Shankarananda Kalakshetra – a premier institution for Classical dance in Hyderabad, founded by Late Sri GS Shankar and Smt Subhashini Shankar, was established in May 1979, and now celebrates its 46th year, of service to arts.

Under the able and artistic leadership of renowned dancer, Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant - a Padmashri and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee; Shankarananda Kalakshetra, has grown over the years to emerge as a preeminent national institution serving the cause of the performing arts in general, and classical dance in particular.

With the pursuit of excellence as its charter and a vision to spread the joy of dance and arts, so that they become the sheet anchor of a beautiful life, Shankarananda Kalakshetra has grown to being a nationally recognised, comprehensive and holistic performing arts institute that creates outstanding artistes and nourishes and nurtures extraordinary human beings, with outreach that provides, training and opportunities in dance to many underprivileged children.

The institution is a renowned center for learning where students are taught Bharatanatyam, music, Yoga, Kalari, Nattuvangam, costume, stage, sound & light techniques, etc., providing thereby a holistic training in the arts . Shankarananda Kalakshetra is particularly known for exacting standards, discipline, body kinetics, group dynamics and aesthetic subtlety. Students here, learn to balance the traditional with the modern, and to touch one’s true self through the medium of dance.

More than 2000 students have been trained in dance here and have received innumerable prizes and accolades as performers and teachers. Students are recipients of Junior and Senior National Scholarships for dance and are empanelled artists on Doordarshan, ICCR, and Ministry of Culture, Government of India . Many students of the institution have grown to be brilliant performers and teachers and continue to share their art across the world.

The performing ensemble of Shankarananda Kalakshetra, held in high esteem and well known for its intricate choreography, aesthetic and artistic brilliance; has performed across five continents, and at many National and International festivals, earning critical acclaim.

Dance productions of the institution, have always been path breaking, bringing as it does, India’s cultural and artistic inheritance, to the modern audience, through the visual imagery of dance, and the vibrancy of the performance spanning the spectrum of traditional and contemporary presentations.

Over the last four decades Shankarananda Kalakshetra has produced and presented 28 critically acclaimed dance productions, an artistic body of work, spanning mythologies, historical chronicles, women studies, poetry, abstraction, philosophy and humour.

Shankarananda Kalakshetra, has also been a pioneer, of arts in the digital space, by creating Natyarambha – a first of its kind Bharanatyam practice app, in 2017, that is now followed by students and Gurus across the world. The work of the institution and iys Director was also mentioned by Hon PM in his Mann ki Bat of 18th June 2023.

Further, Shankarananda Kalakshetra, has contributed immensely to dance scholarship and dance academia, by irrigating the landscape of dance with signature conferences, festivals and national publications besides, cultivating and fostering an audience for art through presentations and lectures

The institution, Shankarananda Kalakshetra, is an oasis of classical arts, engaging in every aspect of creative endeavour.

In the wake of the Freedom struggle in India, many nationalist movements gained momentum, inspired by great leaders of Indian thought who sought to free India from foreign domination, not only in the political arena but also in the area of culture and education. One such movement which spearheaded a complete revolution in the cultural life of the nation was the establishment of Kalakshetra early in the nineteen thirties.

Kalakshetra was founded, in the words of its founder Smt. Rukmini Devi, “with the sole purpose of resuscitating in modern India a recognition of the priceless artistic traditions of our country and of imparting to the young to the true spirit of art devoid of vulgarity and commercialism”.

Kalakshetra was born in January, 1936 when Rukmini Devi established an Academy of Arts, and stared training pupils in Bharata Natya. This 78 year old institution stands as a beacon upholding the greatest traditions of our Bharateeya culture and in pursuance of its ideals of

(a) emphasizing the essential unity of all true art

(b) working for the recognition of the arts as vital to individual, national, religious and international growth.

