Simultaneously, he started studying Manipuri from Nabhakumar Sinha, who was also in Mumbai teaching Manipuri. They enter dancing gracefully and open the boxes of their makeup.

Opening his third eye, Lord Shiva turns Kamadeva into ashes. His father was in the business of lending money. The 1930s and 1940s were the years when the entire nation was all agog with the spirit of nationalism and wanted to assert its own Indian identity.

This was the time when Uday Shankar and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s influences were felt everywhere in the art world. However, I do appreciate Papiha and other friends’ suggestions to write on the life and career of Nataraj Vashi and his dancer/architect wife Parveena. Seeing this, his wife Rati cries and begs of Lord Shiva to bring him back to life.Then appear on the backstage paintings of large sculptures of Trimurti, the three-headed God Shiva from the 6th century caves of Elephanta.During that period, Kathakali Guru Madhavan Nair was running classes in Kathakali in Mumbai.Born on August 23 in 1914, in a village named Dhamadachha on the banks of the Ambika river near Amalsad in south Gujarat, in a Brahmin family, Natavar, addressed with affection as Natu, had shown his talents for dancing and acting. He moved to Mumbai where Natu studied in the Fellowship School where he took part in folk dancing, Garbi, Dandiya raas, and also played various roles in drama. He sits in meditation.I was browsing through the colourful programme book Nataraj Vashi gave me to have a look at, telling me to wait for a while when he will be done with his client for legal advice!I had gone to interview Nataraj Vashi in his well appointed flat at Malabar Hill. The date: May 21, 1946, Monday night.Opening with the Mangalacharan, dancers Praveena, Minal and Lakshmi, in colourful costumes and attractive hairdos, a la one sees in Ajanta frescoes, offered flowers to the God presiding over the stage.

Next enters a Gandharva, a divine musician, and moves happily in heaven.Then enters Indra, the Lord of heaven, asking his charioteer Matali to summon his son Arjuna to get ready and fight with the demon Kalakeya, bringing along with him the divine weapon Pashupatastra he had won after conducting the penance of Lord Shiva. They offered salutations to the gods, placed the instruments on the stage, bowed to them and the audience asking permission to perform. His daughter, dancer Papiha Desai, asked me to write on Nataraj Vashi, who her father had worked with and knew him for his innovations, large-scale production and making a name in the United States by 1946. But his time is over and he is summoned back. Looking into the mirror, they decorate themselves with hair ornaments, apply black to the eye, place red dot kumkum on the forehead, and so on looking again and again into the mirror overcome by their own beauty.The scene changes. But the sheer acting won over the audience which burst forth into loud clapping.I looked up my dance collection and did find only two photos as the rest of the brochures and programme notes and photos are somewhere in my collection in Baroda. The dance of Shiva is performed by the principal dancer Nataraj Vashi.

There is neither a mirror, nor any ornaments. Natavar started studying Kathakali, underwent rigorous oil massages to build his body. Lord Shiva blesses her, telling her that Kamadeva will be in every human being minus the physical body, "atanau", and will be always the God of love. A violent fight took place between Kalakeya the adjustable bath and shower chair factory demon and Arjuna the warrior, resulting in the defeat of Kalakeya and Arjuna returning victorious, establishing peace in heaven.

The venue is: The Belasco Theatre, 115, West 44th street, East of Broadway, New York City. A close friend of Susheel Jhaveri and Nayana Jhaveri, my friends, Nataraj Vashi had agreed to talk about his fascinating career with me. Enter two beautiful maidens.After my article on Yog Sundar, the prince who turned into a dancer, I received several emails to write about a few more dancers from Gujarat and some who were contemporaries of Uday Shankar, Ram Gopal and Yog Sundar. The dancer appears on the stage with a damaru, a drum, and plays it with great energy. Kamadeva, the lord of love, Cupid arrives and shoots a flowery arrow to draw his attention to the beautiful maiden Parvati who is doing penance. The curtain rises and the audience is transported to the mythological world of Hindu Gods and Goddesses

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