Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The 18th Sarngadeva samaroh, organised by Mahagami gurukul at its MGM campus, concluded after four days of music, dance and scholarly dialogue, highlighting the continuing relevance of classical texts and traditions in contemporary performing arts. The festival is based on the 13th-century treatise Sangita-Ratnakara by Sarngadeva, written during the Yadava period when Devagiri was the capital.
Artists, scholars and researchers from India, Brazil, South Africa and Australia participated in the event. Around 50 scholars and young researchers presented papers and took part in discussions on musicology, dance traditions and movement studies. Morning and afternoon sessions included lecture-demonstrations on natyashastra, varkari music tradition, bharatanatyam structure and dance-related musculoskeletal studies.
Evening programmes featured classical performances. Guru Parvati Dutta and her disciples presented a kathak performance rooted in the dhrupad tradition, interpreting philosophical ideas through rhythm, movement and expression. This was followed by Chhau dance performances by Guru Shashadhar Acharya and his disciples, presenting themes such as krishna–radha, chandrabhaaga and episodes from Indian mythology.
A bharatanatyam performance by Padmashree Narthaki Nataraj marked the second evening, followed by a vocal recital by Padmashree Ashwini Bhide Deshpande. Her presentation included khayal compositions, haveli sangeet and a meera bhajan, which received an appreciative response from the audience.
The festival also featured a ragamala painting exhibition curated by the centre for design studies, indore, and outreach activities. With a strong blend of performance, research and education, the Sarngadeva samaroh established itself as an important cultural event.
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PadmashreeDr Narthaki Nataraj performing bharatanatyam during the 18th sarngadeva samaroh at the MGM campus of Mahagami gurukul in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.