Even as Rukmini Devi took care to maintain the classical purity and the beauty of the spirit embodied in the artistic traditions of India, students come to Kalakshetra from across the globe, to learn, in a Gurukula atmosphere, the full meaning of art, as an aspect of inspiration and expression.

Rukmini Devi, over the decades also choreographed many dance dramas that brought alive our many itihasas and Puranas, through exquisite poetry, music and dance. Her magnum opus has been the Valmiki Ramayana – a six part series was choreographed between 1954 and 1970

THE VALMIKI RAMAYANAM (IN SIX PARTS)

• SITA SWAYAMVARAM - 1954
• SRI RAMA VANAGAMANAM- 1960
• PADUKA PATTABHISHEKAM - 1960
• SABARI MOKSHAM - 1965
• CHOODAMANI PRADANAM - 1968
• MAHA PATTABHISHEKAM - 1970

Said Rukmini Devi ‘The Ramayana is easily the most well-loved of Indian epics. The peasant equally with the prince, delights in the story. Rama and Sita belong to every Indian whatever be his station. We all feel proud of these divine figures whose divinity lies in their extreme humanity’. She adds ‘It has been a unique experience for me, to produce this. I feel I have discovered the heart of Rama and Sita. Throughout, I have had only one aim, namely, to give a true picture of Sri Rama to the world as I see Him and to keep His character like a golden chain that joins together all the characters of the story. The great teachers of humanity have taught, but He taught by living; living like a man, not a God, yet as a God-like man. May his splendour inspire us all to create a world of beauty and compassion.’

Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, and Kalakshetra have been instrumental in reviving & resuscitating classical dance in the early decades of the last century, and has provided the dance form an impetus and a position of preeminence in the cultural arena of India. She has been the lodestar of the country, inspiring generations of dancers to follow in her footsteps and has been a guru to many including our Guru Ananda Shankar Jayant, and a manasika guru to many more.

Natyarambha and Shankarananda Kalakshetra pay homage to this guru of gurus, Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, by presenting the Sabari Moksham the 4th in the Kalakshetra’s Valmiki Ramayanam series, after two plus decades in Hyderabad.

C Rajagopalachari, the 1st Governor General of Free India, also known as RAJAJI said this ON THE KALAKSHETRA RAMAYANAS.

‘Friends! Along with you I enjoyed this performance. I am at a loss to know whom to praise – Rukmini Devi or Vasudevacharya or Valmiki of yore or ourselves! But I am unable to overcome the wonder that such a marvelous thing could have been created. What ability, imagination, great effort and the grace of the Almighty should have combined to produce this! Even I am surprised that this has been achieved by a few in our life time. If I had not been shown such a production, but had been only informed about its existence in our country, I would have disbelieved it. I have beheld the unbelievable now! With your happiness I express mine also. The story of Ramayana has taken different forms. The original (Valmiki’s) is one after which several have been written. Thyagaraja has sung the praise of Sri Rama. Many temples have been raised. We should deem that our Rukmini Devi and Vasudevacharya have built yet another temple in our country. This should be preserved as a permanent Temple. This is a new Art created to embellish the old ones and enkindle devotion in the people. I cannot say that there can be a better Temple. We have received this gift with devotion along with Rukmini Devi like the grace from the Almighty through Sri Vasudevacharya. All of us rejoice. I am grateful for the opportunity given to me to share in this. All of us should receive his (Sri Vasudevacharya’s) blessings considering it to be Sri Valmiki’s. It is fortunate that Smt. Rukmini Devi has this group of talented actors and students and teachers. It is not sufficient for me to praise this. All the citizens of India and the devotees of Rama will, no doubt, praise this.

KALAKSHETRA- a beacon of faith and hope

Kalakshetra has become an important milestone in the cultural life of India. It marks a new epoch in the Indian history of our performing arts. It was a moment that called for vision, courage, conviction, self confidence, above all faith in the greatness of this creativity.

