| Manipuri dancers inspire audiences with a glimpse of | | | | the stage door, because troupe members are also |
| Manipur's Vaishnava culture, and during the early 1970's, | | | | adept in various offstage arts. They are especially |
| Srila Prabhupada expressed to Bhakti Svarupa | | | | adept to the creation of Manipuri prasadam, which is |
| Damodara Swami that the Manipuri traditions of music | | | | the traditional cuisine that has delighted people |
| and dance, such as rasa-lila and sankirtana, are so | | | | wherever the troupe goes. Ranganiketan |
| infused with the Vaishnava culture that they are | | | | performances give samples of the music, the dance, |
| cultural representations of Krishna consciousness. | | | | and the martial arts of northeastern India. Thang-ta is a |
| If it was properly presented, then these cultural | | | | weapons- oriented form of martial arts that dates |
| expressions could be extremely powerful not to | | | | from the time of the Mahabharata. |
| mention inspirational. By listening to the words of | | | | Both men and women learn these arts from an early |
| Prabhupada, Bhakti Svarupa Damodara Swami | | | | age. With the precision and the strength that |
| formed Ranganiketan in 1987. Ranganiketan, which | | | | Ranganiketan artists demonstrate in the various forms |
| means the house of colors, began its very first | | | | of Thang-ta, using various instruments as swords, |
| international tour during the 90s. It had engagements in | | | | shields, scimitars, and occasionally their bare hands. |
| Europe and North America. | | | | The acrobatic drum dances are very powerful |
| Since then the troupe has put on nearly four hundred | | | | demonstrations of the sankirtana with its blend of |
| performances for more than a quarter of a million | | | | complex beats with the devotional mood of Narottama |
| people on four continents. It has even appeared at the | | | | Dasa Thakura. They are performed with the pung, |
| University of California in Berkeley, at EPCOT Center | | | | known as the Manipuri mridanga, these drum dances |
| in Walt Disney World, and at the Kennedy Center in | | | | serve as an auspicious invocation before the |
| Washington, D.C. Ranganiketan is the most extensively | | | | performance of the rasa lila. |
| booked performing arts company of its kind from all of | | | | The classical version of the rasa lila is the most |
| India. | | | | important of the various types of Manipuri devotional |
| The troupe even gives special emphasis to educational | | | | dance, because it expresses the quintessence of the |
| programs. More than half of Ranganiketan's | | | | Vaishnava culture and philosophy. This is a yearning of |
| performances take place before young audiences. | | | | the individual soul to surrender to the supreme soul, |
| They are also carefully to be sure they create | | | | Lord Sri Krishna. Through that surrender, the soul |
| instructional materials that are prepared for the | | | | attains transcendent happiness and the highest |
| students for the performance. They also give a | | | | fulfillment of spiritual desire. In Manipur, rasa lila |
| number of lectures and demonstrations, which will help | | | | performances can feature over one hundred dancers |
| them to further understand what they have seen | | | | and can last up to twelve hours. On tour, of course, |
| much better. | | | | the dances are shorter and the dancers are much |
| The cultural activities of Ranganiketan do not stop at | | | | fewer, but they still give an authentic taste. |