Parampara: Dance series for preserving Hyderabad lakes
Madhulika Choudhary explains the importance of preserving water bodies through dance and other art forms
Hyderabad: Madhulika Choudhary believes in the message of self-change for a better environment and that is what she wants to imbibe in the people of the city. Having taken up the cause of several lakes in the city from 2016, she is still fighting to keep the lake ecosystem here in place.
One such attempt is the ‘Back to Roots campaign – Parampara series’, where she explains the importance of preserving lakes through dance and other art forms. On every first Sunday of the month, the Dhruvansh NGO founder plans to gather people near her ‘groomed baby’, the Neknampur Lake.
“Our ‘parampara’ (tradition) and mythology have always asked us to protect the environment. So we will be depicting stories from Hindu mythology clubbed with the message we want to deliver to the public through Kuchipudi,” shares Madhulika.
“We will be depicting the story of Krishna and Govardhan Parvat this Sunday. If you observe, every lake was surrounded by hills or mountains, which are now vanishing, leading to no source for freshwater. So, mountains and lakes are interlinked. Through the dance, we will narrate the story of Krishna asking the public to worship Govardhan Parvat and not only Lord Indra as it is the Parvat that brings water to the people,” she says, adding that the dance will be presented by 23-year-old Kuchipudi dancer Nihantri and her students.
On why she chose dance as her medium of expression, Madhulika says: “People don’t tend to understand if told in a straightforward manner. But when I put the message through dance, they might.”
Madhulika Choudhary
“I don’t mind being defamed in any manner if, in the end, the public understands my point. I will not leave Hyderabad till all its lakes are cleaned and maintained by both the city dwellers and the government,” she asserts.
The 39-year-old nature lover is also encouraging the use of Pochampally clothing through the campaign. With the help of a Pochampally weaver couple explaining the emergence and evolution of Telangana’s traditional weaving style, Madhulika notes that the use of Pochampally clothes can minimize harm to lakes or environment as the cloth decomposes faster than others.
“If you spend just 15 minutes by a lake, you’ll get a sense of everything happening in the locality. One can understand there was a wedding, or some pooja or a death ceremony and so on. All this through the garbage dumped in the lake. So, this is an attempt to make people responsible about their disposals and to educate them,” she says.
“Through my journey, I met a few villagers who voluntarily wanted to take up the charge of these lakes as they grew up swimming in them and had good memories. But that connection with the water bodies is missing in today’s time, leading to such practices. Through these campaigns, I want to bring people back to these lakes and create a connection between humans and the environment,” she adds.
Apart from dance and Pochampally garments, the campaign will also have stalls for organic seeds, homemade food and clay pots while one can also create terracotta pottery.
The first episode of the campaign will be from 8 am to 11 am on Sunday at Neknampur Lake.
Neknampur Lake
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