The word VYSAKHI is derived from the words Visakha, Visakheswara and Visakheswari. The two names Visakha and Visakheswara are inseparable. The name of the city, Visakhapatnam has his origin from the divine name of the lord Visakheswara; there was a temple in proximity to the Beach. The temple was inundated due to Geographical changes. But, the blessing of the Lord is still with the city. The city is called as the City of Destiny.

Besides this the city as another remarkable feature that there was a temple of Goddess Visakheswari in the vicinity of railway station. Goddess Visakheswari is also pouring her choicest blessing on the city. The Goddess made the town. So, the word VYSAKHI in VYSAKHI NIRTHYOTSAV reflects the glory of Visakha, Visakheswara and Visakheswari. During Vysakhi Nrithyotsav, Visakhapatnam will grace the festival and the god
Visakheswara and goddess Visakheswari shall bless the celebrations of the Grand Classical Dance Festival VYSAKHI NRITHYOTSAV in every September month of the Year.

10th Anniversary Celebration

Vysakhi Nrithyotsav 2017: A Decade of Classical Dance

Shimmering gates, huge cut-outs of classical dancers, men in traditional attire welcoming guests were the signature style of celebrations at the 10th edition of the Vysakhi Nrithyotsav, an All Indian Classical Dance festival celebrated on the evening of September 15 at Kalabharathi Auditorium. The festival has been successfully organised for the last 10 years by Nataraj Music and Dance Academy (NMDA) under the guidance of its Founder President BR Vikram Kumar. It acquired a special place in the cultural fabric of India. NMDA, a member of International Dance Council in UNESCO and ISO 9001:2008 certified organisation, gave a good start to the programme.

As the clock struck 6:30 pm, compere Sai Bala welcomed the dignitaries, commissioner of income tax GP Reddy, additional commissioners of income tax, Ravi Shankar Narayan and Manoj Kumar, joint commissioner of income tax, Aravindakshin and assistant commissioner of income tax, Saumya Pande for lighting the lamp to inaugurate the festival.

The packed hall then watched the opening of the programme by performer, teacher and choreographer Deepak Mazumdar, a master of Bharatanatyam who has carved a niche in the world of Indian classical dancing with his expertise in ‘Abhinaya’. Guru Deepak had carved many individuals and nurtured performers for decades together. Nita Ambani, the wife of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, veteran heroine and Raj Sabha member Hema Malini and others have been training under him for the last couple of decades.

Guru Deepak Mazumdar began the proceedings with his brilliant dance recital using all his expertise, setting the tone for the rest of evening. He performed two acts in which the first one depicted Krishna as a happy-go-lucky boy who prevails on his mother Yashoda to narrate an ancient story. She chooses to tell Rama’s story, which causes the young Krishna to react to the story forgetting that he is not Rama but Krishna. The next presentation was about Nandanaar, an untouchable bhakt of Lord Brihadeeshvara who was kicked out of the temple and insulted but was given darshan by the God by making Nandi move. His facial expression accurately synchronising with the body language and ‘Chaksho-bhinaya’ in a wonderful manner while performing the act mesmerised the audience. He has an impeccable sense of rhythm coupled with subtle grace, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the spectators.

Sudagani Geeta Narayan, a Vizagite, captivated the audience with two Kuchipudi recitals, which included an Abhinaya piece ‘Sancharadadhara’, an Ashtapadi, which was composed by Padma Bhushan awardee Vempati Chinna Satyam, and Bhamakalapam which depicted the story of Satyabhama, the charming but jealous wife of Krishna and her love for her companion. Right from the entry till the exit, the Mrignayani captured the attention of the audience through her astonishing footwork perfectly synchronised with her ‘Nayan-abhinaya’. She maintained her continuous eye contact with nuke and corners of the auditorium. The performances were marvellous with perfect expressions to portray the characters. The spectators could get the vibes of Satyabama effectively as she got involved with the character completely. Last but not the least, Kerala Natanam by Kalalaya group lead by Joy Krishnan from Trivandrum gave everyone a taste of Kerala with their novelty. They performed three acts which started with Ganesha Sthuti followed by an item in praise of Lord Nataraja Markandeya Charitra. They concluded their act by giving tribute to the Navaratri festival as they depicted Goddess Durga, a form of Shakti. It was a grand evening which was thoroughly enjoyed by the dance aficionados in Vizag.

