Tripaadi Ganga

Over 300 attendees watched in awe and admiration, a once in a life time production of Tripaadi Ganga, at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts in Andover on December 5, 2015. Rare is such an elaborate production from the Natya Shastra in the United States, and rarer still, it is to see a Master Artist of the caliber of Smt. Sailaja Chowdary Tummala performing in her full glory. Held to benefit the construction of OM Hindu Community Center in N. Billerica, Sailaja Ji of Sri Kuchipudi Natyalaya came forward to raise funds for the Center in full support of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA).

Composed and produced by Guru Sri Pasumarthi Ramalinga Sastry, Tripaadi Ganga had a cast of 35 students with the main character of Ma Ganga played with absolute perfection by Sailaja ji. Several hundred hours of collective practice and work was evident even to an untrained eye, with a full team of parents assisting with stage props, costumes, visual back drops, sound system, fog machine, recordings, and all the many details necessary to bring such a large production to life. All the students, admirably fitted to their roles in this drama, danced adeptly and close to perfection. The emotions and facial expressions displayed by Ma Ganga, in all her three roles as the heroine of the dance drama were just right without being overdone. Why all this hard work? Sailaja Ji explained, to impress on the students the need to do everything to the point of perfection. The teacher is a role model and what she does has a direct impact on the students whether consciously or unconsciously. She recalls her own Guru working extremely hard to the point of perfection, which legacy she carries to this day. The power and the enormous energy displayed comes from doing selfless work for a cause she believes in. A Center that becomes the epicenter of culture and education in the New England area with many streams of Indian thought and art assimilating is her vision.

Dr. Abhaya Asthana, President of VHPA, in his brief presentation during a 10 minute hiatus, shared his vision of such a Center where such exceptional cultural shows can be held on a regular basis. His first objective is to preserve our Sanatana Dharma in America so the children can become practitioners and advocates of it. Secondly, his goal is to articulate Hindu American needs in order to fulfill them. Thirdly, his objective is to inspire the evolution and progression of American society with our values and way of life. With these lofty aims in mind, an initiative to build a cultural and educational institute called Om Hindu Community Center (OMHCC) has begun. Dr. Asthana clarified that we have built over 900 temples but there is no community center for taking care of the intergenerational needs of the community for the 3 million Hindus living in America. There is a pressing need for supporting everyone from babies to elders. Access and facility for holding day care, Balvihar, dance, art, music, kumon, and SAT prep classes, ayurvedic, homeopathic, and health guidance clinics, marriage counselling, senior activities, festival celebrations, puja, sanskar ceremonies, satsang, parties, educational seminars, meetings, yoga and meditation, and an auditorium for holding programmed large events is much needed. It is surprising that this enormous need has gone unmet for such a long time despite the Indian diaspora being the wealthiest immigrant group in this country. Shri and Smt. Tej Tandon have generously donated an 11 acre parcel of land on the banks of the Concord River along with seed money to start OMHCC. Clearing of site has begun and 1.3 million dollars have thus far been raised for completion of phase 1 construction, the ground floor, of a four story (24,000 sq. ft.) building. The full cost of the construction is estimated to be 6 million dollars.

There are many ways to donate. A person may donate their time and energy as a volunteer and/or donate the much needed funds, either in the memory of a loved one or in celebration of a birthday or anniversary. All contributions for the building, which are tax-deductible, would be appreciated. An individual can contribute an engraved Brick ($5,000) which will be placed in the Main Lobby or sponsor an individual area of the building, that includes the Auditorium ($1M), Meditation Hall (500K), Dining Hall (400K), Kitchen (250K), Library (175K), Conference Rooms (150K), Elevator (100K), Stairwell (50K), Landscape (50K), Statue Trail (50K), Office (30K), Coat Room (25K), Statues (15K), Guest Rooms (15K), Outdoor Drinking Fountains, Tent, and Nature Trail (5K each) that could be named after the donor or in memory of a departed loved one. A check may be made payable to OM-HCC and sent to P.O. Box 6323, Holliston, MA 01746

