancers were on their feet. Just the spectacle of all of us taking our positions attracted applause from the crowd. Soon the dance pieces – a customary invocation to Lord Vinayaka and Karur Devar's verses on the Thanjavur Peria Kovil were performed, blurring the lines between the past and present.As if in a flash, it was over. Only the applause and the weariness of post-performance remained.
Am mighty glad they did this.
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