‘Kalemane Kalashree’ Awards conferred

Mysuru: Kumar Performing Arts Centre (KPAC), Mysuru, celebrated the 52nd and 53rd International Nirantara Kalemane Festival on Feb. 22 and 23, at its Kalemane Sabhaangana in Hebbal 2nd Stage. Under this festival, the 3rd Sri Purandara Tyagaraja Aradhana Nritya Sangeeta Mahotsava was also conducted with grandeur and devotion.

The first day of the event was inaugurated by Sri Ilai Alwar Swamiji of Sri Vangipura Nambi Mutt, along with esteemed dance gurus and dignitaries, by lighting the ceremonial lamp.

As part of the day’s events, Guru Mathura Viswanathan, Founder & Director of Kaladhaara Arts Academy, California, USA, was honoured with ‘Kalemane Kalashree’ Award.

Following this, KPAC, along with Dr. K. Kumar’s daughters, the Kalemane Sisters (K.M. Lekha and K.M. Nidhi) — and their disciple V. Rishita presented an elegant and scholarly dance performance to Sri Tyagaraja Swami’s Pancharatna Kriti ‘Jagadanandakaraka’ in Raga Nata. Their profound and harmonious rendition set a glorious tone for the festival and captivated the audience.

Later, Guru Mathura Viswanathan, along with eight of her disciples, presented a dance-drama titled ‘Pravahini,’ which depicted the confluence of India’s sacred rivers — Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. This mesmerising performance, lasting over one hour and 15 minutes, enthralled the audience with its intricate dance compositions, unique musical arrangements and diverse rhythmic patterns.

The extraordinary storytelling and expressive movements left the audience spellbound. Guru Mathura Viswanathan, who is based in the USA, truly represents Indian culture as a global ambassador.

The next performance was by the disciples of Dr. P. Sadhanashree of Sadhana Sangama Dance Centre, Bengaluru — daughter of Guru Jyoti Pattabhi Raman. They performed a 30-minute dance presentation based on compositions of Purandaradasa and Muthuswami Dikshitar, blending graceful movements with expressive storytelling. Their performance added yet another layer of depth and artistic excellence to the event.

Following this, Guru Smriti Ramesh Kaushik and Vidu. Bismi Shine from Kolkata presented an enthralling Bharatanatyam recital. Their selection of compositions by Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, Purandaradasa and Swathi Thirunal Maharaja was executed with impeccable precision, blending pure dance (nritta), expressions (abhinaya) and dramatic storytelling (sanchari bhava). Their spectacular performance deeply resonated with the audience.

The Musical Offering: The second day’s events began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Musicologist Vid. V. Nanjundaswamy and retd. Tahsildar Dr. V. Ranganath and other senior musicians.

On this day, ‘Kalemane Kalashree’ Award was conferred upon the following distinguished musicians: Vid. K.S. Mohan Kumar, Dr. M.V. Srinivas Murthy, Vid. Madurai R. Sankar Prasad and Vid. M.K. Shankar.

Following the awards ceremony, the renowned music gurus and their disciples performed Ghoshti Gayana, an ensemble singing of Pancharatna Kritis and devotional songs composed by Saint Tyagaraja and Purandaradasa. This soulful rendition was a heartfelt tribute to the great composers.

Later, M.K. Shankar and Madurai R. Sankar Prasad conducted a special lecture on Raga and Tala (melody and rhythm), offering deep insights into the intricate aspects of Karnatak music.