Kalakshetra stands as a beacon of faith and hope. Its strict adherence to the ideals and structural rules, marks it out as a great institution, a bed rock of sincerity and devotion to art.

In Rukmini Devi, the heroic pioneer, the unflagging builder, the unflinching devotee of art, Indian dance has had a true messiah. Her continued devotion and adherence to her ideal is truly remarkable. Her greatness lies not only in her execution of dance and striving for its continuity to be handed down as a great heritage to posterity, but equally in her humanness, interest in the individual and possessing the sensitivity to foster with care the creative genius and talent in the young who come to seek her guidance and wisdom.

Ramayana Kalpavrksam is delighted to bring to you the beautiful and graceful Manipuri dance

Manipuri is one of the important classical dance styles of India. Hailing from the verdant state of Manipur, Manipuri dance, is anchored in the Vaishnava faith of the Meiteis, the people of the Manipur valley. Manipuri dance is intensely devotional, anchored in the stories of Krishna and Radha, and form an essential part of daily life of the people. Over a period of centuries, the traditional art has gone through various stages of development to become the sophisticated theatre art it is today.

Manipuri dance is introverted and restrained compared to most other dances of India – the artist never establishes eye contact with the audience. The movements are circular and continuous, each merging into the other. Mudras or hand-gestures are subtly absorbed in the overall flow of the movement. The facial expression is subdued and never exaggerated. These features are evident even in the more vigorous masculine dances. Jagoi and Cholom are the two main divisions in Manipur’s dance, the one gentle and the other vigorous, corresponding to the lasya and tandava elements described in Sanskrit literature. They constitute independent streams and an artist spends a lifetime perfecting any form within the spectrum.

At Ramayana Kalpavrksam we welcome Sri Krishna through the beautiful Manipuri dance performance by JNMDA, Imphal

The Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, a constituent Unit of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, is the premier institution for teaching of Manipuri Dance and Music and allied subjects like Thang-Ta. Established in 1954, it offers comprehensive courses on the abovementioned subjects.

The Academy is an institution of learning where the goal set is the attainment of the highest knowledge and wisdom on the age-old cultural values and traditions of Manipur.

Manipuri dance are widely known for the various Raas that they present such as Vasanta Raas, that recreates the Raas by Sri Krishna and the gopis at the Vasanta Purnima, Kunja Raas that is played on Ashwin Purnima and the spectacular Maha Raas.

The program will consist of Maha raas, considered the best of all Raas Leelas, that was introduced by Rajarshri Bhagyachandra, and is based on the Bhagavatam (Ras Panchadhyay) in which slokas of Bhagavata text are recited and sung.

On seeing the beauty of the full moon Krishna plays his flute heralding the Ras Leela. The gopis danced along with Krishna. However the Gopis feel proud on being with Krishna , and seeing their pride Krishna disappears and His flute goes silent. The gopis search for Krishna and lament at His absence.

Krishna forgives them as His heart melts at their agony, and He returns to dance with the gopis when they had shed their prides. Eka Gopi and Eka Shyam is the main feature of this Raas, where each gopi dances with her own Krishna as Krishna manifests Himself for everyone.

Pung Cholom, a a thrilling display of energetic dancing, performed by men even as they play intricate rhythms on the Pung – the Manipuri drum, in.

Ramayana Kalpavrksam is thrilled and excited to invite the stars - Ranjani Gayatri

Ranjani and Gayatri, sisters, are world renowned versatile musicians who have carved their names in gold the eternal edifice of Bhakti and Carnatic Music. Ranjani and Gayatri’s exquisite concerts take the listener into a world of transcendental bliss, where the listener is transported into the Bhakti loaded world of music, that paves a path towards divinity. Ranjani-Gayatri's performances are highly acclaimed for their melodious renditions, impeccable coordination as a duo, and their ability to explore the depths of ragas through intricate improvisations. They are known for their consummate mastery over the complex form of Ragam-Thanam-Pallavi and their Their repertoire of classical compositions in several languages including Sanskrit, Tamizh, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, and Marathi Abhangas resonate with classical richness and devotional fervour that has caught the imagination of scores of music lovers across the globe.

