Recollections

Periple D'or

In the fifties the Programme for first December consisted of various items. There were western vocal music; if Monique was visiting then there would a ballet dance; a dance drama choreographed by Anuben with the help of other dancers, a play written by the Mother and lastly some passage from Savitri. Amita-di always played the role of Savitri.  One year the programme began at 6 pm and ended at one in the morning. Then there came a period when it was decided that on the first December only Sri Aurobindo’s work will be presented. But then once in a while the Mother made an exception, one such year was 1961.

A French inmate of the Ashram had written a symbolic play and wished to present it on the 1st of December.

Mother approved of the idea and rehearsal began in earnest.

The author of the play wished to choreograph and direct it and that too was granted by the Mother, but I believe Anuben was asked to help in the work. The author had her own ideas about the cast and the first priority was the height of the participants. She wanted everyone of the cast to have at least 160cm in height. Naturally the hunt began. We were still students and at that age anything can become an occasion to make fun. We would ask each other, “160?” and then either laugh or say something quite derogatory. But for Anuben who was asked by the Mother to help was no joke. She had to find that many individuals of that height for the play.

One bright day it was announced that the young ladies who had a height of 160cm or above should meet Anuben in the Dancing Hall.

The students who dance would participate was taken for granted provided they were tall enough.

As I said in the beginning the play was symbolic; it was the golden journey of the male & female elements of the ultimate truth. These two characters’ journey through different stages and levels of consciousness.

First, the most important characters were chosen and the list was sent to the Mother for Her approval; secondary characters were also chosen and then came our turn. We were the minnows for any cultural Programme.  But as I was just 160cm in height I was chosen to be a part of a tableau of a group of six. This tableau was to represent the evolution of nature and I was to represent trees, plants and flowers. I still remember how one afternoon I was called to meet the director. I went to the Dance Hall as instructed and there were the director, her mother (an old lady) and Anuben. They were all three there to give me an idea as to what would be my role. The director very seriously explained the role and commented that it was a great privilege given to me, to be able to be a part of the play. The old lady after all these talks played a few notes on a harmonium and I was told that, that was to be my music.

Actually, those notes were taken from a composition of The Mother; but I could not understand how three or four notes could be enough for a complete dance. (Later I realized that there was no dance to be danced but walk slowly to the centre of the stage, make a few gestures with hand and arms and then retreat to a corner to stand immobile for an hour or so).

While we were walking back to the Ashram I asked Anuben, "How could these few notes represent a music and that too for a dance?”. She was, like the director, serious about the matter and answered, “It is a symbolic play, everything from dress to music have to be unique.”

The notes were taken from the Mother’s organ music, who dares to question?

Millie-di who was in charge of greenroom, costume and make up, generally tried to make use of all that was in her store and then only she made new if it was absolutely necessary.

But in the year 1961 as the play was symbolic the costumes also tended to be very different.

The Mother might have been informed about the costumes and she began to send pieces of material from her own personal stock velvet, taffeta, crepe, silk etc. Tailor Govind was entrusted with making all the costumes as he had his training in a foreign country, it was deemed that he could execute it the best.

The director and her mother would make some sketches and studying those poor Govind had to stitch the dress. Most of the sketches were so impractical looking that Govind had to run time and again either to Millie-di or to the director to find out what was expected of him. He wouldn’t touch a piece of cloth and spoil it as they were mostly from the Mother’s personal stock. I must say our director had imagination! There were so many varieties of dresses; long, short, full sleeves, sleeve-less, some like huge lamp shades!

For our tableau the tree and the snake were to have full length dress but the other four: from short to very short ones. Those who were to wear very short dress were promised that tights from France were coming and they will be supplied with Purnaprema or Purna, as she was known to us all, the Mother’s grand daughter, had still not settled in the Ashram. She used to visit regularly so the Mother sent her a word to come that year before 1st December so that she could bring from France whatever was necessary for the play. Apart from the tights she was also asked to bring makeup of different color and hue.

The Mother had stopped going to the Play Ground after 1958. Till that year She participated physically in many of the rehearsals and gave suggestions. She would even change a whole scene if She thought it not to be appropriate. After 1958 she would meet the artists on the first floor of the Ashram from where now the message for the Darshan is distributed and give Her opinion or suggestions.

In 1961 however She decided to go to the theatre to grace a rehearsal. Did She wish it Herself or was requested we would never know. The fact that She wished to come to the theatre was good enough to be happy. For to perform in front of Her was everyone’s dream. We speculated about the time of Her visit. Would it be early evening or late afternoon? She sent a word saying that She would come at 2pm in the afternoon.

On the appointed day we had a very early lunch and by noon we were all bundled in the vegetable van. (That was an old van used for collecting vegetables and fruits from gardens of the Ashram). Most of the day this particular vehicle would stink of rotten vegetable or of cow dung.

Our scene was at the very end of the play. So the moment we reached the theatre Milli-di ordered us to go and take some rest so that in front of The Mother we did not look tired. Chandrakant-bhai, who was and still is one of the most important hands in the theatre, had a go down. He herded us all in that hot stuffy room, spread a piece of tarpaulin and asked us to lie down on it.

An hour or so passed, then we were called for make up.  I, being a tree was made up with the green colour; that is lips, eyes and eye brows were all painted green. The moment I looked into the mirror after the make up I knew what I looked like.

Many an Ashramites began to trickle in, for they wanted to see the play along with the Mother. Of these a few even ventured into the green room. One lady saw my face and exclaimed, “God! What a monster!” Then she might have realized that it was a wrong thing to say, so approached me and nearly took me in her arms with consoling words, “Sorry child, it is really not that bad”.

It seems those who had come on that day to see the rehearsal with the Mother, found the piece highly innovative and some even it seems have had some inner experience. “Périple d’or” for us was a terrible D’or. But then time flows and it is now more than forty years that I stood on the stage in a green dress and green make up for some one to exclaim “what a monster!”