In rhythm divine, dancer pays obeisance to Shiva

CHENNAI: Udumalai Senthil is a familiar presence for devotees who throng Shiva temples on the evenings of pradosha, the thirteenth day after every full moon and new moon. Senthil, a Bharatanatyam dancer, has been performing the pradosha thandavam ritual at temples for the past 12 years.

Pradosha thandavam, noted for its difficult mudras and steps, is a vigorous celebration of the dance of Lord Shiva. According to mythology, Lord Shiva performed the thandavam while standing between the horns of Nandi, his vehicle, after swallowing kaala kuta visha — the deadly poison that emerged during the churning of the Palazhi — to save the world.

For Senthil, performing pradosha thandavam at temples is a way of worshipping Lord Shiva, and he does it without expecting any remuneration. He has captivated devotees across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states with his agility and grace.

"Thambi, you danced like Lord Shiva. I saw Shiva in your face," an old woman once told Senthil after watching him perform at a temple in Chennai.

Senthil developed the pradosha thandavam after studying postures depicted on sculptures and idols at temples. Late Ganapathi Sthapathi, the sculptor of Valluvar Kottam in Chennai and the 133-foot-tall statue of Thiruvalluvar in Kanyakumari, helped him develop the silpa sastra style of dancing.

"It was initially very difficult to convert the postures into real mudras and steps. But I mastered them with continuous practice," said Senthil, who studied Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Pazhani Muthusamy Pillai and Udumalai Muthu Bhagawathar.

"It is easier for women to learn these mudras and steps since they are more flexible than men," he said. "But they are not supposed to perform them because there are certain postures which require the leg to be raised above the head."

Before performing pradosha thandavam, Senthil studies the posture of the deity at the temple he's performing in and incorporates it, almost always to the applause of devotees.

Senthil has performed pradosha thandavam 299 times (around 25 every year) since 2001. He desisted from performing the ritual only when the state was struck by two tragedies — the tsunami and the Kumbakonam school fire, both in 2004. "I felt I should not perform when the state was in mourning," he said.

Senthil will perform his 300th pradosha thandavam at the Palani Andavar temple in Perambur on Monday. -timesofindia