BENGALURU: It was a musical beginning to the year as the 13th Nirantharam National Music and Dance Festival kick-started on January 1 and will continue till January 5. This five-day festival, happening at Seva Sadan, Malleswaram, will feature a variety of classical music concerts and dance performances.
The inaugural performance saw a colourful dance ballet, depicting the life and times of Nagarathnamma, a Carnatic singer, scholar, and courtesan. The show was conceptualised and directed by veteran director TS Nagabharana followed by Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi performances throughout the day.
P Ramaa, trustee of Sangeetha Sambhrama, which organised the festival says on January 2 there is a lineup of NRI artists. “It’s an internationally-known music drama and dance festival. Artists from the US and UK are participating. There is a strong lineup of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi performances,” says Ramaa. The festival has many performers who have been looking forward to being part of live shows. “Performers are eagerly waiting to perform live, as before it was largely online. Even regular attendees of the festival, are awaiting this,” says Ramaa.
Ramaa adds on January 4 there is a dance ballet of Sri Ramanuja Vaibhavam, and suggests not missing it. It will be presented in the presence of Yadugiri Yathiraja Narayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamy and Karnataka Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan. Apart from that, there will be a presentation of Sambhrama Puraskar Awards 2023 to eminent artists like R A Ramamani, Sujatha Sreenivasan, Sai Venkatesh, Prasanna Kasthuri, Praveen D Rao, Padmaja Srinivas and V Murali Nadaswara.
“We are felicitating all the artists who were bestowed with the Sangeet Nataka Academy Award from the President of India in Delhi. Around 50 people are coming for the award function and some are being awarded posthumously,” concludes Ramaa.