Varnam - Nache Nattavaru

Nache nattavarau chattura shankara

Nache bhoot gana

Sesa gang bhasme ang

Aradhang gauri sang

Paradhara ke var turang

Tap bhang jag ke

Sada nanha bhara rang

Bhusan ke bhaya bhujang

Charan mrigatang

Sang ki jo pag ke

Hatanang kripa ang dhare

Hath bich kurang

Baskinho hrdaya kamal

Padmanabh prabhu ke

At 18 minutes long, the varnam is the longest, most challenging dance in the entire show. It serves as the centerpiece of the program and showcases the dancer’s rhythm, strength, endurance, and expression.

The varnam Kalyani will perform is a devotional dance for the Lord Shiva, the lord of destruction and renewal. He is praised in his Nataraja form - the Lord of Dance.

In the expression sections of the dance, Kalyani describes how Shiva adorns his body with snakes (representing controlling desires) and ash (representing the cooling of fear, lust, desire and rage). She also depicts how Shiva carries the goddess Ganga in his hair, to purify everything he does.

Nache Nattavaru

Raga: Abheri

Tala: Adi

Translation:

Dance, Lord Nattaraja, Oh clever giver of bliss

Dance, Lord of the ganas

Lord Paramasiva adorns his head with Ganga

smears his body with sacred ash and

shares half his form with the goddess Parvati.

He mounts on the sacred bull and

dispels the miseries of the world.

Poisonous serpents adorn his fair form as ornaments.

He clads himself with elephant's skin.

He destroyed the god of lust

Sporting a benevolent glance,

holding a deer in his hand,

He dwells in the lotus-like heart of Padmanabha.