Poetry Performance: the Sacred Bride - Poems of Janabai, Rumi, St. Theresa of Avila and Surdas

The Sacred Bride: Poems of Janabai, Rumi, St. Theresa of Avila and Surdas
In the forests of Tulasi,
Jani unravels her plaits
Butter in hand,
Chakrapani massages her head
‘My Jani has no one'
Having said that,
God pours the water
Jani tells everybody
‘My dear friend is bathing me’
_-Janabai_
We do not need a philosopher to tell us that our life is a compound of joy and sorrow, pleasure
and pain, ecstasy and agony, birth and death.
And that we cannot opt for one and reject the other, for they always come in twos, like two sides
of the same coin.
Life is a question mark and the search for meaning is a never-ending search. Therefore, the
urge to self- transcendence is a spiritual quest in us.
This spiritual quest may take different forms and follow multiple paths. Each path is a promise to
reach a state of tranquility.
Love makes life bearable and beautiful but for how long?
In the quest for self-transcendence mystics like Janabai (13th Cen), Rumi (12th Cen), St.
Theresa of Avila (15th Cen) and Surdas (16th Cen) composed poems of pain and ecstasy.
Pain that came from longing and ecstasy that came from union, led to the creation of some of
the finest mystical writings.
In the journey of merging with the divine, one becomes the lover and the divine becomes the
beloved.
The poet often becomes the bride and the divine- the bridegroom.
Such Poems of love and longing use erotic metaphors to depict the deep yearning for the
mystical union.
The Sacred Bride is a collection of poems of four divine brides: Janabai , Rumi, St. Theresa of
Avila and Surdas- yearning to meet their beloved to eternally emulsify and become one with the
divine.
These sacred poems are woven like flowers in a prayerful garland using music and movement
to be offered at the altar of Love.

Designed and Directed by Dr. Omkar Bhatkar
Duration 70 mins.

Click the link below to book your tickets now!

https://carpediemmajorda.myinstamojo.com/product/5007855/performance-poetry-the-sacred-bride-3rd-marc/

Sunday, 3rd March'24 | 6:30 pm

About Dr. Omkar Bhatkar

Dr. Omkar Bhatkar is a Sociologist and his doctoral thesis deals with Proxemics and Social Ecology. He teaches at Department of Mass Media Studies at St. Andrew’s College. His scholarly interest comprises Epistemology, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Phenomenology, and Aesthetics along with Media Studies, Film Theory, Art History, Semiotics, Post Modern Theory and Sociology.

He is the Co-Founder and Head of ‘St. Andrew’s Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts’ – an art and culture Centre in Mumbai, known for its eclectic programs. He runs his own theatre troupe known as Metamorphosis Theatre Inc. With Metamorphosis Theatre Inc, he has written and directed more than twenty plays, several of them being part of Art and Theatre Festivals. He largely works in Theatre with Poetry in Motion, Physical Theatre, Existentialist Themes, Monologues and Contemporary French Plays in Translation. In collaboration with Alliance Française de Bombay he has directed Ten Contemporary French Plays in English.

He is also Stage Critic and reviews Plays for Mumbai Theatre Guide. Amongst his various creative passions, his indulgences include Reading, Writing Poetry, Painting, Letter Writing, Travelling across the countryside and Conversations over Chāi.