Deepika Singh performs an impromptu dance in Bhartari Gufa
Mumbai, Aug 3
Television actress Deepika Singh had a spiritual experience from her visit to Bhartari Gufa, revealing that a thought suddenly came to her to dance on the track Chandrachooda by Raghu.
Deepika shared a video on Instagram, where she is seen dancing without any rehearsal and inspired only by a reel she had watched a few days earlier. She credited her Odissi training and the powerful energy of the sacred cave for compelling her to offer the dance as an act of devotion to Lord Shiva.
She wrote as the caption: "Om Namah Shivaya! Have a blessed and devotional first Sawan Somwar. Yesterday morning, after sitting for a few long breaths in Bhartari Gufa - where Raja Bhartari meditated for 12 years - a thought came to me."
"'Dance on Chandrachuda. Just 1 minute. I didn't rehearse. I had only seen a reel a few days back. But my ODISSI, my intention, and that inexplicable energy in the cave pushed me."
She added: "Before I began, I bowed to my Guru, my teacher, and touched my forehead to Mother Earth. For me, this wasn't a performance. It was meditation in motion.
A gratitude offering to Lord Nataraja, to Lord Shiva."
"While dancing, time stood still. I was in awe of this universe, the beauty, the life force in everything. I felt aligned. Har Har Mahadev."
Bhartari Gufa are ancient rock-cut caves located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. They are famous as the meditation site of the legendary king-turned-sage Bhartrihari, who wrote Sanskrit literary works like Niti Shataka here.
The 36-year-old actress made her television debut with Diya Aur Baati Hum, where she played IPS Sandhya Kothari Rathi opposite Anas Rashid. It proved to be a breakthrough in her career. Following a break, Deepika then made a comeback to the small screen in 2019.
She was seen in a double role of Sandhya Patwardhan Jindal and Sakshi Patwardhan Salgaonkar opposite Namik Paul and Vin Rana, in Kavach... Mahashivrati. She also played an advocate in the web series Halala. In 2022, the actress made her film debut with Titu Ambani opposite Tushar Pandey.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I appreciate the sentiment, I can't help but wonder about the appropriateness of dancing inside a sacred cave where a great sage meditated. Our ancient sites should be preserved for their spiritual essence, not turned into content for social media. Even if the intention is pure, we need to be careful how we treat our heritage. Just my opinion though. 🙏
The energy of Ujjain is unmatched! I've visited Bhartari Gufa and you can genuinely feel something special there. Deepika's spontaneous dance seems like a genuine spiritual moment, not a publicity stunt. Her respect for her Guru and the tradition shows in the way she describes everything. Sawan Somwar has started on such a positive note! 🌺
I remember watching her in Diya Aur Baati Hum! Sandhya IPS ki yaad aa gayi. It's refreshing to see how grounded she remains despite her popularity. Using her classical dance training as a spiritual offering rather than just entertainment? Now that's how you keep our culture alive. The younger generation needs more such examples. Har Har Mahadev! 🙏
As someone who always wants to learn about Indian spirituality, this story fascinates me. The concept of dance as devotion is so unique to your culture. It makes me want to read more about Lord Nataraja and the connection between dance and meditation. Beautiful way to start the day! Namaste. 🙏
The way she mentioned her Odissi training is so inspiring! I've been learning Bharatan
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.