Dance-Drama On King Ashoka’s Transformation From A Lethal Warrior To An Exponent Of Buddhism Enthralls Audience

New Delhi: King Ashoka’s two important principles of all contemporary forms of governance ‘welfare of all’ and ‘inclusiveness’ were the subject of a mesemerising dance-drama presented by Odissi exponent, Guru Kabita Mohanty and renowned Chau dancer Rakesh Sai Babu at the five-day Atulya Bharat 2018 programme organized by North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture.

The jugalbandi left the audience spellbound on the third day of the splendid event in New Delhi on Friday.

The dance-drama followed the Odissi style of dance and music. It was narrated through the voice of the ‘Shilalipi’ or stone inscription constructed on the foothills of Dhauli on the banks of river Daya near Bhubaneswar in Odisha.

The script was narrated by Dr Sujit Kumar Pruseth. The artistic and creative adoption of the theme of the dance-drama was done by Kabita Mohanty.

The journey of the concepts, ‘welfare of all’ and ‘inclusiveness’ as guiding principles in a written format can be traced back to the era of King Ashoka in the aftermath of the Kalinga War. The destruction, deaths, pain, suffering and heartbreaking wailing of the bereaved had cast a tremendous impact on the war-mongering Ashoka.

Subsequently, he transformed into a benevolent monarch. His good work earned him the name of Devanam Priya Priyadarshi, which was artistically presented through this dance drama at a national forum.

The 24 spokes of the Ashoka-wheel (Ashoka Chakra) represent the 24 distinct principles like peace, non-violence, tolerance, welfare etc. and emerge as the guiding principles of state-craft towards welfare of all. The principles championed by King Ashoka in the aftermath of the Kalinga War still have enduring relevance in contemporary times. In this dance drama, Kabita Mohanty presented these valuable social themes.