Dasamahavidya and the Ten Great Paths of Wisdom

Dr Chandrabhanu OAM will present a live performance of his magnum opus the Dasamahavidya, performed for the first time by the Jambudvipa Dance Ensemble.

The 2-hour event offers audiences an opportunity to experience this classical Odissi Indian dance work – the culmination of Dr Chandrabhanu’s decades-long practice – which also features in a video installation in the Library’s exhibition.

Audiences will witness each of the 10 forms of the Hindu goddess Kali, brought to life through intricate movement, vivid storytelling and rich symbolic language.

While passing on his choreography to the next generation of artists, Dr Chandrabhanu will share insights into the work’s history and symbolism as well as his creative process, offering deeper cultural and artistic context.

Following the performance, Dr Chandrabhanu will be in-conversation with a curator from Creative Acts, speaking on the process of developing the work, its connection to the wider themes of the exhibition, and the significance of passing this onto new artists for the first time.

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Melbourne-based artist Dr Chandrabhanu Haroon has decades of experience in various forms of Indian classical dance and performing arts. In 1973, he established Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy (CBA) that offers classes in Odissi, Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. His research and choreography weave together elements of aesthetics, mysticism and scholarship.

Some of his prominent choreographies such as the Sapta Matrika and Dasa Mahavidya incorporate his knowledge of Shaktism and Tantric meditation that centers the Goddesses of Hinduism in his practice. As part of the exhibition, Dr Chandrabhanu features in a film that documents significant poses and movements of all ten reincarnations of Kali in the Dasa Mahavidya.

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Views expressed by the speakers do not necessarily represent the views of the State Library Victoria.

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