A Russian girl's passion for ghoonghroo

Sanjeev K Jha / TNN / May 3, 2007, 03:19 IST

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The 23-year-old Alona Vercheskaya learning Bharatnatyam and Kathak from Pandit Mithilesh Maharaj.

BHAGALPUR: Though her voice stammers when she says "namaskar", she seldom deviates when her 'ghoonghroo' resonates with the tabla.
The 23-year-old Alona Vercheskaya saw V Shantaram's classic 'Jhanak Jhanak Paayal Baaje' nearly 15 years ago. "And that was the time when my mind started playing with the sounds of ghoonghroo.
My dream to learn Indian classical dance started haunting my mind since then and in 1997, I finally decided to master Kathak and Bharatnatyam," the green-eyed beauty says.
A serious reader of Osho, Alona, a member of a dance troupe of Novorossiysk Town, feels that India is still the "Vishwaguru. I tell my friends in Russia that no country in the world can match the varieties of the Indian dance.

At present, I am learning Bharatnatyam and Kathak from Pandit Mithilesh Maharaj, who is the grand-disciple of legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj. When I shall go back to my homeland, I will tell my countrymen that if you have some dreams, go India to fulfil them," she tells smilingly.
Alona, however, is not the first girl of her troupe, who has passion for Indian dance. Her friend Alena Galajunoa had mastered Bharatnatyam two years ago, after staying for six months in India.

"Culture does not always mean different shades of color, rather it means different varieties of life," says Alona. She strongly believes the Indian dances are more comprehensive than the Russian ballet.
"Russian ballet is based on elasticity and curves of the body, while the Indian dances are more focused on feet and eye movement competing with rhythm of tabla and music," she says.
Her views about Indian people are also the same after her 15-day-stay here in this Silk City. "The Indian girls are most beautiful while the Indian boys are tough but faithful," she smiles. When asked what she would do if an Indian boy proposes, she replied, "First let someone come forward."
Daughter of an entrepreneur mother and hotelier father, Alena has only one aim in her life to become a Devdasi in some Hindu temple at Russia where the resonance of her "paajeb" will be instrumental in soothing the frustrated minds of the people of post-Perestroika there.

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