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   DR. SANDHYA PURECHA, the President of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, received the Honorary Doctorate of the Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University, Mysuru, on March 24, 2025 in the presence of Prof Sharanabasappa V. Halse, Prof. Nagesh V. Bettakote, Vice Chancellor, KSGH at Mysore.  Bharatanatyam dancer URMILA SATYANARAYANA is to receive the NRITYA KALANIDHI award from Madras Music Academy for 2025. MADAMBI SUBRAMANIA NAMBOODIRI will receive the TTK AWARD for Kathakali music.  Eminent Bharatanatyam Guru KUTTALAM M. SELVAM, son of Guru Muthuswamy Pillai, passed away on March 21, 2025. He was 75. Kuttalam M Selvam was born into a family of musicians and nattuvanars in 1950 in Kuttalam in Tamil Nadu. He was the director of Chevalier VS Muthuswamy Pillai Laya Natiya School in Chennai. Selvam was also a Lecturer in Nattuvangam (Retd), Govt Music College, Adyar in Chennai. When teaching, he created a unique repertoire for each student, highlighting their abilities and talents.  On March 23, 2025 at Gyan Manch, Kolkata, Chidakash Kalalay presents: CHIDAKASH NATYAKALA CHUDAMANI SAMMAN: Nandini Ramani CHIDAKASH NRITYAKALA CHUDAMANI SAMMAN: Mysore B Nagaraj CHIDAKASH KALASHIROMANI SAMMAN: Ashimbandhu Bhattacharya  On March 17, 2025 dancer METHIL DEVIKA received the DRIVERS OF CHANGE award, presented by India Today and the Mahindra & Mahindra group, at an event in Mumbai.  For his invaluable and continued contribution, participation and dedication to Bhagavata Mela, N SRIKANTH NATARAJAN is to be honoured with SATRAJITI PURASKARAM on 23rd April 2025 at Annamayya Kala Vedhika, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, on the occasion of International Dance Day celebrations.  On March 17, 2025 at the 31st Guru Pankaj Utsav at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, the following awards were given. GAUNI SAMPRADA for DR. MITALI CHINARA (Odissi music and vocal) MADELI SAMMAN for BUDDHANATH SWAIN (Odissi mardal) BINAKARA SAMMAN for DR. DHIRAJ KUMAR MOHAPATRA (Odissi music and composition) NACHUNI SAMPRADA for SRIPARNA BOSE (Odissi dance) MAHARI AWARD for JANHABI BEHERA was given on March 19, 2025.  Costume designer SNEHASHISH BHATTACHARYA of brand Darzee, passed away on March 10, 2025 at Kolkata. He was a favoured designer for the Sapphire Dance Company.  PT RAJENDRA GANGANI received the NISHAGANDHI PURASKARAM at Kanakakkunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram, on February 14, 2025.  Dancer SHANTHA RATII, director of Shantha Ratii Initiatives, Singapore, was honored by The Times of India with the TIMES POWER ICON award on March 10, 2025 at The Hyatt, Delhi, in the category of Art and culture.  As a part of JAYACHANDRAN SURENDRAN’s Ph.D. research, through which a method was designed to teach form-neutral and style-neutral universal dance fundamentals, a ‘Dance Teaching Tool’ was designed. After a thorough scrutiny, this tool was granted Patency from the India Patent Office. He had the support and guidance of his Research Supervisor Prof. Vinoo Alluri, Asst. Professor, Cognitive Science Lab, IIIT, Hyderabad.  On Women's Day, 8 March 2025, Delhi Tamil Sangam honoured GEETA CHANDRAN with a Lifetime Achievement Tiara, Medal, and Certificate.  