What is Love? What is Art? Who is a Guru?

On May 24, 2021, the residents of Bengaluru witnessed a spectacular celestial phenomenon of a halo around the sun.  It was a day of wonder, of delight and of sadness.  It was on this day that the illustrious Guru B. Bhanumati sought the abode of the Lord.

Over the next two weeks, an earthly phenomenon descended upon the households of many of her students who grieved her absence during the day by themselves and celebrated her life together as a group, during the night.

The daily evening meetings began with the recitation of the 8th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita followed by the Guru Stotram.  After this, a few eminent dancers and musicians shared their tribute in the form of song, music and stories.  Each night, all those present could feel her undeniable presence as though she was right there as a silent witness.  The evenings stretched into late nights as there seemed to be no end to the discussions regarding the  all-encompassing greatness of Guru Bhanumati.  Speaking about her brought about the same amount of happiness as it did when one was physically with her.  This helped many in dealing with this huge loss.

The meetings culminated in the 13th day Shraddhanjali offered by the students with the chanting of Veda Mantras, Vishnu Sahasranamam, a prayer from the Bible, song, dance and experiences shared by musicians, parents and seven generations of Nrityakalamandiram students.  

The underlying thread that spanned over the 13 days was representative of Guru B. Bhanumati’s life.  She strove for excellence in all her endeavours, leaving no stone unturned in her exploration, bringing out the best in all whom she worked and interacted with.  She left everyone with the knowledge that they were loved.  She was a mother to all.  One of the parents quipped, “Bhanu was the real mother. We were all like step-mothers to our children.”  

Those who met her just once were as deeply impacted by her passing as the students who had been with her for more than twenty years.

Her ability to accommodate another’s limitations, help them in every way possible, treat everyone as her own family, excel in her field on her own merit and live without pretence, achieve great heights whilst remaining subservient to the Goddess of Art signifies an evolved soul whose life itself was a work of art, a soul for whom art and life were synonymous. 

What is life without an understanding of spirituality, of a higher purpose to one’s life than one’s own limited sense of self?  Guru B. Bhanumati displayed her greatness even here, not through preaching, but by example.  Chiseled to perfection by the school of hard-knocks, she was a Guru in the true spirit of the word.  All who came to her could wilfully submit their ego and sense of “I-ness” and her blessings would cause many to shine in their own radiance.  It was an inevitable by-product of her company, proving her Godliness.

One without a second, she was the celestial being who lived an exceptional life, spreading her rays of love and finally merging into her true nature by showing us how she and the Lord who illumines this world are one and the same.