Ravali Mylavarapu enthralls audience with her Bharatanatyam performance

- Swami Jnanaprabhu

December 5, 2025

Right in the middle of a busy beach road in Visakhapatnam lies an open-air venue that serves as a temple dedicated to the 15th century saint, Tallapaka Annamacharya, popularly known as Annamayya, and that affords its hosts to conduct stage performances, both in classical music and classical dance forms. On Nov 30, it was a twin platter of Carnatic nadaswaram recital by Gurivilli Appanna, a top grade artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan, from the city, and a Bharatanatyam solo by Ravali Mylavarapu from Chennai, the two performances hosted by Tarakeshwara Foundation.

Following a scholarly performance by Gurivilli Appanna on his soulful nadaswaram, Ravali took over and dominated the stage for the next more than an hour with her enthralling performance. Disciple of Acharya Anitha Guha, Chennai, Ravali's elegance shone through her immaculate abhinaya. Her every dance move was perfect and precise to the core, weaving seamlessly all through, the rich tapestry of sancharis, sargams and the geetams. She began with a Ganesha Pancharatnam krithi of Adi Sankaracharya, composed in Ragamalika, set to adi talam. By the very nature of its poetic, mellifluous elements, the words of this composition are nothing short of gems and hence the name 'Pancharatnam.' The devotee in the performance extols the limitless powers, the depthless compassion, and the unconditional love that the deity showers on all beings and removes all their obstacles and sufferings. Transmuting the words of the composition into her dance moves and expressions, Ravali endeared the audience as the true devotee of the Remover of all sufferings.

The mainstay of the performance was a popular varnam, Nee indha mayam, of Papanasam Sivan, in Dhanyasi ragam, set to adi talam. In this varnam, the nayika expresses her love towards Lord Krishna in the form of Madhura Bhakti and urges him to bless her. Ravali enacted the attendant emotions of the Nayika's flirtatious intentions, looking in conspicuous intoxication, displayed through her remarkable gestures with her trembling hands and quivering lips depicting a Virahotkanthita Nayika. In the second half of the composition, she seeks blessings from the Lord whom she describes as the beacon of light for the Aayar Kulam, the Yadava dynasty. Ravali enacted the stories of Krishna's childhood, adolescence and his raasleelas with the Gopikas of Vrindavan, with much elan, drawing sumptuous applause from the audience.

The consort of Lord Venkateshwara, Alamelumanga, comes out of the inner chamber, after a nightlong fling of intimacy with her beloved, with her disheveled hair and messy appearance in full display. Her sakhis observe her musk-smeared lips, ruby-red eye corners and sweat-drenched cheeks. Their imagination runs wild and their conversation centres around their wild fantasies. Ravali captured the scenario, described in this Annamayya composition, Emko chigurutadharmula, artistically and skillfully through her inimitable abhinaya. The item was composed in Thilang ragam, set to roopaka talam.

Ravali concluded her recital with a Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna thillana in Brindavani ragam, set to adi talam. All the items had been choreographed by Guru Anitha Guha who has around thirty dance dramas to her credit. The evening program at the sacred Annamayya Vedika on the Ramakrishna Beach road in Visakhapatnam was attended by a sizeable audience that included Dr. Bhupathi Ramaraju from Florida (USA), Yogacharya Padmini and her husband from Toronto (Canada), dance gurus, students and general public from the city. It was the 794th program by Tarakeshwara Foundation.

Swami Jnanaprabhu (Sehdev Singh) is the co-founder & Managing Trustee of Tarakeshwara Foundation, Visakhapatnam.