Parampara Turns Thirty

For three evenings, Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi became a meeting point for lovers of Indian classical music and dance as the 30th edition of Parampara Series – The National Festival of Dance & Music brought together celebrated artistes, young performers and audiences from across the city and beyond. Organized by Natya Tarangini, the festival ran from August 7 to 9 and drew crowds from different walks of life, reflecting the enduring appeal of India’s classical arts.

The opening evening set the tone with a special musical presentation by Pt. Shubhendra Rao, Vidushi Saskia Rao and Ishaan Rao, followed by a Kuchipudi performance by the Raja Radha Reddy Troupe. The evening also brought together a distinguished audience, including Shri K. Mahesh, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Neelam Pratap Rudy, Shiv Khemka, Urvashi Khemka, Charu Singh, Renu Hussain, Jyotsna Suri, Lakshmi Puri and Shallu Jindal, among others.

On stage, Pt. Shubhendra Rao, Vidushi Saskia Rao and Ishaan Rao brought the sitar, cello and piano together in a program that moved between Indian classical traditions and a wider musical vocabulary. Their original composition Triveni, based on Raga Hemavati, was followed by Ishaan Rao’s piano solo based on Simendra Madhyam and Asturias, the Spanish composition specially adapted for the trio.

The Raja Radha Reddy Troupe then took the audience into the world of Kuchipudi with Mahapranadeepam – Shivam. Set to Raga Shubh-Pantuvarali and Adi Taal, the performance explored Shiva in his many manifestations, from Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer, to the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer.

The presentation also drew on the story of Shiva’s damaru and the Maheshwara Sutras. The traditional account of Shiva playing his two-sided damaru fourteen times after the celestial Tandavam provided the foundation for a performance that connected mythology, movement and the origins of Sanskrit phonetics and grammar.

The troupe also presented Muddu Krishna, with Radha Reddy as Naagpatni, the wife of the serpent Kaliya. Her plea to Lord Krishna to spare her husband formed the emotional center of the piece, which ended with Naagpatni celebrating Krishna through song and dance after the waters were freed from Kaliya’s poison.

The festival continued over the next two evenings with performances by Pt. Madhup Mudgal, Vidushi Sawani Mudgal and Maitreyee Pahari, followed by Pt. Sajan Mishra, Swaransh Mishra and Pavitra Bhat on the closing evening.

Thirty editions later, Parampara Series has grown into more than a festival on the classical arts calendar. Its three-day presence at Kamani Auditorium brought together performers and audiences across generations, keeping Indian classical music and dance firmly connected to a contemporary Delhi audience.