This book is a kind of enchiridion. It is lucidly written, with a purpose to inspire and inform its readers about those performing art forms of India that today stand on the verge of getting lost. Prof. Kiran Seth, founder of SPIC MACAY has pointed out a provocative irony about such endangered performing arts. He observes:
When Ustad Asad Ali Khan passed away, it suddenly struck me that future generations would not possibly hear the Rudra Veena played in the majestic 'Khandarvani' style that he had mastered. A legacy passed down through many generations has only one doubtful inheritor. When the tiger was getting extinct the dwindling numbers were carefully recorded and great efforts were and are being made to make sure that our children and their progeny do not miss out on this beautifully evolved animal. However, a treasure chest of our heritage has just disappeared and very little attention is being paid to this fact.
Art forms such as Dhrupad, Biraha and Koodiyattam, instruments such as Rudra Veena, Sarangi, and Gottuvadyam are struggling for their survival in today's time. Performing arts such as Koodiyattam and Baul have been recognised as the 'masterpieces of the oral and intangible traditions of humanity', not by the Indian Government but by UNESCO. Gross negligence has been happening to the best of our heritage that has been handed down to us after centuries of experimentation.
The purpose of Indian art forms has never been to create a mere performer or an artist. They were developed not just to provide entertainment. Their training necessarily comprises some meditative states that help its practitioners turn inwards for an intuitive awareness that finally results in creativity and emerges as new forms of artistic expressions.
For several centuries, using their own body and mind as a laboratory, our ancestors have conducted extensive research in the inner domain to infer abstract, subtle, inspiring, and mystical truths. Consequently, their discoveries got reflected through varied art forms. Our arts have imbibed elements of yoga and meditation to reach states of intense experiences. They have acted as mediums to pass on the best of our heritage to newer generations. Their approach is very similar to modern-day scientific research. The results of such experimentation are in the intangible domain and are still useful for uplifting the human consciousness.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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