" My trip to the French West Indies was a very memorable one. I enjoyed right from the moment I set foot at the airport in Martinique; a gorgeous island tucked away in the warm coast of the Atlantic Ocean. I was accompanied by my musicians - Girija Ramaswamy, Srinivasan, Haribabu and Srividhya Rajaraman. The President of La Federation Des Associations Indo - Martinique welcomed us. It was nice to see the unassuming people there who showered warmth and hospitality. As an Indian gathering welcomed us, Tagore's poems were read... I was then given flowers which I had to offer to the sea in commemoration of the Indian workers there. The French and African ladies, who were clad in saris, read out letters, expressing their pleasure to have us there...

My first workshop in Martinique was at the St. James College, where I had to speak about our rich culture and tradition. I had an interpreter and the people were completely engrossed in what we presented. Most of them knew about India and its lifestyle though they had not seen much of the Indian dance. Surprisingly, two girls performed a film folk song with few Adavus and this really impressed me.

My next workshop was at the Louis Delgres College. There was more interaction here and the students had many queries. They were interested in the intricate details about our culture. The place came alive with lots of paintings of our Indian deities. We also visited a beautiful church and an ancient library almost 100 years old. My performance here received a good response.

I then flew to Guadeloupe, another island with volcanic mountains soaring skyward, beautiful landscape and a breath-taking coastline along the Caribbean Sea. I had a very tight schedule in Guadeloupe organized by the Bharat A Gua. I conducted a full day Gurukulam camp, focusing on the Navarasas and the Mudhras. There was a good participation by the dancers; the non-dance students and the parents also took special interest.

I visited an exhibition specially organized to show the entire Indian flora, the paintings of our Indian deities, the photographs of our senior dancers available there and photographs depicting their culture. My programme at an old age home here, gave me immense satisfaction. The people were very enthusiastic. They were tapping their feet to the rhythm. Some of them even danced, in spite of their health conditions.

One particular programme I would like to talk about was at the Artchipel, a spectacular theatre with excellent audio and lighting systems. I handled the stage décor myself, since I wanted an Indian ambience. Here, I offered flowers to Lord Natraja. At the end of the show, there was a long round of applause.

I conducted another workshop, which had other allied activities too. I ended with our National Anthem. The people here could interact with me and spend quality time since my stay was long. They invited me to perform in their islands.

Martinique and Guadeloupe are a land of faith, divinity and belief. The population mostly comprised of profoundly religious Catholics though some cults have changed under the influence of other beliefs. The climate in both these islands was enjoyable. Food was never a constraint. The media coverage was splendid. Digital photo cameras and video cameras worked over time to capture my interviews, workshops and camps. The wide publicity brought people from all ends of the island in spite of the distance. The people were affable and offered help willingly at any time. The lush vegetation and the riot of colours of the flora drenched in benevolent sunlight was a treat to our eyes. There was a fine blend of the African, Indian, European and Creole culture.

A memorable trip indeed... "

Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala, a senior disciple of guru Krishnakumari Narendran and Kalanidhi Narayanan, runs a dance school 'Kalapradarshini' in Chennai. She trains students in Bharatanatyam and also organises monthly music and dance concerts in Chennai.

You can write to her at E-mail: kalapradarshini@sify.com