The momentum and the spirit continued with a spectacular display of Kathak; Bharatanatyam and Odissi classical dances by accomplished artists who cast a spell on the gathered audience on the second day. Artistes from Kalanand Nritya Sanstha from Mumbai headed by Bhavana Lele began the proceedings with their Kathak recital on Day 2. Guru Bhavana Lele, Pallavi Lele, Jui Badle, Vaishnavi Gandhi, Yukta Nayak, Kavya Srikanth and Yashoda Pant presented ‘Dashavatar’, a Mahakavya written by poet Jayadev, composed by Pandit Jasraj and choreographed by Guru Bhavana Lele. Twirling the pointed finger in the entire sequence to establish Lord Sri Maha Vishnu in every Avatar was selected and well exhibited by Bhavana Lele. The group gave a vibrant performance which gave the viewers goosebumps. It was followed by a Bharatanatyam presentation by Debjani Chatterjee and Group from Kolkata. Artistes Sharmila Ghosh, Shubhecha Bhattacharya, Debsri Roy, Modar Chatterjee, Debashish Sarkar, Tuhin Chatterjee, Sourav Bose and Nilay Mondal displayed wonderful skill. They performed traditionally global, a Bharatnatyam margam set in a world musical arrangement. The performance was breathtaking and their efforts to please the audience with a new way of presentation were triumphant. Debjani’s different and attractive performance during the show, especially her concluding item, Tilana – a tribute to Visakhapatnam remained like an unforgettable event. A disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Rina Jana’s group presented beautiful Odissi art form and showcased the sculptural essence of the dance form. Artistes Paromita Mohapatra, Sweta Kundhu, Sangamitra Jana and Koushik Das were part of the group. They performed three acts which started with Krishna Kirtanam to showcase the love and devotion towards Krishna. The next act depicted the Dasavatara of Lord Vishnu. The last act portrayed the love for everyone and devotion towards life that can result in a divine energy. The group’s presentation was heart touching and connected very well with the audience.

The dignitaries on the second day of the function, customs and central excise commissioner (audit) D Venkateswara Reddy, Symbiosis Technologies CEO O. Naresh Kumar, additional commissioners of income tax S Ravi Shankar Narayan, artistes Deepak Mazumdar and Kashmira Trivedi graced the occasion as guests for the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and later presented the awards. Recognizing the efforts put in by Jagadbandhu Jana, festival director of Devadasi Nrithyotsav from Odisha, in promoting art and culture, the Academy presented him the ‘Vysakhi Excellency Award’ for the year 2017.

The third day of the festival witnessed Manipuri and Kutiyattam performances on September 17. The evening began with the traditional lamp lighting ceremony by distinguished guests chartered accountant, Velugula Sridhar; income tax officer, Sri Vijay Kumar; prominent stage and light designer, Sai Venkatesh and chief manager (public relations) of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. Almost immediately, Santiniketan Angik and Group from West Bengal amused the audience with their soothing and graceful Manipuri moves. They performed three acts which depicted Dasavatara of Lord Vishnu in their style. The acts were smooth and cheerful. Later, Kalamandalam Ramith and group from Kerala presented Kutiyattam, one of the oldest living theatrical traditions – a first of its kind presentation in Andhra Pradesh. As most of the stories of Kutiyattam are based on the Ramayana, the group performed ‘Jadayuvadham’ from the epic. Artistes Kalamandalam Ramith Ramesh, Kalamandalam Manjunath, Kalamandalam Nila and Kalamandalam Midhun brilliantly presented the whole episode spanning around 30 minutes. Percussionists Kalamandalam Vijay, Kalamandalam Rahul on Mizhavu, Kalamandalam Sudheesh on Idakka and Kalamandalam Aswathy on Thalam accompanied the artists and made it an epic performance. Kalamandalam Vyshakh did a great job with Chutty (makeup). The three-day festival showcased some of the spectacular art forms in India and it would be remembered for a long time to come.