Why do we hear so little about women mystical poets? For poet Arundhati Subramaniam and Carnatic singer Chitra Srikrishna, this quest led to the discovery of women mystics and their work. The duo will be sharing what they have learned as jugalbandis at the Indian Music Experience in Bangalore on June 16.
As a creative experiment, “Wild Women – A Jugalbandi” is a companion piece to Arundhati’s latest book, a collection of Indian sacred poetry, ” The Wild Woman: Seeker, Protagonist, and Goddess in Indian Sacred Poetry Chitra performs a few verses on the melody.
” Jugalbandi “My collaboration with poet Arundhati was born out of our shared passion for bhakti poetry. I had invited her as a guest lecturer when I was teaching a Music Appreciation course at Ahmedabad University and we delved into the roots of the bhakti movement, the works of mystic poets and its social impact. Arundhati shared her insights about bhakti mystics and their poetry. During the pandemic, we started discussing a collaboration inspired by our shared love for this poetic tradition,” says Chitra.
For Chitra, this is Jugalbandi This is a natural result of the success of her previous musical works. Bhakti – A Musical Journey with Mystics, Launched across local and global platforms, “This unique collaboration aims to blend Arundhati’s insights into Bhakti poetry with my musical interpretations to create a new experience based on her book that delves deeper into the essence of mysticism and music, highlighting the outpouring of the divine feminine,” she says.
Did they choose the right poem for it? Raga and Tara“The programme is a creative dialogue in which Arundhati will present poetry and I will interpret it musically. Miridanga“Some of the poems selected have already been set to music by eminent musicians like Pt. Kumar Gandharva and Lata Mangeshkar, while others I have set to music, including Kashmiri poems by Lal Ded and Rupa Bhavani,” says Chitra.
Deepika Sreenivasan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangements
Understanding the deep-rooted meanings in the stanzas of poetry was essential for Chitra to gain proper appreciation. Raga “The selection of poems was a collaborative effort. I chose the poems from a musical perspective and to see if they would appeal to a diverse audience. The poems sung in this song are: Jugalbandi They span a range of languages including Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi and Kashmiri.”
While reading the poems in Arundhati’s book, Chitra realised how little she knew about Bhakti poetry: “I was unfamiliar with the poets, the diversity of vernacular poetry in its original form, and the nuances of poetic appreciation such as rhyme and alliteration.”
This book celebrates the divine feminine through 14 lesser known masterpieces, showcasing poetic expressions from different eras and regions.Number From 18th century Kashmir’s Laleshwari (also known as Lal Ded) and Tamil pet Avdai Akkal to notable personalities like Andal and Meera.
“Translation plays a vital role in unlocking the beauty of local poetry and helping people appreciate the lyrical elegance and deep insight of the poets,” says Chitra.
Wild Woman – A Jugalbandi will take place at the Indian Music Experience on June 16th from 6-7pm.
Wild Woman Author Arundhati Subramaniam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Not for the faint of heart
Arundhati Subramaniam said Metro Plus About her recent book, in which the mysteries of female mystics are unravelled:
Tell us a little about Wild Woman…
As a poet and seeker, I have long been fascinated by the sacred literature of the subcontinent. Wild WomanWhat prompted me to write this book was my curiosity about the women mystic poets of this land. Why do we hear so little about them, and when we do, why are we only hearing about them as humble singers and obedient followers? As I began to research, I became fascinated by the countless bold women of this subcontinent, many of whom are unmapped and unrecorded. A few well-known women are depicted in calendar art; others are simply ignored or forgotten.
Above all, I was struck by the force of their poetry — its intensity, its tolerance for dialogue and dissent, its anger, passion, eroticism, ecstasy, and the exhilarating spirit of freedom and exploration that has unfolded in the archives of this continent’s sacred women poets — a reminder of our astonishingly courageous and irreverent sacred ancestors who deserve to be better known.
Would you say this book is essential reading for anyone exploring the Bhakti movement?
This is not just an anthology of Bhakti poets. It is an anthology of women of various religious persuasions. Early Buddhist nuns, Tantrika, Bhakta, VedantaSufis are a diverse bunch: some are contemplative, some are devout, some are intellectual and some are deeply feeling.
This blending was an essential element of this book. It was meant to celebrate diverse spiritual temperaments and orientations, and it argued that, for all our vivid differences, we are part of a great sisterhood that deserves to be celebrated. Here was a group of women who asked hard questions, refused to settle for easy answers, and, above all, refused to be subservient to the gatekeepers of faith or culture.
Can you tell me some?
The women in these pages are seekers and mystics, but their poetry is not just MokshaThese poems also speak of subversion and social critique: Punnika, a slave girl, empowered by the Buddha’s teachings on equality, asks pertinent questions about caste inequalities and converts a ritualistic Brahmin, something that happened 2,500 years ago.
The 14th-century Dalit mystic Soyarabai from Maharashtra wrote poetry questioning why menstruation, a fundamental part of human life, is considered impure. The later Tamil Brahmin widow Avudai Akal questioned notions of ritual impurity, and the 18th-century Telugu poet Tarigonda Vengamamba refused to bow to religious authority. She defied widowhood norms by wearing vermilion clothing and adorning her hair with jewels and flowers.
These are not submissive women. These are women who will not be tamed by priests or scholars, religious guardians or cultural guardians. These are wild and wise women.
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