Under the mentorship of Supriya Ravikumar, artists did a stellar job in portraying different characters from legends as part of the dance drama ‘Navavidha Bhakti’ during the annual Margazhi Manghala Utsavam, hosted by Manghalam Group, in Tiruchi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
M. MOORTHY
The rasikas watched with rapt attention as the dance drama, Navavidha Bhakti, unfolded on stage as part of the annual Margazhi Manghala Utsavam hosted by Manghalam Group in Tiruchi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
M. MOORTHY
Theatre, music, and dance festivals have been entertaining Tiruchi residents for the past few days as the season brings culture aficionados out to different venues in the city.
This week, the sixth edition of ‘Margazhi Manghala Utsavam’, a three-day programme dedicated to showcasing Carnatic music and classical dance performances, began on Friday at Tiruvanaikoil, with a concert by nadaswaram exponents S. Kasim and S. Babu, harikatha by young exponent V. Kathyayani and a recital by the Carnatic band Indradhanush.
On Saturday, audiences were treated to Navavidha Bhakti, a Bharatanatyam recital by Sri Priyalaya Arts Academy based out of Tiruchi and Delhi that explained the nine ways of devotion to God.
Performed under the mentorship of Supriya Ravikumar, the dance drama made skilful use of the stage, with the women cast doing a stellar job in portraying different characters from legends.
Saturday’s line-up included Radhika Shurajit’s Mannavan Vandanadi, a dance tribute to actor Sivaji Ganesan, a solo performance by danseuse Idhaya Herald of Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, and a presentation by students of Bala Kala Vidhanam.
The festival will conclude on Sunday with a vocal concert by Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan, popularly known as the ‘Trichur Brothers’.
“Margazhi Manghala Utsavam is committed to nurturing young talent. It provides a platform for aspiring artistes to showcase their skills alongside seasoned professionals. Given the enthusiastic response of artistes wanting to participate in our programme, we introduced daytime slots as well, to accommodate everyone. We are happy to see the public turnout for all the events,” Prabhu Venkatramani of Manghalam Group told The Hindu.
Drama festival
The annual Tamil drama festival at Rasika Ranjana Sabha which began last week has been attracting over 150 persons per show, said organisers.
“We have brought in at least a dozen drama troupes from Chennai this year, with contemporary and engaging stories in different genre, which add to the novelty of watching a play. As a result, we are seeing a good response from family audiences,” said sabha secretary N. Sekar.
Saturday’s play Kaatchi Pizhaigalo by the Three troupe, featured the story of a visually challenged person and the mission to restore eyesight. On Sunday, the drama Ambi Mama about mismatched horoscopes, produced by Prasidhdhi Creations, will take centre stage. The festival will end on December 25 with PMG Mayurapriya’s Big Boss. The play has been acclaimed for its focus on the state of higher education.
Admission to all the shows is free.
Published – December 21, 2024 08:14 pm IST