Jalam Amritam is a research-based presentation in which it is shown how modern humans have reduced Jal Dev (the water deity), the most revered among the five elements, to a mere object of consumption. Forests have been cut down, rivers have dried up, mountains are slipping and causing destruction, and in the pursuit of extracting minerals from mines, enormous amounts of water have been wasted. As a result, we have pushed our entire civilization toward the devastating catastrophe of earthquakes. Oxygen is depleting, and air pollution is reaching its peak. This presentation calls for restoring the lost reverence for Jal Dev and conveys the message of granting water its rightful place as Amrit (nectar of life).
Writer
Dr. Madhu Pant has written extensively for various departments of NCERT, All India Radio, Doordarshan, UNICEF, and the Department of Education. She has been associated with writing for radio, television, films, and books. She has been felicitated with the Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award by the Hindi Academy, Delhi. As Director of the National Bal Bhavan, she has initiated several innovative programs and publications. She has authored numerous cultural and educational books, composed songs, and penned several poems and stories. Currently she serves as the President of the Writers’ Association and continuously engaged in writing and publishing.
Director
Nisha Trivedi is a senior theatre practitioner, director, and educationist with over three decades of experience in Indian theatre and theatre-in-education. Her work spans schools, universities, cultural institutions, and community spaces, where she uses theatre as a tool for awareness, learning, and social transformation. She has been associated with institutions such as the National School of Drama, National Bal Bhavan, and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, and has directed numerous productions addressing social justice, environmental consciousness, history, and human values. Currently, she serves as the Director of Abhigyan Natya Association, a theatre-based NGO working with socially and economically marginalised communities.
Director’s Note
Āpsu me somo abravīd antar viśvāni bheṣajāni,
Agnīṃ ca viśva-śambhuvam
Rigveda 1.23.19
In water resides life. In water resides healing. In water itself resides the Supreme.
Nearly 13.8 billion years ago, when the universe emerged from the primal energies of hydrogen and helium, there was no language, only existence. From the Pancha Tatva Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space life unfolded, and with it evolved a holistic understanding of existence. Our sages linked these elements to planetary systems, mathematics, yoga, and the sciences, forming a deeply integrated worldview. Today, blinded by the excesses of modernity, we have drifted away from this sacred relationship. The consequence is visible everywhere. Polluted landscapes, water scarcity, climate imbalance, and a growing spiritual emptiness. At this critical juncture, when India’s Prime Minister articulated a vision of environmental responsibility on the global stage at the Paris Climate Conference, it signalled an inner awakening rooted in India’s civilizational wisdom. Jalam Amritam is an artistic response to that awakening. Humanity rediscovers its sensitivity. While governments, policies, and science strive for change, true transformation can occur only when society itself becomes aware.
Group
Abhigyan Natya Association, Delhi is an autonomous registered institution that has been actively contributing to the fields of literature, society, and culture for the past 33 years. It is a collective platform for poets, writers, painters, dancers, musicians, media professionals, theatre practitioners, and cultural workers rooted in nationalist values. From time to time, the association organizes seminars, cultural dialogues, music and dance programs, exhibitions, theatre workshops, and global intellectual forums.