KNMA Dance Festival Day 1 Pass

Day 1 of the KNMA Dance Festival opens with an evening of rhythm, desire and divine love. Beginning with Chenda Melam, a vibrant traditional percussion ensemble from Kerala, the programme continues with Ananga Ranga, a celebration of love in its many forms across languages and dance traditions, and concludes with Ananda-lila, a Maharaas presentation exploring the sacred dance of Krishna and the Gopis.

Chenda Melam

By Delhi Panchavadya Trust

6.00pm - 6.30pm I Nursery grounds near Amphitheatre

A vibrant traditional percussion ensemble from Kerala, featuring the powerful and majestic sounds of the Chenda, accompanied by instruments such as Valanthala, Elathalam, Kombu and Kuzhal.

`Ananga Ranga`: A celebration of the Formless in Form

By Swapnasundari, Bragha Bessel, Kalamandalam Balasubramanian, Madhavi Mudgal, Vaishali Trivedi, Gaurav Bhatti and Sundaresan Pandurangan

7.00pm - 8.10pm I Amphitheatre

In Puranic literature, Kamadeva or the god of desire is manifested into being by the mind of Brahma. As Ananga, he enters the hearts of all creatures in hidden form, sometimes in the sweetness of honey, the fragrance of mangoes and moonlight. Ananga Ranga is a celebration of love in manifold forms, in a cross section of languages featuring senior artists of various dance expressions that capture its delicate nuances and varying moods.

Languages: Telugu, Sanskrit, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Braj Bhasha

Genres: Vilasini Natyam, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali

`Ananda-lila`: A Maharaas

by Anjika Society for Manipuri Dance and Movement Therapy

Choreographed by Priti Patel

8.00pm - 8.15pm I Amphitheatre

Maharaas is the sacred divine dance of Lord Krishna with the Gopis of Vrindavan under the autumn moonlight of Sharad Purnima. It symbolizes the ultimate spiritual union between the individual soul (Jivatma) and the Supreme Divine (Paramatma).

Language: Manipuri