With over thirty-five years of professional experience as top class Indian classical musicians, the sisters are conservators of their genre's unique beauty and preserve ancient tradition as they continue to innovate within it.

Well known for their perfection of sruti (pitch), powerful voice control, rich imagination and impeccable aesthetics which reflect the timeless values of classicism Ranjani and Gayatri, are highly respected and celebrated for their performances in the field of Indian Classical music.

Above all this, it is the sisters' capacity to deeply experience and enjoy what they sing that takes their music to a different plane. Their two voices blend and contrast to strike a fine balance between vibrancy and contemplation, intellect and emotion, tradition and innovation. Their concerts, which draw full houses across the globe, resound with energy, freshness and emotional intensity.

The sisters have boldly experimented and have created a formidable body of work in the collaborative space. Their Jugalbandhi concerts with musicians from the North Indian classical style, their collaborations with musicians from western and other genres have created waves. Their path-breaking and innovative presentation of “Raja by RaGa '' and “RaSa by RaGa” concept has particularly brought in diverse and first time listeners for Indian classical music worldwide. They have composed original music for the timeless spiritual works of Adi Shankaracharya, Arunagirinadhar and Marathi Abhangs which has resonated in millions of households across the world. Especially the devotional projects of theirs like the Subrahmanya Bhujangam and Lalita Sahasranamam have powerfully impacted and rejuvenated the interest of listeners.

Ranjani Gayatri tof day premiere one such presentation ‘RAMA by RaGa’

Ranjani and Gayatri are also accomplished violinists. They started their musical journey as violinists even before they reached their teens, and made a name for themselves as one of the leading violinists of their generation, performing in leading sabhas (organisations presenting concerts) all over the country and abroad.

Richly awarded

Some of their awards include

• The recent Sangeetha Choodamani, from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha
• Kevin McNamee, the Mayor of The city of Thousand Oaks proclaimed May 7, 2023 as "Ranjani- Gayatri : RaGa Day”.
• "Samagana Mathanga National award" in 2023 that was presented by the Yoga Guru Dr. H S Nagendra instituted by Bharatiya Samagana Sabha, Bengaluru.
• "Kalaimamani Award" from the state of Tamil Nadu in 2020. The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
• "Sangeetha Kala Siromani'' from Chennai Cultural Academy in 2015.
• "Vani Kala Sudhakara'' from Sri Tyaga Brahma Gana Sabha in 2015.
• Lifetime Achievement award from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 2013.
• “Sanskriti Puraskar” from Sanskriti Pratishthan, New Delhi in 2008.
• “National Eminence Award” from Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and
• “Kalki Krishnamurthy award” in 2004 and the list goes on.

They have toured and performed, as well as educated students of music all over the globe, from Australia, New Zealand to Poland, Italy, the UK , Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and all over USA and Canada.

RaGa have been a modern force in making Carnatic music attractive, understandable, relatable, even fashionable across a whole generation of people in India and abroad. They have been a true integration force of the heritage of India. They have become the modern face of traditional Carnatic music.

Accompanied by:

Violin: Vittal Rangan

Mridangam: Delhi Sriram

Ghatam: Krishna S

Following 21Notes?

Want to meet the creator?

Well!

Ramayana Kalpavrksam is honoured to welcome Sri Yashodeep Deodhar the creator of 21Notes Valmiki Ramayana, series of contemporary and captivating short-format videos on the ancient epic. They appeal to the modern mind especially because the approach is completely fresh, unbiased and rational.

Yashodeep is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Mumbai, and PGDBM from IIM Ahmedabad. He previously worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Co and then successfully launched his own company, Derrick Petroleum Services in the Global Oil and Gas industry.

