India-Japan Friendship Year 2007

Last Friday we went to see a performance of Manipuri Dance at the Nakijin Community Center. This performance was held under the India-Japan Friendship Year 2007 celebrations. Performers from different parts of India have been touring different parts of Japan and I hope vice versa! :) Thanks to such performances and cultural exchange between India and Japan, perhaps there can be a greater awareness of India in Japan. Also, it is under these strong bilateral relations that so many Indians got selected for JET!

To be really honest, I was sceptical about going to see the performance. I decided at the last hour that I must go. I do not really know the reason for my hesitancy. Maybe I have been exiling myself to much ... Nonetheless, I am very glad to have gone! I am the representative of my country and it was nice to realise that I wasn't completely lost and was actually able to recall and explain to my friends what the performance was about!

Yes, my eyes watered to think how rich my culture is!! I felt proud at that moment to be from India. To hell with those who made me feel small for not being from a developed nation. If only people could see this and know that India is not just an over-populated proverty-ridden nation without anything civilized! If only my country had better direction and governing...

Anyhow, these are the performers being introduced:





They warmed the audience with sword fighing and druming, stuff the Japanese would enjoy, before getting to the main dance :

In this rendition, the gopis {cow shepherdesses}and Radha celebrate holi with Lord Krishna, who torments Radha with his excessive flirting. After realising his mistake, Krishna apologizes, Radha forgives him and their pure platonic love is deified by the gopis.