Love Songs Of The Bhakti Poets: Theology And Metaphysics

2 Day Residential Retreat

Love Songs Of The Bhakti Poets

Theology And Metaphysics

After the period of the three primary Acharyas, Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwacharya, with the prolific rise of the Bhakti movement, there emerged across the length and breadth of the country, men and women of great strength and realisation who used the languages of the people and the medium of song, to spread intense love and devotion towards an ‘Ishtha Deva’ or a beloved deity. This cult of devotion was both erotic and esoteric at the same time, with emphasis on the aspects of ‘Saguna Parabrahma’ or a deity who was an epitome of beauty and all favourable attributes. These schools of thought came to be known as the Schools of Bhakti Vedanta, with highly developed principles of Theology and Metaphysics.

This retreat aims at exploring various compositions of over twenty poets of the Bhakti era, who wrote and sang in different languages and dialects. Beginning with the pioneering Jayadeva Kavi and his Gītagovindam, I will be discussing the components of theology and metaphysics contained within the songs of poets spanning all four quarters of the Indian Subcontinent, including Annamacharya, Ramadas, Purandaradasa, the Marathi quartet (Gyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath, Tukaram), Surdas, Tulsidas, Mirabai, Bihari, Raskhan, Chandidas, Vidyapati, Narayana Teertha, to name a few.

Musical renditions for some select compositions, by Ajeissh Menon.

It will be a two and half days of exploring and immersing oneself in the power of love and surrender.

The Details of the Retreat are as follows:

Date & timings: Starts on the evening of Friday, October 06, 2023, 1pm and concludes on Sunday, October 08, 2023, 3pm.

Venue: Ritambhara Retreat, No. 69, BMTC Layout, Adjacent to Kammasandra Village, Lakshmipura Hobli.

The Retreat, located just on the outskirts of Bangalore city, is a small beautiful space dedicated to Yoga & spiritual studies and practices in a simple and clean environment adjacent to a farm of its own.

Accommodation: Only shared accommodation will be provided

Food: Simple sattvik food with fresh grown vegetables from the farm

Reaching the Retreat Venue: The venue is about 22 kms from Majestic Bus Stand and is accessible through Magadi Road and Tumkur Road preferably through own vehicles. The retreat center is very close to ‘Kamadhenu Kshetra’ – a highly popular Raghavendra Swamy temple in the last few years. It would take about an hour to reach the retreat venue from the heart of the city. Participants have to make their own arrangements. If any assistance is required Indica Moksha Team will help.

Please Note:

-Precaution and care are being taken keeping in mind the pandemic situation and health advisories. The venue is cleaned and sanitized. Sanitizers and other necessary aids and practices are put in place.
-The participants are mandated to fill and submit the registration form.
-All Participants have to reach the venue by Friday noon as the sessions commence from that evening itself.
-No children below the age of 18 are allowed in the retreat.
-Accommodation would be provided on a sharing basis. No individual rooms.
-No outside food is allowed or available.
-After registration payment link will be shared separately.

Retreat Fee: Rs.8000/-

*Avail Early Bird discount offer: Rs.7,000/- for registration before 30^th September, 2023. (Limited seats only)

For more details contact us at +91 7760079475 or email: nithin@advaita-academy.org

Speakers

Dr. Anupama Kylash

Senior Practitioner Of Indian Dance And An Academic

Dr. Anupama Kylash is a senior practitioner of Indian Dance and an Academic. She has a PhD in Dance from the University of Hyderabad and has given over a thousand performances and lecture-demonstrations across ten countries. She has over sixty paper presentations and workshops to her credit on subjects ranging from Aesthetics, Poetics, Itihasa, Kavya, Nataka, Prabandha, Vaggeyakara literature and Imagery in Abhinaya. An author of two books on the works of the Telugu Pada poets, Annamacharya and Kshetrayya, she is a recipient of scholarships and projects from the Dept of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Culture, University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. Anupama founded ‘Anubhav Centre for Performing Arts and Literature’ in the year 2000 and has conceived, curated and presented many events under this banner, the most popular being, ‘The Thinking Cap Series.’ She is currently serving as a Professor for Kuchipudi Dance in the University of Silicon Andhra, California, Guest Faculty and member of the advisory board for the newly launched University, RASARISHI, affiliated to the Kannada University, Hampi.