Vahanas: God’s Own Vehicles, a Bharatanatyam Performance

Inspired by the Vahanas or the animal vehicles in the Hindu Pantheon, Malathi Iyengar creates dances that portray these mythological figures through symbols and story telling. The significance of these Vahanas lies both in the mundane and the spiritual. Using vibrant rhythms, sweeping gestures, and facial expressions, dancers showcase Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance) and folk movements to depict the gods and their animal mounts.