Ritu Rang - Ritu is a division of the year reflecting the change of seasons. The concept of Rtu occurs in Rig Veda also, where only three Ritus are mentioned: Varsha , Grishma and Sharad. Later, the year was further divided and two more Rtus were added. A hymn in Taittareya Brahmana has a beautiful graphic presentation of the Ritus in the image of a bird: Vasantha is the head of the bird called Samvathsara (year); Grishma its left wing; Sharad its right wing; Varsha its tail; and Hemanta its middle part. It was during the epic period that the seasons were counted as six: Vasantha - spring; Grishma - summer; Varsha - rainy season; Sharad - autumn; Hemanta - winter; and Shishira- cool season preceding the spring. The Puranas (say, Brahmanda Purana) mention six seasons. The Matsya Purana has a whole chapter dedicated only to the month of spring, and the Samba Purana gives a reference to the different colours of the sun in the Six Ritu's: Kapila (tawny or yellowish-brown ) in Vasantha Rtu ; Tapta-kanchana (furnace gold) in Greeshma ; Sweta ( white) in Varsha Rtu; Pandu (pale) in Sharad Rtu; Pingala ( coppery or reddish brown) in Hemanta Rtu; and Raktha (reddish) Sishira Rtu. Ritu’s are celebrated in all forms of classical Indian music, dance, art and literature. Kalidasa the great poet of ancient India in his Ritu_Samhara (song of the seasons) describes all ritu’s in their full glory. Vasant signifies the exuberance of youth; the sizzling heat of Grishma, downpour of the Varsha represent the rigors, vicissitudes and uncertainties of life; Sharad Ritu is the mellow maturity and fulfillment of life before it slides into its evening, sheet ritu

.

Grishma Ritu or Summer - Bengoli dance based on Rabindra Sangeet by Charu's group

Grishma ritu is in Baishakh and Jyaistha months of the Hindu calendar. The Rabindrasangeet :Daruno Agni banere" symbolizes the heat of summer as arrows of fire darting everywhere causing unquenchable thirst. The days and nights are sleepless in this heat, birds are listless in the trees, crying sadly towards the sky for rain. Keep hope, the rain will come and drench the parched Mother Earth soon… Choreographed by Guru Charu Pandit. Participants : Anuradha Wadhwa, Asavari Narkar, Charu Pandit, Chitra Shanbhogue, Priti Parwal, Ritu Tandon, Sreelatha Venkayala, Tamasa Mahapatra

Varsha Ritu or Monsoon – The thunder reverberates, the lighting dashes out. Dark clouds loom heavily on the land. The much-awaited rain arrives in Varsha ritu. The rivers, marshy and wild, tear down the trees growing on the banks and spill towards the oceans. The peacocks, liberated at last from the heat, dance in a trance. The forests are canopied in fresh green. Their newly born life energizes longings of the people. Women, accompanied by lightening and thunder, hurry to their lovers. Raag Miyan Ki Malhar is the famous rainy season raag introduced by the legendary Tansen. In the month of Sawan, the black clouds pour down with great intensity. The lightning strikes recurrently, surrounded by gushing winds; an incredibly frightening feeling for a beautiful damsel. Sreyashi Kanjilal will represent this feeling through a Kathak piece in Raag Miyan Ki Malhar. The Bandesh has been sung by her mother, Sagarika Kanjilal, teacher of Sangeetayan School of Music.

Sharad Ritu is the post monsoon season. It is a season of festivals marked by benevolence, grace and beauty. The oppressive heat of the summer is a distant memory and the chill of the winter is still on its way. The annoying downpour of the monsoon has just ended. Sharad Ritu brings a blush to the countryside. The nature is bedecked as a bride with light green, decorated with profusion of colorful flowers and bountiful laden fruit trees with chirping birds. There is peace, joy and fulfillment abounding in the air. The days are sunny, yet pleasantly cool and comfortable. The skies are clear blue with white cotton clouds floating lazily. The nights mildly intoxicating are slightly chill, clear and cloudless.

The splendid cloudless full moon night of Sharad Ritu is an idiom of glory, peace and joy in the Indian poetics. It is the delight of eager young lovers that long to be with their beloved. It was under the resplendent full moon of Shard Ritu, amidst the mango and Kadamba groves along the banks of the gentle flowing Yamuna that Sri Krishna and Gopis enacted their celestial dance Rasa Leela. The tenth day of Navarathri in Sharad Ritu, Vijaya_ Dashami is one among the three most auspicious days in our calendar. Tabla Performance on Raga Malkauns and it will be accompanied by variations in Taal - Tintaal on Tabla. Teachers: Milan Ganatra And vocal by Jinal Ganatra. Participants: Anjo Therattil, Janki Patel, Vishal Nayak, Neil Chaudri

Its early winter! The seeds shoot up, the Lodhra has flowered, the rice is ripe for reaping. It is harvest time. The nights are cooler and darker. The most famous festival of lights, Deepavali takes place in Hemant. Thousands of lights light up the dark night. Deep dance on instrumental music by students of Guru Charu Pandit. Participants : Aanya Parekh, Jyotsna Kothadharanam, Mansi Ladhe, Saina Dalvi, and Sharvi Kulkarni.

Shishir ritu is the coldest time of the year ion most of India. It starts with winter solstice. It is the time for penance and removal of all sins. The famous Kumbh mela takes place in this ritu, when Mata Ganga washes away all sins. On Maha shivaratri Lord Shiva blesses us in his special form. Vocal by students of Guru Anu Kothandaraman. Raga - Bihag, Taal - Rupakam. Composed by Annamacharya Nanda Gopala – Raga Yaman, Taal - Adi. Participants : Madhuvanthi Krishna, Anjana Rajah, Ashvita Dhar, Jyotsna Balamurugan, Pradyna Balamuragan.

Vasant is also known as ‘Rituraj’ or the king of seasons. In Vasanta, trees are with flowers and waters are with lotuses, hence the breezes are agreeably fragrant with the fragrance of those flowers, thereby the eventides are comfortable and even the daytimes are pleasant with those fragrant breezes, thus everything is highly pleasing... It is considered the season of love. Indeed is a romantic period where love and beauty is felt everywhere, is blooming everywhere. So the dance that is being presented is glorifying the spirit of love, placing love on a highest pedestal, above all the worldly entanglements. Dance presented by Tinkle Toes dance Academy, Orange. Choreographed and managed by Devangi Dharani. Participants: Srishti Pithadia , Nailah Huq, Maggie Reames, Anisha Jain, Priya Aggarwal, Devangi Dharani, Amani Dharani.