Ancient arts, ancient secrets

When I was growing up, a curious phenomenon was becoming more and more popular every day. It was called The Mozart Effect. Based on the research of Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky (1993) and published in Nature, it showed a temporary enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning. Of course, misguided music columnists soon took up the battle on behalf of Mozart and turned the science into semi-fiction by claiming it increases your IQ and makes you much smarter. No matter, hidden in the entire rubble of sensationalist literature, one thing remained quite certain: music can affect your brain. Not only that, a study, which was recently published in Sweden, found that people who frequented museums, art exhibitions, concerts and movies live significantly longer than those who do not.

Over the years, healing arts has become a new-age concept, with both the believers and the sceptics holding on to their ground furiously. Hence, when the International Ancient Arts Festival/Symposium 2011 came to New Delhi at Azad Bhawan on the 10th and 11th of May and at the India Habitat Centre on the 12th and the 13th of May, it was an opportunity for me to go and experience this great debate by myself as the highlight of the event was the therapeutic role of ancient arts in restoring individual health and harmony. Our country is one of the richest sources of ancient arts. Poetry, hymns, dance and other forms of rich creative expression have been a part of our ancient history. Could they have a story to tell? Could we have the equivalent of The Mozart Effect in our own ancient arts?

The festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, on 10th May and the festival began with a performance by a musical orchestra group all the way from Kazakhstan. Toward the end of this evening of music and dance, and lectures on the importance of arts education, one couldn’t help but feel truly refreshed. Being one among the millions milling around the maddening cities, where hypertension, cardiac problems and mental disorders are on the rise, this evening, and the ones that followed, offered a much-needed respite to me. Odissi Danseuse, spiritualist and the Festival Director, Reela Hota, shared with us that the festival aimed to “highlight how dance can help achieve a more balanced lifestyle and rounded personality in a common man’s life filled with stress and strain.” Artistic pursuits, whether as an artist or as an audience, allow us to relax and for some time enables us to go beyond the immediate and into something that has timeless beauty. A recent brain mapping study conducted at the University College, London has also shown the release of Dopamine, the feel good hormone, when we are deeply involved in any artistic pursuit. After all, who doesn’t feel the tremendous power in the sonorous rising waves of a symphony?

In the following days, a delicate string-tugging art form known as the Kathputli was performed by Puran Bhatt and Group while Odissi dancer Guru Gajendra Panda gave an awe-inspiring performance of interpretations of stories from the Mahabharata and other scriptures. The eyes, the face, the hands, the legs, all work in magnificent harmony to project a story which takes a place deep within you. Delhiites also got to witness the rare Gaaradi Dance from Puducherry at the festival. It is said that the form had a mythological origin. The Gaaradi dancers are the legendary Vanars (monkeys) of Rama’s army, celebrating his victory over the evil Ravana. However, the spotlight throughout the festival remained on the healing properties of arts, and where on one hand I appreciated their skill and grace, on the other I mused about how dance is also used as a therapy these days to treat mental and psychological problems, including cerebral palsy. Dance Movement Therapy is a form of expressive therapy, and is based on the idea that our physical body and our emotions are interlinked, and thus by changing the way we move, our emotions and also the way we perceive ourselves can be changed. The ultimate purpose of dance therapy is to find a healthy balance and a holistic sense of self.
Dr Pankaj Mala Sharma of Punjab University gave a talk on Vedic Origin of Sound and Healing in the Festival, and provided brilliant insight about the healing practices mentioned in the different Vedas. She said, “The Vedas are for everyone. It is not something to be kept hidden in some holy place, but to be used in our daily lives.” She also explained, “The fourth Veda, the Atharva Veda, contained verses, which would be used if there were any spiritual or physical health issues faced by the yogis. This is today known as Ayurveda.” The Vedas mention that sound was one of the primordial sources of creation, and that it can be used as a therapeutic tool. Ragas and certain notes can help calm nerves, soothe the agitation of the mind and develop concentration. Gems of wisdom are hidden in our own works, and it would just take an inquisitive spirit to understand and apply the Vedic practices.
In other spiritual orders such as shamanism and druidism, drums, beats and chants have been used to take practitioners to levels which would be near impossible to reach without music. Songs and dances have remained deeply intertwined with the celebration of life and triumphs of humanity. The talks by Dr Alka Pande, on spirituality and the visual arts, brought out the idea that in all human creative expressions, spirituality is present bountifully, no matter which art form it is.
Dr T. Mythily, a behaviourist Music Therapist at Apollo Hospital, brought a scientific, neurological viewpoint on the debate of music and healing, and explained how the brain of the foetus responds to music and may be more capable of learning if it is made to hear music when in the womb. She claimed, “All the cases in which I have used music, there has been no premature deliveries. Not even one.”
The final performance of the four-day festival, which so beautifully showcased some of the finest creative expressions of the human spirit, was a collaboration by G.S. Rajan on the flute and Jina Choi on the piano. As I forgot about my worries mesmerised by the music, the cathartic experience reinforced my belief in the power of arts. I recommend you give the arts a chance too…