For more information and for donating online go to: www.om-hcc.org

The history of Ma Ganga spans all four Yugas. In the Natya Shastra, Ma Ganga is portrayed in the three roles typically assigned to heroines: Sweeya (one who is married and is faithful to her husband), Parakeeya (one who is married to one but loves another) and Samanya (one who is free spirited and belongs to everyone). In the Satya Yuga, Ma Ganga emerged from the feet of Sri Maha Vishnu when He dances in total ecstasy with Sri Mahalakshmi in Vishnuloka. She is pure and sacred born in Satya Yuga.

In Treta Yuga, king Bhagiratha learns that the only way to bring salvation to his cursed ancestors is to sprinkle their remains with the holy water of Ma Ganga. Engaging in severe tapas, he implores Ma Ganga to come to Bhuloka to save his ancestors. Secretly always in love with Mahadeva and wishing to be near Him, Ma Ganga consents to come to earth if Mahadeva holds her in his locks to soften her descent to avoid shattering Bhuloka. King Bhagiratha sets out to Shivaloka and prays to please Mahadeva and when given a boon makes his request.  This way, Mahadeva holds Ganga in his matted locks and lets her down gently on earth to help Bhagiratha save his ancestors from permanent doom. In this entire incident, Ma Ganga is played in the role of Sweeya Nayika, one who loves Mahadeva and acts as his consort.

Ma Ganga is next depicted as a Parakeeya Nayika in the Dwapara Yuga. In the assembly of Brahma, a gandharva named Mahabhisha, falls in love with Ganga where she is unable to resist the courting glances of Mahabhisha. Brahma, angered by this moral infraction in his court, curses them both to be born in Bhuloka. Upon pleading by both, Brahma softens the shrapa allowing Ganga to return from Bhuloka after she has submerged and uplifted eight cursed vasus in her holy water. Ganga also extracts a promise from Brahma that this incident would never taint her purity and sacredness in any way in the future. True to prophecy, Mahabhisha is born as the king Shantanu of Hastinapura and promptly falls in love with Ganga. She marries him after he promises never to question her actions whatever they may be.  As each vasu is born, with much anguish as a mother, she submerges all seven vasus in her own holy water releasing them from their cursed life while Shantanu watches helplessly unable to question her, afraid of losing her. With the birth of the eighth vasu, her anguish reaches a point where she secretly hopes that Shantanu would question her. As soon as Shantanu asks her motive for drowning all the new born babies, she leaves him. The eighth vasu is later known as Bhishma in the history of the Mahabharata.

In Kali Yuga, Ganga is portrayed in her familiar form of Samanya Nayika. She flows through hills and plains enriching the land with her water so crops can grow and provide the necessary sustenance to the rich and poor alike. People worship her for her purity, bathe in her, and submerge the ashes of departed ones for their moksha. It is held that a person who leaves his physical body in Varanasi, the abode of Mahadeva, situated along the bank of Ma Ganga, becomes liberated. The bottled water of Ganga does not become contaminated by developing bacterial or any other growth, no matter how long it is kept. It maintains its purity. Despite much research in Labs, this pure water cannot be replicated. Ma Ganga, as the name implies, is a mother to all her children and nourishes all impartially and holds a special place in the hearts of all Hindus.

Special thanks to the children of Southboro Balvihar for Bhavgeet, Amrita Pai for her bhajans, and Navneet Sharma for singing a song in praise of Ma Ganga.

Recognition and thanks is extended to all who helped in the production of Tripaadi Ganga:

VHP of America is a national organization which has among its objectives to unite Hindus by instilling in them devotion to the Hindu way of life, to cultivate self-respect and respect for all people, and to establish contacts with Hindus all over the world. For more information please visit http://www.vhp-america.org/ 

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