The 2025 edition of NATYA DARSHAN hosted by Kartik Fine Arts sabha is on December 12, 13 and 14.
This is an event focussed on the academic and learning side of classical dance, with lec-dems and talks by experts and artistes in the morning and dance recitals in the evenings.
Senior Bharatanatyam dancer Narthaki Nataraj, a Mylaporean, is the convenor of Naya Darshan.
This is the concept note –
Murugiyal (Aesthetics) – Tri (त्रि) Yatri (यात्री): or Azhagiyal — “A Journey Through the Three Tamil Realms”
This year’s Natya Darshan invites us to reflect upon and celebrate the classical Indian arts through the lens of Tamil — a language of great antiquity and refined aesthetic culture.
Whether we approach it through inquiry or shared celebration, this is a journey that explores how literary traditions, musical excellence, and aesthetic forms intertwine — framed through the concept of Murugiyal or the Tri-Yatri (the seeker who travels across three paths) — to arrive at a unified celebration of the dance within literary culture.
We approach dance and music through the prism of Tamil’s literary wealth and layered meanings:
Thoodhu (messenger poems), Ulaa (urban panoramas), Parani (battle praise), Anthadhi (chain poetry), Kōvai (linked poems), Kuravanji (dramatic poetry), Maalai (garlands), Pallu (pastoral ballads), Sindhu, Kalambakam, Sandham (metrical verse), Vannam, Pillaitamil, Prabandham, Themmangu, Thiruvisaippa, Virutham, Venba —
Today’s musical and dance traditions are deeply rooted in, or directly born out of, these richly structured poetic forms.
Natya Darshan opens on Dec.12, 7 p.m;.with a formal event where dancer-guru Sucheta Chapekar is the chief guest, and there is an awards function. Then, Radhika Shurajit presents her Tamil dance drama ‘ Kanda Sashti Kavacham’.
Over the next two mornings, Dec.13 and 14, senior artistes, scholars and dancers will make presentations on themes associated with various aspects of Tamil literary heritage – like Thirupugazh, Kuravanji, Thiruporchunam, Silappadikaram and Sangam literature.
Convenor Narthaki Natraj says that she has invited dancers from outside Tamil Nadu to present recitals that will partly be based on Tamil literature sources / songs /.verses which were shared with them months ago and resource people were linked up for guidance.
Day 1 / Launch event – at Narada Gana Sabha’s main hall, Alwarpet. Open to all.
Day 2 and Day 3 – Lec – Dems and Dance Concerts – at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan main hall, Mylapore.
Lec-Dem sessions in mornings – open to all. Evening concerts are ticketed.
