As the Metrosexual Festival concludes this week, Shivangi Ambani explores the sophisticated idea of Ardhanarishwara in Indian art, dance and philosophy
Manjuben could be the Indian woman's answer to men who acquired their first fairness cream and celebrated the first Met Fest (metrosexual festival) this week. The protagonist of Sherna Dastur's documentary Manjuben Truck Driver (2002) says, "Half Shiva, half Shakti-that's me. Both male and female powers are in me." In fact, this pan-chewing, androgynously dressed, speed-hungry driver was referring to the Puranic-Vedic concept of Ardhanarishwara (Ardha = half, Nari = female or Shakti, Eshwara = epithet for Shiva).
"The form of an androgynous deity like the Ardhanarishwara has not been developed with as much sophistication in any other culture as ours," says Indologist Rashmi Poddar. "The binaries of the creation of the universe are inseparable: without Shakti, Shiva would be a shava (corpse). Sculptures of this form of Shiva are found at sites across India, including the Elephanta Caves," she adds.
The more common Shiva linga, a phallic symbol, also depicts the union of the sexes. "The linga or the masculine Shiva, sits on a circular base with a spout-the yoni-which depicts feminine power," explains Swami Brahmavidananda Saraswati. In the deified version of the linga, the right half of the Ardhanarishwara is Shiva, while the left half is his consort. As the Swami observes, "The Vedic times saw women warriors and scholars like Gargi and Maitreyi, while most rishis were nurturers. Even today, the nine-day Durga puja is the worship of the woman as warrior. As for rishis, most of them ran gurukuls and were nurturing father figures to their shishyas. In fact, Kanva Rishi adopted and brought up a little girl he found in a forest who grew up to be Shakuntala.So Ardhanarishwara represents the complete human who balances masculinity and femininity within himself."
Running parallel to this idea is the Purusha-Prakriti concept of the Bhakti cult that existed about 700-800 years ago. "God, or Parampurush, is believed to be the only male, while all humans hoping for unity with him are considered female,'' explains Shubha Mudgal. As the Swami notes, "The abstract notion of moksha was more easily understood as Radha's pining for Krishna." In fact, as Rashmi Poddar points out, "At Nathdwara, outside Udaipur, the goswamis (priests) dress up as Radha to seek union with Krishna.''
At her recent Met Fest performance, Mudgal sang two verses in which Radha adorns Krishna with her clothes and jewellery, while she assumes his guise. "Krishna and Radha are symbols of Purusha and Prakriti. The exchange of clothes shows the close affinity of the two forces," says Poddar.
Krishna leelas, enacted in Odissi dance, often have Krishna dressing up as a woman to flirt with Radha. "He masquerades as a bangle-seller to hold Radha's hand, or as a sakhi to cling to Radha on a jhula," Mudgal laughs.
Often in Kathak and Bharat Natyam, the dancer deftly plays both sexes by simply moving from one end of the stage to another. "Birju Maharaj's dance has so much delicacy and nakhra, I couldn't swish my hair as elegantly as him," Mudgal confesses. Her own voice has a husky, throaty body. "The ideal female voice in Bollywood is tinkling and crystal clear. The vamp, though, has a throaty, male voice," she observes, with a hint of mischief.
The exchange of roles, done with such élan in our classical arts, is reduced to comic interludes in the popular arts- from Amitabh Bachchan's Mere Angane Mein song in Laawaris to Aamir Khan in the recent Coke ad.
Himanshu Verma, curator of the Met Fest says, "Androgyny in ancient India often had the male displaying femininequalities, not vice-versa. Metrosexuality is influenced by feminism and the gay movement, and yes, there are resonances of this postmodern, western concept in our ancient arts."
The Met Fest celebrates contemporary urban masculinity. The Fourth Floor, Kitab Mahal, VT. Ends today
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