Short Takes, July 2026

Raji Writes
Jul 31
5 min read

Read about a powerful Kuchipudi dance performance in Hyderabad on the goddess Mahakali, storytelling at the Moth Story Slam in Berkeley, and an SF Symphony concert with fireworks on July 4th in Mountain View.

Mahakali, a dance performance in Hyderabad

(Conceptualized and choreographed by Dr. Anuradha Jonnalagadda)

(also, on cycles of creation, is AI going to bring this one to an end?!)

Mahakali. She is the fearsome Hindu goddess of time, and death. The Divine Feminine, she embodies feminine power, strength and resilience, manifesting her power over the cycles of time, dispelling evil and ignorance. (The world could use her blessings and involvement, right about now, I would say…)

When I was in India in March 2026, I had the great pleasure of experiencing Mahakali, a Kuchipudi dance performance conceived, choreographed and performed by Dr. Anuradha Jonnalagadda Tadakamalla, head of the Department of Dance as well as interim Vice Chancellor at the University of Hyderabad, who also happens to be my sister-in-law (or “co-sister”, as I have heard it said! :-)).

Anuradha is a much-feted scholar and practitioner of Kuchipudi Dance, the classical dance of Andhra Pradesh, India, to which she has devoted her professional life, and for which she has received many awards. She’s also an immensely creative, deeply thoughtful and intellectual person. I have been moved and inspired by the conversations I have had with her about her art. Here is a short video that describes why she dances. Why I Dance | Anuradha Jonnalagadda | Kalanidhi Dance and IndianRaga

The performance of Mahakali was presented by Paramparaa Foundation on March 19, 2026, which was the day of Ugadi (or Yugadi, the first day of the new year in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka), and held at the MLA & MP Colony Cultural Centre (MMCCC) in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. I was thrilled to have been able to plan my visit to see the performance.

Chairs were arrayed on the lawn facing the large raised stage, with much-needed mosquito-repelling incense sticks lining the walkways.

As dusk fell, otherworldly apparitions appeared on stage, telling the story of the Devi Bhagavatam, and how Mahakali restores cosmic order. The drumming, music, costumes, narration, and the dancers’ movements were captivating. I sat enthralled as expert dancer after dancer took the stage, with Anuradha herself as Mahakali appearing at the beginning and end, while other dancers -- her doctoral students, as well as visiting virtuosos-- performed other roles.

It was an unforgettable evening, and the gallery below includes photographs I took as well as a few I found on social media.

Mahakali inspired me to reflect on the cycles of time and creation, and what could bring this cycle to an end. The Harvard Science review had a thoughtful piece on the rise of artificial intelligence.

"Ultimately, the future of artificial intelligence is tethered irrevocably to the physical world. While neural networks operate in the abstract, their survival depends entirely on concrete resources: megawatts of electricity, billions of gallons of potable water, and miles of copper wiring."

Its powers imagined previously only in science fiction, will this new reality displace human intelligence, and perhaps humanity itself by depleting our natural resources? Are we going to hand over all our life-giving water to AI data centers, starting with already underserved communities?

I find myself invoking Kali. May her divine intelligence and energy dispel illusion, destroy negativity, and guide us to enlightenment. Om Kreem Kalikeya Namaha. ॐ क्रीं कालिकायै नमः

Moth Story Slam, real-life live 5-minute stories at The Freight in Berkeley

A few years ago, at the SALA lit fest, while standing in line to get my book signed by Shehan Karunatilaka, I struck a conversation with the person next to me in line. Bhaskar Sompalli, I learned, is a bay area writer. His 2022 novel, Utopia Revisited 2050, was noted by Kirkus Reviews recently.

As we chatted, he mentioned the Moth Radio Hour (which I listen to now and then on NPR) and the Moth Story Slams, which I had never heard of before. They are live events held in different cities across the US. Bhaskar spoke highly of the Moth Story Slams in Berkeley, at The Freight, which he has attended and also performed at.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I see in my mailbox an email from Bhaskar saying he hadn’t seen any book or theatre reviews from me lately, was I still writing? This was a good prod, prompting me to send a couple of theatre reviews right away to India Currents. He mentioned the Moth Story Slams again, informing me of two events in July in Berkeley. One was on a date I could attend, and the theme was Revenge. Ooo, what a topic! I decided I prepare a story to tell. Why not?!

The Moth StorySLAM - REVENGE | The Freight

I wrote my story and memorized it (a requirement—no notes are allowed.) The website stated that they would pick 10 names out of a hat, and not knowing how many others might put in their names, I had no idea if I would get picked. In any case, I figured, it was a good way have a polished 5-minute story to tell.

For the 7PM event, doors opened at 6, and names had to be in the hat by 6.30. We arrived early to get a good seat, and as advertised, it was full, sold-out event.

It turns out there were 45 names in the hat! Mine was not one of the 10 that got picked. But gosh, what a terrific event it was! So many wonderful stories, a warm, supportive audience rooting for every story-teller, a spectacular MC (comedian and storyteller Dhaya Lakshminarayanan), and quirky, generous judges from the audience. And a pleasure to see Bhaskar and his wife Kala.

One of these days, I’ll record my story so I can share it with you all.

Music and fireworks for America’s 250^thbirthday!

Every year, after a get together that friends host on July 4^th with plentiful and delicious food and drink, I find a hill from where to watch fireworks near and far. This year being America’s 250^th birthday and having heard rave reviews of the SF Symphony concert plus fireworks held at Shoreline Amphitheater in 2025, I decided this special year warranted attendance.

The San Francisco Symphony performed Summer of 1969, their first such compilation, and this was followed by a fireworks spectacular. The last time I was at Shoreline was to hear Elton John in August 1989 (I know!) – my abiding memory of that concert was his rendition of Candle in the Wind for Marilyn Monroe, where the audience held up lighters or small candles (cell phones were not common then). Moving and beautiful, and the collective energy of the amphitheater was extraordinary. Of course, later that month, Princess Diana died, and Elton John adapted Candle in the Wind for “England’s Rose.” (Goosebumps…)

Back to this year, the Broadway blurb read “Ted Sperling leads the San Francisco Symphony in the annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. The program, originally created and commissioned by the San Diego Symphony, features vocalists Morgan James, Bryonha Marie, and Noah Ricketts performing iconic songs including Proud Mary, Here Comes the Sun, Blackbird, and Purple Haze. The concert concludes with a fireworks display.”

Again, the collective energy was a wonderful thing; what a way to celebrate music and community. My friend Sunita was one of the people in my party, and it is always fun to go to concerts with her, especially lawn seating which gives one more flexibility in more ways than one, because you can marvel at her singing along, perfectly in tune, and with all the lyrics. What a blast.

And speaking of blasts, the fireworks spectacular was marvelous—so special to see them looming almost overhead and hear them simultaneously, rather than see them from miles away with a delay of a few seconds in hearing them.