Mysore/Mysuru: The students of Nadavidyalaya – Academy of Music & Dance, Mysuru, in all 105 budding talents — beginners, sub-juniors and juniors — took part in the ‘Nada Nritya Mukula-2025’ programme of Nadavidyalaya, under the guidance and direction of Guru Vidu. Mithra Naveen, at Ganabharathi’s Ramagovinda Kalavedike in Kuvempunagar recently.

Kannada and Culture Department Joint Director V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy was the chief guest. Educationist and Dinesh Coaching Centre Founder N.V. Dinesh was the guest of honour.

To begin with, the tiny-tots of Nadavidyalaya presented alaripu, an invocatory piece of Bharatanatyam repertoire set to chaturashra eka taala. It was followed by jathiswara, the nrittabanda of Bharatanatyam margam. Next presentation was Kala Bhairavaashtaka. Praying to Shiva Shankar, who always holds triumph over the evil as Bhairava and the one who resides in Kashi, who symbolises the removal of the attachment with the worldly existence was in raaga ganamurte set to chaturashra eka tala scripted by Sri Adi Shakaracharya.

Krishna Kautwam, composed by Dwarki Krishna Swamy, was the next on the list. Krishna being one of Vishnu’s dashavataras, dance on Kaliya, the serpent, sending him away far from Vrindavan. The tiny-tots danced with their tiny steps for Krishna Kautwam in trishraadi tala set to Raga Mohana.

Immediate one was Vaikunta Narayana Vittala — a devaranama. Lord of all worlds, Vishvaroopi Narayana as the protector of Dharma who saved the earth and made it Vaikunta. Srihari giving room to Goddess Lakshmi as his bosom in his Vakshasthala, hailing as Vaikuntapati, was praised and danced with heart in Raga Tilang set to Aditaal. It is a composition by Bhadragiri Kesavadas. 

Students performed for the devaranama in Raga Malaya Maruta Aditala composed by Purandaradasaru. Next in list was Yadava Raaya, a devaranama. Born in a Yadava clan and brought up by his mother Yashoda, Krishna who plays the venu in Brindavan with the gopis like Radha and her friends were seen as a story line of the song.

Krishna, who is the Dwarkadeesan, was praised and danced in with Jayakaaras by innocent minds of Nadavidyalaya in Raga hindola set to Adi tala, composed by Sri Purandaradasaru in devaranama Yaare Rangana. Nottuswaras of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar were eye-catching and pleasant to hear. It was like English rhymes as the raga went on in shankarbharana.

‘Garuda gamanatavacharana kamala,’ in raga Shankarabharana set to chaturashra eka tala, was the next performance where the tiny-tots, who had started their dancing journey just eight months before, were the centre of attraction and stole the show with a big round of applause.

Accompanying artistes include direction and natuvanga by Guru Vidushi Mithra Naveen, vocal by Vid. M.S. Naveen, mridanga by Vid. G.S. Nagaraj and flute by Yeashas N. Kashyap. Vidu. Harshitha Amruth and Sunitha Ratish were the masters of the ceremony.