He has now devoted himself to the task of researching the original Valmiki Ramayan in Sanskrit and reconnecting today’s youth with the epic.

Yashodeep Deodhar opens the ‘Ramamrita’ series of scholarly talks on 1st February 2025 morning for Ramayana Kalpavrksam 2025

Many of us have followed their talks and read their many books

Dr.D.K.Hari and Dr.D.K.Hema Hari, husband-wife duo are founders of Bharath Gyan (www.bharathgyan.com) a forerunner in Indian Civilization Knowledge Studies, conceptualized over 25 years ago with a mission to raise awareness about the knowledge, practices and global connects of the Indian Civilization over millennia, from an Indic Perspective.

Bharath Gyan’s Indic narrative showcases the scientific and industrial aspects of the Bharatiya civilization alongside its spiritual aspects and how it is this twinning that has sustained the civilization across millennia.

Bharat Gyan’s contribution has been immense –

• Over 500 hours of multimedia content on Indian Civilization over 108 different subjects, published 100 books as part of Autobiography of India collection.
• 5 Documentary films
• 700 short films
• 600 Blog articles.

Besides ongoing lectures, talks, films, writings etc; Hari & Hema also serve as visiting faculty for Indian Civilization Studies at Universities in India and overseas

Some of their key contributions at a National level include:

• Member of delegation for CIVIL BRICS, Moscow, Russia in 2015
• Delivered Key Session for Youth in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, 2015
• Authoring book and Designing, Curating and Setting up “Knowing New India” Pavilion for Ministry of External Affairs at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Varanasi in 2019
• Knowledge Partner for Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz of Ministry Of External Affairs
• Mentoring NGOs across India on water harnessing and river rejuvenation projects for applying Indic wisdom in their projects
• Authoring and Publishing of books for Ek Bharat Sreshta Bharat events in 2022, 2023 as well as for the inauguration of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in 2024
• Kasi Tamilagam – A Traditional Connect
• Saurashtra Tamilagam – Millennia Of Connect
• Sri Rama In Tamilagam, An Inseparable Bond

Richly awarded

Hari and Hema are Members on boards of many public institutions in the fields of health, education and culture.

Their compilation and dissemination work has led Bharath Gyan to be recognized as a Knowledge partner to the Indian Knowledge Systems Division, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

We are delighted to have with us once again the much respected dance scholar Dr. Anupama Kylash, and is an enduring collaborator with Natyarambha and Shankarananda Kalakshetra, in all our artistic endeavors.

Anupama is a senior practitioner of Indian Dance and an Academic. She has a PhD in Dance from the University of Hyderabad and has given over a thousand performances and lecture-demonstrations across ten countries. She has over sixty paper presentations and workshops to her credit on subjects ranging from Aesthetics, Poetics, Itihasa, Kavya, Nataka, Prabandha, Vaggeyakara literature and Imagery in Abhinaya.

An author of two books on the works of the Telugu Pada poets, Annamacharya and Kshetrayya, she is a recipient of scholarships and projects from the Dept of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Culture, University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Anupama founded ‘Anubhav Centre for Performing Arts and Literature’ in the year 2000 and has conceived, curated and presented many events under this banner, the most popular being, ‘The Thinking Cap Series.’ She is currently serving as a Professor for Kuchipudi Dance in the University of Silicon Andhra, California, Guest Faculty and member of the advisory board for the newly launched University, RASARISHI, affiliated to the Kannada University, Hampi.

Vikram Sridhar is a Performance Storyteller, Theatre Practitioner, a Narrative based Facilitator and a TEDx Speaker, combining his various interests and work over 20+ years in Theatre, Conservation and Social Work.

Based in Bangalore and Chennai , he has spoken at multiple events on the power of stories and theatre and is quoted in various media. He extensively travels the country performing, conducting workshops and speaking at public spaces, community libraries, schools, corporates, business conferences, literary & cultural festivals for children , students and adults.

