Holi Ki Raas Leela at Serendipity Arts Festival, 2018

In the upcoming season of festivities, witness and celebrate mesmerising works of art at Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, from 15-22nd December, 2018. The grand event is on its way to becoming the largest art festival in India, featuring 87 projects across 7 disciplines of performing, visual and culinary arts. Holi Ki Raas Leela is one of the prime attractions of the dance discipline which has been curated by a prominent Bharatanatyam dancer & choreographer, Leela Samson. Over her extravagant career, Leela Samson has served as the Director, Kalakshetra ; Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, and Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification, amongst others. She has been awarded several national and international awards for her massive contribution to the field of dance.

The performance of Raas Leela, even known as the dance of love comes straight from the native land of Vrindavan and will bring alive the festival of holi in the beaches of Goa. Performed by the Shri Radha Kripa Raasleela Sansthan, it aims to indulge the audience in a devotional trance, celebrating the mystics of Lord Krishna.

According to legends, Raas Leela or Raas Dance was a gesture of the unconditional love of Gopis for Lord Krishna. The term Rasa stands for aesthetic and Leela for act or dance. It translates into English as ‘Play of Aesthetics’. The epic, Bhagavata Purana, is one of the primary texts describing Lord Krishna's Raas Leela, while many other Indian works of literature like the Gita Govinda have also extensively explored the theme. Herein, Lord Krishna dances with Radha and her Sakhis (friends) for an entire night, celebrating the colorful festival of Holi in the month of Vasant (spring). According to Hindu cosmology, it is alleged that this night lasted for over 4.32 billion year, due to Krishna’s magical powers. In contemporary times too, the celebration of Holi festival in Vrindavan, specially features the Raas Leela dance, accompanied by another age old practice of ‘Lath Mar Holi’.

So witness this mystical dance performance at SAF 2018, laden with flowers and colors. Travelling from the land of Vrindavan to the coastal region of Goa, the spirited dance engages a variety of colours, movements, and sounds. The Serendipity Arts Festival has a free entry procedure and only requires prior registration on the website www.serendipityartsfestival.com. You can also volunteer at the festival for a stimulating experience of the arts world! Volunteering opportunities will help you gain an experience in giving guided tours, production assistance, artist management, backstage work etc. What more? You get the rare opportunity to experience Goa like a native! So wait no more, and book your tickets to join the celebration at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, from 15-22nd December.

Tushar Sharma is an author who associated with Event of Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa.