A new cultural exchange, Poland meets India seeks to blend an intercontinental cultural exchange by exploring history with the arts. This collaborative presentation brings together a solo Bharatanatyam performance and visual storytelling to trace a lesser-known chapter of Indo-Polish history. Bharatanatyam dancer Apeksha Niranjan and Polish writer-researcher Monika Kowaleczko-Szumowska will come together to explore cultural similarities between the two countries, while centring the story of Polish refugee children who found shelter in India during the Second World War.
Wanda Nowicka (left) with a friend at Valivade refugee camp in Kolhapur (1943-1948)
The ‘Good’ Maharaja
At the heart of the presentation and the opening of the evening — is the story of Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar, (today’s Jamnagar) in Gujarat. “During the Second World War, nearly 1000 Polish children were displaced from their homes and left without refuge, as several countries refused to accept them. The Maharaja welcomed the children to India, providing them with shelter, education, food, clothing, and cultural support,” emphasised Kowaleczko-Szumowska.
Dated photographs of Wanda Nowicka in Poland (left) and during her stay in India (right)
Kowaleczko-Szumowska has researched this history extensively and authored the book, Maharaja’s Children, Story of Polish Kids in Jamnagar, which was released in English in 2025. She will then speak about the children’s journey — from their life in Poland to their eventual arrival in India — supported by visuals from her documentary of the same name.
Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar. Pic courtesy/Wikipedia
The children, Kowaleczko-Szumowska notes, “Did not just find safety in Nawanagar; they found affection. They often called the Maharaja by the name of ‘Bapu’, reflecting the paternal care he extended towards them during their years in India.”
Niranjan at the dance showcase held at Dom Kultury Stare Babice cultural centre in Poland. Pics courtesy/Arleta Olendrowicz
Personal history on stage
For Niranjan, the story is deeply personal. Her grandmother, Wanda Nowicka, later Malti Kashikar, was among the Polish refugee children who arrived in India in 1942 and lived in a refugee camp at Kolhapur. “Through a Bharatanatyam performance, I will present my grandmother’s lived experiences — deportation, the unfortunate death of her father in a Siberian labour camp after being mistreated by a Soviet soldier, separation from her family in Iran, and the struggle of adapting to life in India, despite the stress and trauma she endured during that period at such a young age,” recalls Niranjan.
Monika Kowaleczko-Szumowska (right); her book, Maharaja’s Children, Story of Polish Kids in Jamnagar
While Bharatanatyam traditionally draws from mythological narratives, Niranjan will use its grammar to narrate historical and cultural stories. Incorporating Polish folk tales and the refugee narrative, the recital aims to blend Bharatanatyam with Gregorian chants, creating a cross-cultural language rooted in shared human values.
ON January 30; 6.30 pm
AT Sahitya Mandir Sabhagruha, Sector 6, Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
CALL 9820609746
ENTRY Rs 250 (donor passes)
