MYRIAD COLOURS OF LIFE

  SPENDING THE LAST FEW DAYS OF 2020 IN THE ABODE OF THE CLOUDS Shillogre Godhuli... Shillongre Godhuli... Nami ahe kuwoli.. Shillongre Godhuli Nami ahe kuwoli.. Duyu hatote dhori Korisilu dhemali Juritire parot bohi Nijanote.. These are the lyrics from one of the popular Assamese songs. After staying at home for about 10 months due to extended lockdown, getting introduced to new terms like work from home, taking students online classes something that I needed the most was a break from this monotony of daily life. When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by World Health Organisation we were forced to leave Bhubaneswar for Assam. This trip to Meghalaya awaited the opening of interstate borders following COVID-19 protocols. When the situation became a little bit normal with sanitizers and masks we backpacked for this recluse-the hidden beauty of India. Papa would explain Megh + alaya= Meghalaya. That's how this word got introduced to me. The Abode of the Clouds. As I grew up I got to kn

  I ndian classical dances starting from Sattriya, Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam to Odissi have always fascinated me. When I visited Odisha for my higher studies I was lucky enough to get this opportunity to explore more about these dances which are associated with the very fabric of Indian culture and life. I first heard about Ileana Citaristi from my roommate. Padmashree Ileana Citaristi is an exponent of Odissi dance. The more I read about her surfing the pages on the internet the more inquisitive I was. Finally this an opportune moment to visit her came during the second year of my stay in the coastal state when I became part of Ekamra Walks. Founded in the year 1996 by Ileana Citaristi a renowned Odissi dancer this academy is located in Old Town, Bhubaneswar. When I reached it one early morning I found this old building and  I fell in love with it. The ambiance around, the beauty of Ekamra Van which is the medicinal garden, and the view of the Lingaraj Temple were enough to make me fall