A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

This debut performance is organized only
when the Guru(teacher) feels that the shishya
(learner) has attained the capability to
do so. This is not only the test of the
dancer but also of the teacher as the
audience is considered to be the judge.
Under normal circumstances it takes about
ten to twelve years for a learner to attain
that level. In the last ten years twelve
dancers from Suriname have performed
Arangetram.
The theme of the 10th anniversary
show was– "dance as a way of life". A
full house audience for three consecutive
days in a country of five hundred thousand
with only one third of them Hindustanis
is indeed a matter of great pride and
honour, it depicts the love for classical
dances in Suriname. Worth noting is the
fact that the audience also comprised of
Non-Hindustanis.
138 years back when the immigrant
labourers came to Sri Ram Desh they
definitely carried with them the traditions,
religion and culture as a whole. Singing
was an integral element for expression
of joy and sorrows, some casual dances
from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar such
as Ahirwa ka nach and Nautanki may be
associated with the indentured labourers.
However Bharatnatyam is not so old a
tradition in Suriname and the credit for
establishing this dance form in Suriname
is to be given to the danseuse Mrs. Madhoerie
Jagmohan, Madhoerie didi to her students
and formally known as Mrs. Mateshwari
Hardin.
A sensitive and dedicated guru,
successfully imparting the skills of
Bharatnatyam as also recognising the innate
strength of each student performer and
encouraging the growth of their
individualities Madhoerie imparts to her
disciples the details of the dance form
and also her own sensitivities and message
of love, righteous practices and trust, which
makes an artiste humane. She has
established the Guru-Shishya tradition in
Suriname and related it to the modern
society. Her dedication as a guru of
excellence can be seen in her elegance,
sensitivity and grace.
Born in district Nickerie of Suriname
on 13th September 1947 to Shri
Swamiprasad and Rukmini Rambocus, she
spent her childhood in a big family with
nine brothers and sisters. Father Shri
Swamiprasad was himself the child of
immigrant labourers and was born in South
Africa. He reached Suriname with the last
boat Dewa. The parents who had seen
much hardships not only motivated them
to work hard but also instilled in them
strong cultural values. Madhoerie lost her
mother at the early age of fourteen but
found a mother in her sister-in-law who
compensated for the loss. Then as Suriname
faced some difficult times politically, many
a people migrated to Holland and most
of her family did the same. Madhoerie
68 :: January-March 2012