DHARMA - A Story of Courage and Intrigue from epic Mahabharata

DHARMA - A Story of Courage and Intrigue from epic Mahabharata

Act 1: South Indian Temple Dance

Young dancers resembling lotus flowers perform Bharata-natyam, a classical south Indian temple dance. Using intricate hand gestures, dance movements and facial expressions, the girls tell a story about a divine lover and beloved, accompanied by intricate rhythm and melodies. Bharata-natyam is said to be the embodiment of music in visual form, a ceremony and an act of devotion. The dancers have studied since the age of six at the Bhakti Kalalayam Dance Academy in Gainesville, Florida.

Act 2: Drama - The Story of Kunti and Karna

Lights fade. The drama begins. A princess is blessed with a boon by which she can summon any of the demigods to beget a child. Her name is Kunti. Innocently, she calls on the sun god who presents her with a baby boy named Karna. Her reputation at risk, she abandons Karna in a basket. A charioteer finds the boy and raises him to become a warrior. The drama unfolds and follows the fateful lives of Kunti and Karna right up until the fratricidal war at the center of the epic Mahabharata. The drama touches upon the root causes of violence– lust, anger, greed, envy–and hints at positive alternatives.

Act 3: Kirtan Music from West Bengal

Dancers and actors join with accomplished devotional singers and musicians to transport you on a musical journey across time, into a transcendent realm of sacred mantras where every word is a song, every step a dance. A meditative soundscape of incantations chanted by yogis throughout the ages includes the maha-mantra, the great chant for deliverance:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Pronunciation: ha-ray, krish-na, ra-ma (rhymes with "drama")

Act 4: Delicious Vegetarian Refreshments

At the end of the show, guests are served delicious vegetarian refreshments of savories, sweets and nectar drink in the lobby, created by gourmet Hare Krishna chefs. The food is prepared with love and is served as a complimentary gift to all who attend. We also have books on Bhakti yoga and Krishna culture available in the lobby. Our performance is based on stories from these books.

Dharma is... the basic principle of our existence, our duty or inherent nature. As heat is to fire, Dharma is the basic principle that unifies all souls in a common cause to glorify their Father and act as loving brothers and sisters. Dharma transcends designations of religion, culture, ethnicity, language or geography. We offer this performance, Dharma, as an act of love to Krishna and to each of you. For more information or to correspond with the performers, visit Krishna.com or email festivals@krishna.com.