Salangai Pooja

The Salangai Pooja — Gajja pooja in Telugu, Geje pooje in Kannada — marks the point in a student's dance journey, when he or she has attained a good rhythm sense - which is primary to dance.

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Shruti (pitch) and talam (rhythm) are considered the foundational for sangeetham - classical music - this same tala gyanam (comprehension and understanding of rhythm) are required for dance at a much deeper level. A celebration of this milstone is done through performing of the salanga pooja.

This is also a precursor to an Arangetram - which is a true debut of the student's knowledge of all the basic aspects of Bharatanatyam - nritta, nritya, and natya. - wherein he/she performs a complete margam.

Another signficance relates to the tradition of Ayudha pooja - praying to all things that aid and assist us in our daily lives. Just as the Pandavas prayed to their weaponry - essential to a kshatriya, a carpenter prays to their saw and hammer, a computer scientist would worship their laptop, a dancer would pray to their bells.

Last but not least - bells worn at the feet are a connection to Mother Earth - as the natya prarthana (dance prayer) explains - the dancer seeks both the blessings and forgiveness of Mother Earth, for stamping on her. These bells represent more than "stamping", that it is rather a ritual of Natyam or classical dance.

The bells that are blessed during the gajja pooja are accepted with revererence by the student and become part of her dancing journey - through life.