La bayadère

Act I

Scene 1

A group of young warriors led by Solor are hunting tigers. Before venturing deep into the forest, Solor orders the fakir Magdaveya to take his message to the bayadere Nikiya that he would be waiting for her outside the temple. The priests led by the High Brahmin march out from the temple to participate in the Festival of Fire. The fakirs and the temple dancers or bayaderes are performing a holy dance – the beautiful Nikiya is among them. After the ceremony the High Brahmin, forgetting his dignity and his oath as a priest, confesses his love to Nikiya. He promises her all the treasures of India, but she rejects him. The bayaderes offer the fakirs water from the holy well. Magdaveya secretly passes Solor’s message to Nikiya, which fills her heart with happiness. Night descends, and Nikiya obeys the call of love. Although the fakir guards their secret rendezvous, the High Brahmin can overhear the lovers’ conversation. Solor suggests Nikiya eloping together. The girl agrees but asks Solor to swear by the holy fire that he would be faithful to her forever. The High Brahmin prepares for his revenge and turns to the gods for punishment.

Scene 2

The Rajah Dugmanta tells his daughter, Gamzatti that she would soon meet her fiance. Solor arrives at the palace; the Rajah introduces his beautiful daughter to him, and announces their engagement. Solor is impressed by Gamzatti’s beauty and cannot refuse to marry her in spite of her oath to Nikiya. Nikiya is summoned to the palace to Gamzatti’s betrothal celebration. The High Brahmin appears too, and wants to inform the Rajah about Solor’s secret vow. Dugmata sends away everybody, feeling that the priest’s visit is related to the oncoming wedding. Gamzatti overhears the conversation between the Brahmin and his father, and thus learns that Solor is in love with Nikiya. Although Dugmanta loses his temper, he does not change his intention that his daughter should marry Solor. The Rajah decides that the bayadere cannot be an obstacle to the marriage, so she has to die. The Brahmin expected to dispose of his rival with his intrigue, but now he is shocked to hear the Rajah’s cruel decision. Nikiya returns, and so Gamzatti can meet her rival, who is really beautiful. The Rajah’s daughter boasts of her approaching wedding and invites the bayadere to dance at the event, and deliberately shows her Solor’s picture. Nikiya is exasperated, since Solor swore eternal faithfulness to her at the temple. Gamzatti demands Nikiya to give up Solor, but the bayadere is rather ready to die. The Rajah’s daughter offers jewellery and richness to her, but she rejects the proposal indignantly, as she would not leave her love for any treasure. During the heated debate Nikiya attacks Gamzatti with a dagger, but the servant Aiya steps in between them, and the bayadere runs away desperately. Gamzatti realizes that she can only get Solor if Nikiya dies.

Act II

A spectacular celebration is going on in the garden of the Rajah’s palace on the occasion of Solor’s and Gamzatti’s wedding. Nikiya has also been invited to delight the guests with her holy dance. The bayadere must not reveal her sorrow, but she cannot help glancing at her beloved Solor again and again. Aiya hands over a basket of flowers to Nikiya in the name of the Rajah, but she has hidden a snake in the basket on Gamzatti’s order. The bayadere continues her dance even more joyfully, believing that it was Solor who has sent her the present. As she is holding the basket, the snake bites her. The Brahmin offers her an antidote to the poison in exchange of her love, but the bayadere remains faithful to her love, and chooses death instead. Solor desperately collapses on the dead body of his beloved.

Act III

Scene 1

The inconsolable Solor is suffering from remorse. He orders Magdaveya to bring some opium to dispel his torturing thoughts.

Scene 2

After Solor falls in a deep dream, shades emerge from the darkness. They descend from the peaks of the mountains in a long line, and Nikiya is among them too.

Scene 3

The warrior awakens from his dream. The rajah arrives accompanied by Toloragva. He warns Solor that the time has come, the wedding is approaching. The young man receives his words reluctantly, yet he is ready to fulfil the promise he made to Dugmanta.

Scene 4

At the wedding ceremony, the guests greet the young couple with dance. One of them hands a basket full of flowers to Gamzatti, who immediately throws it away. It reminds her of the basket that once hid the venomous snake that caused the death of the bayadère. Solor envisions Nikiya, but the rajah pulls him back to reality. The union is soon to be sealed. The great Brahmin blesses the couple, and everyone enters the temple. But happiness cannot follow Gamzatti and Solor on their path. The wrath of the god Vishnu strikes down, destroying the temple. In death, Solor and the bayadère are reunited, their love is stronger than anything else, now in eternity.