Odia poetry: Devdas Chhotray
Choreography: Ileana Citaristi
Music: Annada Prasanna Pattanaik, Sachidananda Das
Hermann Hesse’s ‘Siddhartha’, written in 1922, is a book which, in the early 70’s, inspired a whole generation of young people on their spiritual journey in search of a deeper meaning of life. The protagonist, a young Brahmin, is in search of his self-realization and to reach this goal abandons the paternal home and takes to the life of a wanderer. But an ascetic life and shunning all temptations , does not give him a sense of fulfillment either. He experiences the highs and lows of the sensual pleasures, the lure of money and addiction to gambling, until, almost on the verge of desperation, he finally finds peace on the bank of a river, where an old boatman teaches him the meaning of life the way he has learnt it from observing and listening to the river. He directs Siddhartha to listen to the river and search within himself for an understanding of what the river says.