Nirmal Kumar Rajput/Mathura: A BHU student hailing from Mahadev’s city Kashi reached Vrindavan for darshan about 9 years ago. After reaching the religious city, he bowed his head in every temple. After that, student Ashish got influenced by Meera Bai’s devotion for Krishna. Ashish was interested in Kathak dance from the very beginning. Ashish gained fame in Kathak in India and abroad. Ashish comes to Vrindavan’s Meera Bai temple every day to practice Kathak.
When Ashish was asked about coming to Vrindavan and Kathak dance, he told that after the death of his father Chandra Kumar Singh in 2015, Ashish kept listening to Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran continuously. He was curious to visit Vrindavan once. He reached Vrindavan in 2016 and his mind got so attached here that he decided to spend the rest of his life here. There he also got a chance to take a Kathak workshop.
After that, Ashish arranged for his stay in an ashram in Vrindavan. Sushila Devi of Basant Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Banaras helped him in getting shelter in the ashram. After that, Ashish completely devoted himself to Krishna Bhakti and started practicing Kathak dance in Bhakt Shiromani Meera Bai Sa Ji Bhajan Sthal. He started practicing Kathak from the year 2016 and it is continuing till date.
Ashish got a new name in Vrindavan
Before this, Ashish dedicated his dance art to the feet of Lord Krishna at the Balaji Ghat in Varanasi (where Bismillah Khan used to practice) at Tirupati Balaji Temple from 2007 to 2012. Ashish got another name in Vrindavan itself, “Nritya Manjari Das” which is a well-known name in Vrindavan today. Ashish considers becoming a slave of Lord Krishna’s feet as a blessing of Kashi Vishwanath.
Has taught Kathak to dozens of foreign devotees
Ashish considers Kathak as his life. After coming to Vrindavan, he started practicing Kathak with devotion. As people came to know about him, people started joining him. Ashish says that he taught Kathak dance to women from Vrindavan, Mathura as well as foreign women. Dozens of foreigners have become his students and learned Kathak.
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 6, 2024, 21:31 IST
