R Narayan Jewellers embarks on divinity with Shakti Saundarya staged at Kirti Mandir, Vadodara

The idea started with Chokshi creating a painting of the Dasa Mahavidya and its execution onstage with the choreographic brilliance of Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Srikanth

Vadodara: Jewellery has forever been considered to be an industry related to high fashion on the one hand, and investment on the other. As the society identifies more touchpoints on the middle ground such as self-indulgence, Vadodara’s R Narayan Jewellers struck gold with spiritualism in the last quarter of 2023 with Shakti Saundarya, an event that witnessed the confluence of dance and art under royal patronage.

It all started with the urge to give back to society, believes Tosha Patel Chokshi, Designer, R Narayan Jewellers, as she talks of the first charitable initiative of rearing and distribution of Gir cow dairy products to people in and around Vadodara as part of their Sri Harihar trust. With community dinners and fashion shows being done by every other jeweller, Chokshi wanted to create an experience that lasted longer for her clientele, and this need brought together her passion for painting and spiritualism in a surprising turn of events. 

The idea started with Chokshi creating a painting of the Dasa Mahavidya, the primordial energy of the universe. It is the manifestation of Shakti before the universe was born, and each of these ‘vidyas’ have different forms. “There are a lot of taboos related to it and there is no painting of all the mahavidyas and Goddess Tripurasundari, all in one frame. I started painting it three years ago during the pandemic. When we framed an artwork on gods and goddesses by a South Indian artist, my passion reignited and I thought of having Indian classical dance forms portray each Mahavidya onstage,” said Chokshi.

The brand contacted renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Srikanth, who choreographed the whole show featuring five dancers from across India showcasing five Indian classical dance forms. The show was held on October 29, 2023, at Kirti Mandir, owned by the royal family of Vadodara. The aesthetic backdrop of the temple gave a brilliant time to about 350 invitees who have been the customers, well-wishers and friends of R Narayan Jewellers for generations.

The décor of the place was done by Chokshi’s acquaintances and led to an aesthetic alignment of music, painting, and performing arts. “There were members in the audience who got emotional watching the performance. Clients kept messaging us days after the event and people still talk about enjoying that trance-like feeling that the show left on them. Such unique acts unlock spiritualism in people in ways we don’t understand, and it did the same, successfully so, for our audience and larger consumer base in the city,” concluded Chokshi.

Retail Jeweller India News