An elevating visit to an enchanting city

The writer (C) with fellow Shadhona delegates at the historic Qutub Minar.

Delhi, known for its extravagant architectural wonders and tradition, welcomed us, a Bangladeshi troupe of artistes to perform recently. Our group that had 16 dancers from Shadhona, and a few singers and an elocutionist - was invited in collaboration with the Bangladesh High Commission Delhi, to perform at a two-day programme set at the India Habitat Center's Stein Auditorium on June 19-20. Shadhona has had the honour to tour its dance dramas and works to India numerous times; therefore the journey to Delhi was not a first. But the experience truly was.
Our arrival was on June 17, where we stepped out of the airport dressed like a squad in red t-shirts, into the blistering 41 degrees Celsius  above our heads. The heat brought out the best in us. As we realised, one strategy about the  Delhi sun, you just got to own it! And therefore we learnt to go about experiencing the sun-kissed days, an occasional downpour of rain in the evening, the flamboyant  monumental wonders like the Qutub Minar, Humayun' s Tomb and the ecstatic feel of shopping out in the open. We  had a bus accommodating our large group, taking us to our rehearsal venues and auditorium, and of course, sightseeing and shopping!
On the 19th, we showcased a number of dance pieces collaged into the theme “From Finite to Infinite”. It walked towards the journey of spiritual performances of what is called Bangladesh from medieval times, starting from the first Buddhist Charya dances that we learnt from teachers in Nepal, with Shadhona's founder Lubna Marium  painstaking  research. Later Manipuri dance and dances on songs of Bauls were performed, which sealed the essence of the spiritual journey Bangladesh stems from.
The second day, 20th, consisted of conveying Tagore's mystical experiences into a narrative form.  Named, “Towards light”, it was based on excerpts of songs, poems and memoirs of Tagore. Dancers performed to the songs that were sung live on stage and along with recitation by Mita Rahman, blissfully trailed the performance to Tagore's earnest and eccentric language.
All of us were  later invited to a dinner by the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi marking the last day of the tour, where were warmly were greeted and bid farewell to the  commission insiders.
The trip, it its short duration adjoined the perfect union of elevating the Bangali culture to the hearts of India. All of us took back something from the experience, not only in our suitcases, but in our souls as well. We were transported and moved in the four-day stay, and I, personally, would not fail to cherish all of our little memories that streamed to one.
We are indebted to the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi for their kind invite and correspondence and also, Lubna Marium, who, with her unending efforts, continues to shine bright on all of us performers.

The writer is an aspiring dancer.