With an engineering , Management and a law degree from institutes like SRM, IIT and NALSAR , Vikram moved on to be a full time Arts Practitioner and Solopreneur after working in the Management domain with IBM and SAP .

He curates and is a part of organising teams of Literary festivals for Children like the Bangalore Literature Festival , Bengaluru Poetry Festival , Dum Dama Dama : Children 's Theatre festival etc.

He believes in the Desi way of Storytelling as a strong medium of conservation from nature to human relationships as his stories are rooted in folklore, Heritage and Ecology inspired from various communities of the soil . He strongly believes 'A Story a Day keeps the Doctor Away ' not an apple

Ramayana Kalpavrksam 2025 is honoured to welcome the very distinguished Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi the Vice-chancellor of Central University New Delhi, the premiere and largest institution of Higher Education in Sanskrit.

Prof. Varakhedi served as Vicechancellor in Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University and Gondwana University Gadchiruli from 2017 to 2022. He was also acting VC of Karnataka Sanskrit University and served there as a Professor and Dean of Shastra Faculty in Karnataka Samskrita University, Bangalore, Karnataka, and also held the additional charge of the Director of Melkote Sanskrit Academy. Formerly he was the Director of Sanskrit Academy a Research Institute funded by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Osmania University, Hyderabad. He started his academic carrier as a lecturer in purnaprajna Vidyapeeth sanskrit college and later in 2000, he joined and served as a faculty in Tirupati Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth a deemed university.

He has also served in capacities as Acting Vicechancellor for one year, Registrar I/c, Director of Sanskrit Education of the state, and nodal officer in Karnataka Sanskrit University, Bengaluru.

He is member of various committees and national & international academic bodies such as Academic Council of RSVP Tirupati, Board of Management in Chinmaya University, Board of Studies in many universities. He is also appointed as Hon. Chairman of Managing committee of Mumbadevi Adarsh Mahavidyalaya mumbai. He worked as a member of the committee for vision document for the development of Sanskrit constituted by MHRD Govt of India. He is a part of the NAAC guidelines preparation committee for sanskrit universities. He was also member of Grant in aid committee, MHRD, Govt of India. He participated in faculty selection in EFLU hyd as the nominee of President of India.

He has been serving as a member in the selection committees for various awards in central Sahitya academy. He has been associated with many national and international research journals as editorial or advisory board, and is visiting faculty in many national level institutions.
He has extensively worked in the field of Sanskrit Computational Linguistics. His current interests are Sanskrit Pedagogy, E-repository for Sanskrit, Research Methodology of Shatsras and Philosophy of Language. He has been engaged in dialogues between traditional systems of knowledge and modern thinking. He has more than 30 publications to his credit in National and International journals apart from a good number of books authored and edited.

He has been awarded the Maharshi Badarayan Vyas Samman - an award given by the President of India in 2008 and Swami Chinmayananda Research Gold medal in 2013. He has received many awards and titles for his work in the field of Sanskrit & Indian Knowledge Systems. Recently he is conferred Hon. D.Litt by the Governor of Maharashtra in the convocation of Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek.

Ami Ganatra, a best selling author and sought after speaker, is an alumna of Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). A management professional, she is also a devout yoga practitioner, a certified yoga instructor, and a student of Sanskrit and Indian knowledge systems.

Her 3 books Mahabharata Unravelled 1, Mahabharata Unravelled 2 and Ramayana Unravelled, are not retellings or imaginations, but an attempt to go back to the original itihasa and present the story, learnings and nuances for what they are, and make the epics accessible to all.

In addition, she regularly delivers lectures and offers courses on Mahabharata, Ramayana, Yogasutras and other Indic topics.

Ami’s talk at the very first Ramayana Kalpavrksam in 2023 was a runaway success. We are delighted to welcome Ami once again to Ramayana Kalpavrksam

Udaya Shreyas NJ is the founder, and Creative Director at The Sanskrit Channel.

