The Polish-Indian Cultural Project Dzieci Maharadży: Maharaja’s Children – A Passage of Kindness and Respect was created by highly regarded Bharatanatyam artist and cultural storyteller Apeksha Niranjan. This project combines dance with storytelling to share an inspiring humanitarian history. The Bhopal edition of the project will take place recently at Khayal Kala Premiyon Ka, Bhopal. The project has already been presented in Delhi, Poland and the USA as it continues to travel through various cultures and countries.
Apeksha Niranjan will use her artistic training as a Bharatanatyam dancer and her expertise as a Cultural Storyteller to connect two cultures in a unique way, thus bringing a historical point of view to life. This new endeavor draws its roots from the humanitarian efforts of the Maharaja and the Maharani of Nawanagar and of Kolhapur during World War II, when they, along with other members of their princely states, provided a safe haven, shelter and an opportunity for education and dignity to the children and their families who had been forced into exile from Poland and other Eastern European countries as a result of the war.
These acts of kindness built a long-lasting friendship between Poland and India. Today, through her performances and by sharing the stories associated with those events, Apeksha continues to tell the tale of that friendship and honor the memory of those who participated in this effort.
Apeksha’s Bharatanatyam performance has taken a historical memory and transformed it into an artistic expression that is present and alive today. Her performance includes various elements of human empathy and resilience, hospitality and shared humanity. In this way, her performance connects generations of people across many geographic locations through India’s classical dance tradition.
Dzieci Maharadży: Maharaja’s Children will be an art collaborative with Polish author and screenwriter Monika Kowaleczko-Szumowska combining literature, film, photography and dance to tell the stories of “The Good Maharajas” and the impact these communities had on the lives of so many people through their kindness.
The primary focus of this art collaboration is the artistic vision of Apeksha Niranjan and her work as it relates to an extraordinary humanitarian legacy — that is, the positive influence the Maharajas had on people’s lives.
Additionally, this art collaboration demonstrates both countries (Poland and India) share similar cultural values. It also illustrates how art can help preserve historical events and create a platform for dialogue about important issues.
Finally, the project stresses the importance of compassion during the continued global crisis of violence and war.
Apeksha Niranjan creates a connection between the artistic world and the concept of history through her project. Art serves as a unifying element and allows for a deeper level of appreciation and respect between different cultures. In addition, this is a particularly timely message in light of Poland’s role in providing humanitarian aid in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The creation of the Dzieci Maharadży: Maharaja’s Children project embodies the sentiment of compassion transcending borders, and strengthens the idea that the most significant quality that we share as human beings is empathy.