Mulakanadu Maha Sangha presented the SRI THYAGARAJA RATHNA 2025 to music and dance critic Dr. M SURYA PRASAD on March 16, 2025 at Bangalore. Nalanda Dance Research Centre awarded the following during its Nalanda Nrityotsava held between January 10 – 13, 2025 at Mumbai. BHARATA MUNI AWARD: singer Dr Suresh Wadkar, Kathak dancer Sunayana Hazarilal. KANAKA NARTANA PURASKAR: Kathak dancer Gauri Sharma Tripathi, Bharatanatyam exponent Gayatri Sriram, Manipuri exponent Latasana Devi, Odissi Guru Rabindra Atibudhi, Sai Venkatesh (President of Karnataka Nritya Kala Parishath) and critic Vijay Shanker. NALANDA NRITYA NIPUNA AWARD: Bharatanatyam dancers Kavya Pujara from Ahmedabad, Simran Cherayil from Mumbai, Kartik Manikandan from Kerala, Varun Shivakumar from Chennai, and Anushkaa Ramanatan from Mumbai. Kathak dancer Rutuja Nadkarni from Mumbai, Nayanika Gangani from Haryana, S Vaidegi and Ananya Mohan Iyer, both from Bangalore, Mohiniattam dancer Thomas Vo Van Tao, Odissi dancer Tamal Das.  KIRUTHIKA RATHANASWAMI, disciple of Jai Govinda, is the new artistic director of Mandala Arts and Culture, Vancouver. “As the founder and Artistic Director of Mandala Arts and Culture for the past 25 years, I am very happy to officially announce that long time graduate of the Jai Govinda Dance Academy, Kiruthika Rathanaswami, will now be the new artistic director of Mandala. I am very happy that Kiruthika has accepted this role of leadership, and I will continue to give her and Mandala Arts and Culture my full support. Kiruthika has been under my mentorship for the past 3 years to prepare her for this position. The mandate of Mandala remains the same, and all the Bharata Natyam classes will continue as usual. The announcement was officially made at our last AGM on March 1, 2025,” says Jai Govinda in his official announcement.  New Nritta / Nritya Karanas are a new attraction at Dakshinachitra, The Heritage Museum at Muttukkadu, Chennai. Recently Bharata Kalanjali has installed a few Noothana (new) Karana sculptures and more are to be added in due course. Senior Natyacharyas are invited to join this monumental project by installing new Nritta / Nritya Karanas created by them in their choreographic work. This will benefit present and future generations to understand the changing nature of arts from generation to generation. For more details, contact Natyacharya V.P. Dhananjayan (bkalanjali@gmail.com).  SANATAN SANGEET PURASKAR was conferred on Kathak dancer RAGINI MAHARAJ and performer-artist AARUSHI BHARGAVA on March 1, 2025 by Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti at New Delhi.  Bharatanatyam Guru Padmini Ravi to receive the SHANTALA NATYA PRASHASTI by the Govt of Karnataka.  Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Mumbai, bestowed NALANDA NRITYA NIPUNA on S Vaidegi of Articulate Dance Studio, in January 2025. The list of Padma awardees was announced on Jan 25, 2025 and includes the following awardees in the field of dance/art.  PADMA VIBHUSHAN: Kumudhini Lakhia (Kathak)  PADMA BHUSHAN: Jatin Goswami (Sattriya), Shobana Chandrakumar (Bharatanatyam), Nalli Kuppuswami Chetty (Art patron)  PADMA SHRI: Bharat Gupt (scholar), Durga Charan Ranbir (Odissi), Mamata Shankar (Uday Shankar style), Purisai Kannappa Sambandan (Therukoothu), Thiyam Suryamukhi Devi (Manipuri), 96 year old Bhimavva (Togalu Gombeyaata – shadow puppetry)  Odissi dancer SUJATA MOHAPATRA, Bharatanatyam dancer DR. SUPARNA VENKATESH, Kathak dancer DEEPA KARTHA were honored with the SREE MUDRA NATIONAL AWARD 2025 (by Sree Mudra Kala Gurukulam & Chithra Arts Foundation) at Sree Mohananadanam National Dance Festival, on Feb 1/2, 2025 at Perambavoor, Kochi, Kerala. NATYA KALA PRATHIBHA AWARD went to Mohiniattam dancer SANDHYA RAJAN and Andhra Natyam dancer LOKA CHANDRASEKHAR, NATYA MOHANA PRATHIBHA AWARD to Bharatanatyam dancer SHWETA VENKATESH.  Sonal Mansingh to receive SRIMANTA SANKARDEVA AWARD, the highest honor given by govt of Assam once in 3 years.  The KALIDAS SAMMAN of Govt of Madhya Pradesh goes to Dr. Sandhya Purecha and Pandit Uday Bhawalkar. The other awardees include: Sudha Raghuraman (RASHTRIYA KUMAR GANDHARVA SAMMAN), Kalpana Zokarkar and Pt Akhilesh Gundecha (SHIKHAR SAMMAN). Highlights ; Obituaries |
