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Back The Dance of Durga Save as PDF
Chapters (28)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Rajjo
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. Durga
  14. 1
  15. 2
  16. 3
  17. 4
  18. 5
  19. 6
  20. 7
  21. 8
  22. 9
  23. 10
  24. 11
  25. 12
  26. Acknowledgements
  27. About the Book
  28. About the Author

Rajjo was spinning faster, wanting to get closer to the moment when he was beside her. He sat holding her hand, wanting her soul to drink in the nectar, to abandon the egos and personal desires through music, reaching closer to all creation. She had laughed at him again, dismissing his sincere efforts to warm up her cold heart. But now as she moved in a circular motion, she was closer to him. His voice echoed in her ear. She could feel the semazen’s camel hair hat sitting on her head, representing the tombstone of ego, and the wide white skirt swirling around her in a circular motion – her ego’s shroud. Her arms now open as she whirled, one hand pointing to the ground, the other pointing to the skies, ready to receive god’s beneficience, embracing all humanity with love. She wanted to stop but the whirling had taken over her mind and body. She was not in control anymore. ‘Semazen conveys God’s spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema, the customary dance performance through which the performers, the semazens, reach the source of all perfection – and send the message that human being is created from love in order to love.’ Harsh whispers echoed in her head till there was nothing else but a beautiful white light blinding her eyes. There was no earth beneath, there was no sky above, as she was suspended from a fathomless place. Bathed in silvery moonlight she was floating far away, closer to the mango trees in her village, unable to stop herself until a hand held her tight and dragged her all the way back to the terrace. Icy cold water numbed her senses, till the whirling stopped, the chaos within calmed. Devi’s soothing whispers brought her back into her mind and her senses. A crackling noise erupted in her dead ear. The silence was broken in her deaf ear after a decade. She tried to whisper into Devi’s ear as she passed out. ‘The terrace with kites and twinkling lights invites angels and lovers on a full moon night.’

5

5

RAJJO stood at the highest level of the Mantap Hall from where she could reach out and gather fistful of clouds from the sky. She was waiting for the sermon and other formalities to get over so she could retire for the day. Lately her days seemed to drag on endlessly.