The Ghunghroos I Have Been Waiting For...

My endless optimistic babbles about Indian classical dance is mercilessly taunting my cynicism, threatening to corrode sarcasm and wit (or whatever semblance of it that I had).

After my first performance with TDS (the Indian performing arts institution I am currently affiliated with shall be named The Dance School TDS hereafter), I became obsessed with ghungroos because I knew the dancing bells presented to me were not the real deal.

Only last year we received original dance accessories, and this year news came to me that we would be getting (FINALLY) the proper odissi ghungroos. 

Image courtesy of http://odissidanceworld.com/

However even after paying for it, the ordeal of waiting for it did not end. 

Receiving news that it had arrived and I when I realised I was far from receiving them was too painful a realisation!

After months, yesterday I went back to TDS to attend the odissi performance for Navarathri this year (which I would have been part of if not for my stupid MSc thesis). 

And my teacher blessed me and finally (after MONTHS!!!!) handed me my very own GHUNGROOS!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Inch after inch, I admired them, to the point of inspecting each individual bell removing a few stray pieces of brass metal. 

And took many many pictures!

On my ankles.

A comparison with the bells I strung myself.

Notice the difference in size. The original ones (right) are made out of thicker brass.

A comparison to the ones I received on my maiden odissi performance with TDS.

It's like my own happy family!

And of course the star of this post!

Its arrival has given me a joy as intense as the time I first performed with TDS and the joy of receiving my very own odissi accessories.

I feel complete.