Ramayana comes to U.S.at Mount Madona School

By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 01 July 2010, 23:11 IST   |    2 Comments
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Watsonville: Sage Valmiki's 'Ramayana', one of the earliest epics of India, has been the source of inspiration for many theatrical art forms, movies and animations. The 2,600 year old classic belonging to the Treta Yuga was retold through modern forms of music and dance directed by Sampad Martin Kachuck . The plot of the great epic binds different kinds of people and provides them with a stage to come and enjoy it.It was brimming with attractive performances from Chris Ahluwalia (Ram), Haley Turner (Sita), James Clifton (Lakshamana), Jack Massion (Shiva), Anneka Lettunich.(Parvati), P.K. Hattis ( Ravana).Such was 32nd Annual Ramayana performed by the students of Mount Madona School. The epic portrays the duties of an ideal son,the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king. Even after so many decades, the kingdom of Ayodhaya and King Dasharatha's four princes- Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughana remain alive in the hearts of the people. Ramayana is an amalgamation of the seven kandas - Bala Kanda, Ayodhaya Kanda, Aranya Kanda, Kishkinda Kanda, Sundara Kanda, Yuddha Kanda and Uttara Kanda. The show focused mainly on the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana (Aranaya Kanda) and the battle between Ram and Ravana (Yudha Kanda).The program ran for a period of four hours where in after the defeat of Ravan, Sita reunites with Ram. The set was designed with utmost importance and creatures like monkeys, bears, demons gave it a natural touch. Belly dancers and a tribe of medicine women were also featured. To add to the glamour a large, fire-breathing dragon, along with Jatayu, the king of vultures was also used. The experience of the show brings together the potentiality and builds up positive attitudes of teamwork and respect for each other. It is a wonderful experience to be treasured by all. Mount Madona gives a platform to its faculty and the students to bring out a harmonious performance on the great epic Ramayana. Kachuck said that, "This is a community-building event and every one of our kids has a finger in it." Featuring over 200 young actors the annual staging of 'The Ramayana' by Mount Madonna School has made it move to the Mexican Heritage Theater in San Jose.The venue had contributed a lot in bringing Indian American communities together. Kachuck remarks, "We saw the largest-ever number of Indian families this year. It's exciting to see that we've made that connection," he said.