Dwandwa

A traditional Kathak solo that reclaims Shiva’s duality — celebrating Ardhanarishwara not just as balance, but as a bold affirmation of feminine power within the divine masculine. 

Why do we always say “Shiva has Parvati”, but rarely hear “Parvati has Shiva”?

This evocative Kathak solo challenges that imbalance — not just in language, but in perception. Through intricate abhinaya, rhythm, and classical storytelling, the piece explores the divine union of Shiva and Parvati, not as an attachment of one to the other, but as two equal forces — fierce and fluid, wild and wise.

In a striking reversal of visual symbolism, the dancer presents Parvati adorned not in the delicate jewels of conventional femininity, but in Shiva’s own alankars — the tiger skin, the ash, the serpent, and the crescent moon. She is no longer just the soft consort of a powerful god, but a deity of fire and form in her own right.

Through this transformation, the piece redefines what we call feminine beauty — not as fragility or softness alone, but as presence, assertion, and cosmic strength. It is a celebration of Ardhanarishwara not just as a symbol, but as a call to reimagine divinity through a truly equal lens — where the feminine does not orbit the masculine, but stands beside it, within it, and as it.

CREDITS 

Concept, Curation and Choreography: Radhika Karandikar 
Voice: Pooja Bhattad and Radhika Karandikar