Priti Patel has been serving the Manipuri dance style for more than 40 years through her rigorous training and performances. I have watched her bloom from a novice under Guru Bipin Singh to a mature artist under Ojha Babu Singh and later flower as an artist par excellence and a guru herself. In her journey she was deeply influenced by Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi - princess of Manipur who was a celebrated novelist and scholar. MK Binodini Devi embodied her royal heritage, splendour and devotion to Manipur and Manipuri culture. It was on the occasion of MK Binodini’s birth centenary that Priti Patel presented her tribute — Binodini.

Many years ago, MK Binodini casually suggested to Priti to compose a piece on orchids! This suggestion took a long time to flower but bloom it did - finally. In Binodini, Priti related the symbolism and spirituality of the orchids through the dance of Manipur. Over the last few decades, Priti Patel has enthralled audiences worldwide and delighted the hearts of Manipuris with her elegant and exquisite renderings of rasleela, lai haroba, pung cholam and thang ta.

Orchid Nachom lei - a symbol of devotion - is at the feet of Krishna and Radha in Sankirtana and Rasleela. Melei lesna - golden in colour and replete in splendour is a symbol of romance that is offered at the Lai Thangjing temple in Moirang. Whether it was these orchids or the Kwak lei orchid (symbolising victory in Thang ta rituals) or the Urei Binodini orchid (Royalty in honour of Maharaj Kumari), Priti wove an exquisite Inafi (traditional Manipuri scarf) using different facets of Manipuri dance with stories of these orchids. In so many years Priti has truly become a ‘Master’ of the dance technique of Manipur. To the rich tradition of Manipuri dance, Priti brings her unique talent and gift of infusing elegance to choreograph traditional pieces innovatively to tell new stories. Priti beautifully recreated different compositions to depict the symbolism of the orchids. Ras leela for the golden orchid, Thang ta for the Kwak lei, Pung cholam for Nachom Lei and so on.

From the backdrop of gorgeous cloth woven by the genius craftswoman - Rani, to the traditional chhatri and then the sheer opulence of dance in the forefront, the audience was mesmerized - almost by surprise! Her collaborator for stage lighting was Dinesh Poddar - an institution in himself. Priti, along with her supportive team - who provide the music (M Mangangsana, W Suraj Kumar and K Ratan Singh) and costume (Karuna Devi). brings to the forefront, her deep sensibilities of combining colour, light, costume, stage props in a manner that is uniquely hers. What was truly uplifting was not the individual beauty of the orchids or the dancers or the music or the stage sets or lights but the all-pervasive ananda that the audience was suffused with. She wove this thread from her artists to the audience and tied everyone together in bliss. This was felt intensely at a moment in one of the pieces where Priti danced in a circular movement clearly one with the divine.