Udaya Anna as he is fondly called - is a revered Sanskrit educator and cultural enthusiast with a mission to make the treasures of Sanskrit language and literature accessible, and relishable to the modern world.

Followed by over a million subscribers on YouTube, Uday anna has redefined how traditional knowledge can thrive in the digital age.

His engaging and scholarly content has inspired countless learners to explore the depths of Sanskrit.

Be it his detailed explanation of complex Sanskrit works like Shiva Tanda Stotram, Soundarya Lahari, and Narayaneeyam, or unique presentations of very popular chants like Shrimad BhagavadGita, Valmiki Ramayanam, and many Sahasranamas, Uday anna's presentations are enjoyed by millions across the world.

Uday anna seamlessly blends ancient wisdom with modern content formats, making authentic, well-referenced Sanskrit knowledge accessible to contemporary audiences.

His efforts have resulted in the publication of engaging content across a diverse array of shastras rooted in Sanskrit like Shiksha, Vyakarana, Jyotisha, Ayurveda, and Tantra, available across multiple languages of Bharat right from Nepali to Sinhala.

Beyond his digital presence, Uday anna conducts workshops and courses to simplify the complexities of Sanskrit grammar and pronunciation, connecting students with the profound philosophies embedded in classical texts.

Uday anna’s journey is rooted in his deep passion for the languages, arts, and traditions of Bharat.

With a deep passion to be a continuous student, seeker, and supporter of the classical arts, his collaborative efforts extend to storytellers, painters, musicians, and performing artists across various traditions.

We are honored to welcome Udaya Shreyas NJ back at Ramayana Kalpavrksam for the 2nd year running.

Cherial art is popularly practised in the small village of Cherial, Telangana. The art form is a blend of Kalamkari and Deccani scroll paintings and Nakashi art that has been in practice since the 16th century.

The art form usually depicts the mythological epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Garuda Purana etc.

Cheriyal paintings emply the unique method of scroll paintings where detailed narratives from the Puranas Ramayana and Mahabharata are depicted – creating a visual learning for the viewer, and accompanied the story-telling and balladeer community called Kaki Padagollu, as they shared ancient knowledge and wisdom through the visual and performing arts

The traditional Cheriyal scrolls were mostly vertical canvases about 40 to 45 feet in length on which the episodes of the story flowed in a horizontal panels

Now artists paint smaller versions of these scrolls that depict any single episode or few characters from the traditional stories, to suit framing and mounting in modern homes.

Cheriyal Painting that received the GI tag in 20027, are uniquely vibrant in vivid hues with mostly primary colors, and a predominance of red color in the background, and reflect rural culture of Telangana.

Today only few artists, continue the age old tradition of Cheriyal painting. One such traditional Cheriyal Painter is Madhu Merugoju, who has dedicated his life to propagating this style of painting.

Madhu has presented his work at major exhibitions, and has received several awards in recognition for his work, besides conducting workshops for SPICMACAY, CCRT and now for us at Ramayana Kalpavrksam

Register to learn from a master, take back with you an exquisite piece of Cheriyal art.

PS : All material provided

PS: Madhu’s exquisite art also available for purchase at Kala Grama

Anusha Namburi, a master’s student in family business, is a classically trained Bharatanatyam dancer with over two decades of experience under the guidance of Ananda Shankar Jayant. She is also an accomplished artist, specializing in fabric and Chinese painting, having honed her skills under the tutelage of Azra ma’am.

Through her brand, Varnam, Anusha has crafted a distinctive style of painting Chinese florals on fabrics. Passionate about preserving the essence of art in a fast-paced world, she seamlessly blends tradition and creativity.

In her upcoming workshop, she invites participants to explore the art of painting bespoke designs on tote bags.

We are delighted to present multi talented young artist Anusha Namburi at Ramayana Kalpavrksam 2025. Register soon to take back a personalised tote bag painted by you!

P.S: All materials will be provided