Science and spirituality

Every night in Gujarat, India, a water-projection show is staged in an outdoor amphitheatre for 45 minutes, dazzling thousands of spectators. Like countless shows taking place throughout the region, it uses cutting-edge audiovisual technology to hold their rapt attention, employing a fusion of lasers, lights, water, fire, sound, animation, video projection and, crucially, 10.2 surround sound. But unlike the other shows with which it competes for tourists, the Sat-Chit-Anand water show is about more than just spectacle. Indeed, it may well be the ideal union between the technology it uses to tell its story, and the message that story delivers.

Taking place at the Swaminarayan Akshardham Gandhinagar open-air amphitheatre – located within one of the most visited Hindu temples in India – the water show is the latest and arguably most impressive attraction to be produced by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a not-for-profit social, cultural and spiritual organisation that aims to promote the values of the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism.

To do so, it has worked with Yves Pépin of French creative agency ECA2, the man behind the opening ceremony for Euro Disney, the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1998 football World Cup in Paris, and the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. It’s a remarkable resume, made all the more so by Mr Pépin’s role as artistic director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, when he worked alongside Steven Spielberg and Ric Birch. But his efforts in designing the Sat-Chit-Anand water show have been no less worthy of praise. So striking is the completed attraction that its opening was broadcast live on television with a VIP audience in attendance.

That opening ceremony also witnessed Mr Pépin vividly describe what makes Sat-Chit-Anand so different, explaining to the audience that ‘until now my projects were all about entertainment and thrill, but this one is different. There is a spiritual message.’ Later, Shri R Chidambaram, an adviser to the Indian Government, added ‘if we want to become the best nation then we must have an amalgamation of science and spirituality’. That amalgamation is represented by the use of technology within the Sat-Chit-Anand show to tell an ancient story.

‘We were thinking about adding an attraction, and since everything here has a meaning, we wanted to create an attraction for education as well as entertainment, that leaves a long-lasting impression of that message,’ explains BAPS technical director Vipul Vaghela, discussing the initial decision to create Sat-Chit-Anand within the 18-year-old Swaminarayan Akshardham Gandhinagar complex.

‘The story is about a way to get an everlasting happiness, and that story is very much suited a water show type of attraction. We used the best, most modern, technology to deliver the message for an eternal truth, and when we presented it to our committee they liked the idea, and we got the go-ahead for this project.’

At the heart of the Upanishadic tale is the 10,000 year old trial of Nachiketa, a nine year old boy who confronts Yamaraj, the god of death, and receives from him knowledge of immortality and eternal happiness. Portrayed by a live actor, Nachiketa is presented as persistently asking his father for the secret of life after death, finding himself sent away to meet Yamaraj as a result. The following story – in which Nachiketa’s resolve is repeatedly tested by Yamaraj with thunderstorms, volcanoes, fire and tornadoes – is projected on to a 60-ft high, 130-ft wide water screen, with 4,000 water nozzles, 118 pumps, 2,000 lights, 10 multidimensional water nozzles, 12 fire balls and 500-sq-ft of fire helping to bring the performance to life for the 2,200 spectators watching each show.

Surrounded but not seen

But as overwhelming as the visual impact of Sat-Chit-Anand can be it is the 10.2 surround sound system – using a complement of Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers – that gives each performance depth and character. Nine PN102/LA weather resistant line array cabinets are employed in the design in a ground-stacked formation, working alongside four DR18-2Rs subs providing low end. Elsewhere, the system uses a combination of ST7/64R cabinets and two ST5LR loudspeakers to create the ‘voice of God’. Further PN121 speakers and PN151 cabs are employed to create the 10.2 surround effect.

With ambitious projects, however, come unique sets of challenges, and the creation of the water show has proven no exception. In particular, as much as the audio installation adds to the performance, it was quickly deemed vital by the BAPS technical team that the loudspeakers used were as discreet as possible so as not to detract from spectacle of the performances.

‘The biggest challenge was to generate uniform distribution of SPL without the speakers becoming a visual intrusion to the show elements,’ Mr Vaghela explains. ‘The speakers needed to be as inconspicuous and low in height as possible.’ The technical director cites this as a key factor in the decision to opt for the Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers, praising the cabinets’ ‘non-intrusive looks’.

Perhaps a bigger challenge still has been maintaining the installation’s performance despite the harsh conditions with which it is constantly faced. The region of Gujarat in which the amphitheatre is located enjoys average summer temperatures of up 42°C, sometimes rising to 45°C. With no protection or A/C, the loudspeakers are bare to the elements, and dealing with an electrically harsh environment that demands a high level of reliability in the audio delivery system.

‘A team of engineers from Renkus-Heinz and BAPS worked very closely to come up with the ground stacked line array to generate a uniform SPL throughout the sitting area,’ continues Mr Vaghela. ‘Renkus-Heinz suggested using its PN Series line arrays, which can deliver enough power and are weather-resistant even in such a harsh environment.’ The technical team selected CobraNet for the audio transport, using an integrated RHAON control network.

‘We selected Renkus-Heinz for the faithful reproduction of the sound, even at high gain, which was very crucial for us,’ reasons the technical director. ‘Our music is very difficult and it uses a wide variety of instruments – if those instruments are not faithfully reproduced by the speaker system then half of the charm of the music is lost. Another technical factor was the integrated CobraNet and RHAON.’

Technical considerations aside, however, Mr Vaghela attributes at least part of the reason for selecting Renkus-Heinz as a partner in the project to the loudspeaker manufacturer’s appreciation for BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha’s ultimate goal. Like every other company involved in the creation of the water show, the brand behind the 10.2 system appears to have wholeheartedly adopted the concept of blending the spirituality of Nachiketa’s story with the technical expertise required to create a truly 21^st century visitor attraction.

‘We appreciate very much that Renkus Heinz understands the non-profit cause of our organisation,’ agrees Mr Vaghela. ‘They have supported us by giving us exceptional service from the time of the first demonstration right through to final installation and commissioning. BAPS is very satisfied with the installation – the sound is excellent and all the technical challenges have been met with help of the whole team.’

Because of that team effort, an attraction has been created which is the match of any technical installation in the region, but which adds a new dimension in its mix of ancient and modern thinking. Sat-Chit-Anand may use well-proven technology to dazzle its audiences every night, but its achievement is entirely unique.

www.renkus-heinz.com

www.swaminarayan.org