Pushpanjali - Gajavadana
The first dance of the Arangetram is a Pushpanjali, which means an offering of flowers.
Kalyani begins the recital by offering flowers and seeking the blessings of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and Lord Shiva in the form of Nataraja, the god of dance.
Kalyani also seeks the blessings of the audience members and of the musicians and her guru.
Finally before commencing, Kalyani seeks the blessings of Mother Earth on whose surface she will be stomping with her feet as she dances.
Kalyani now begins the first dance, which is traditionally an invocation of Lord Ganesha, so that there will be no obstacles in tonight’s performance.
Translation:
Oh Elephant faced god in whom mercy lives,
Who is son of Shiva, who has a big paunch and is pretty
Oh Goddess who is bowed to by Aja as well as king of devas and sages,
I surrender, surrender to your lotus like feet.
You are the only support to the three worlds,
You are the ultimate meaning of Vedas of Shaivites,
You are the only support to my life,
Please shower your grace , Oh god with a good face , Oh God who has the form of Om.
Gajavadana Karuna
Ragam: Sri Ranjani Thalam: Adi
Composer: Papanasam Sivan
Gajavadana Karuna Sadana
Shankara Bala Lambodhara Sundara
Ajanamarendranum Munivarum Paniyum
Pankaja Charana Sharanam Sharanam
Neeyee Moovulagirk(u) Aadhaaram
Neeyee Shivaagama Manthra Saaram
Neeyee Vazhvil Yen Jeevaadharam
Nee Arulvai Sumukha Omkaara
In the movements of this dance, you can see Kalyani depict Ganesha’s big elephant ears and a stomach so large it can fit the universe. She bows to him in devotion as he rules the three worlds. As he is the son of Shiva, the lord of dance, she is awed by his presence and seeks his blessings.
Papanasam Sivan
Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (1890 – 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema as well as Tamil cinema in the 1930s and 1940s.
Sivan was also known as Tamil Thyaagaraja. Using Classical South Indian as a base, Sivan created compositions popularised by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, D. K. Pattammal, and M. S. Subbulakshmi.
In 1962, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.
