'Warrior Women of Bharat' held in Delhi to pay tribute to unsung women warriors of India

Warrior Women of Bharat is a multi-style dance theatre production featuring celebrated and respected classical and contemporary senior dancers and theatre actors from all over the country to pay tribute to women warriors of India who fought against the British.

New Delhi: A special dance theatre production paying tribute to women warriors of India who fought against the British was staged at the Delhi International Arts Festival at Kartavya Path, India Gate in Delhi on Wednesday. 'Warrior Women of Bharat' is a dance theatre production conceptualized by the internationally acclaimed danseuse and choreographer, Padma Shri awardee Prathibha Prahlad.

The multi-style production features Padma Shri awardees Prathibha Prahlad, Shovana Narayan, Anita Ratnam, Alekhya Punjala, Gopika Varma, Sharodi Saikia, and Meera Das, performed in their respective styles. Over 200 artists from all over India and dozens from Sri Lanka, USA, Malaysia, Mauritius, Hungary, and Japan enthralled the audience with their wonderful performance at Delhi international Arts Festival.

'Warrior Women of Bharat', a tribute to valorous women who fought for the motherland has been produced by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and Prasiddha Foundation. The memorable performance by Padma Shri awardee Prathibha Prahlad as Rani Laxmibai in Bharatanatyam mesmerized the crowd.

"Warrior Women of Bharat celebrates the lives of fearless, heroic women, who, driven by patriotism and love for their motherland, took up arms and entered the battlefield to fight British imperialism," said Prahlad. "The freedom struggle is replete with tales of thousands of warriors, who fought the British until their very last breath to preserve the territorial freedom and integrity of their motherland," she said.

When men gave up or were killed, women warriors picked up the sword to fight for the territorial, physical, and fiscal integrity of their land. To quote Rani Lakshmi Bai, "In the words of Lord Krishna, we will, if we are victorious, enjoy the fruits of victory; if defeated and killed on the field of battle, we shall surely earn eternal glory and salvation."

The indomitable spirit of warriors of Rani Velu Nachiyar of Tamil Nadu, Rani Chennamma of Karnataka, Rani Avanti Bai of Madhya Pradesh, Rani Lakshmi Bai, and Begum Hazrath Mahal of Uttar Pradesh, Kanaklata Barua of Assam and Captain Lakshmi Sehgal of the Indian National Army, is celebrated through this production.

"On the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, this dance theatre production pays homage to the outstanding, emancipated, courageous women, who did not shirk from picking up arms and going to the battlefield to keep the British colonists away. Every patriotic Indian should remember the sacrifices made by our unsung women who died fighting against the imperialist British Raj," said Prahlad.