Nine-day Nishagandhi festival at Trivandrum from January 20

TechnoparkToday.com(Jan, 2015): Some of the biggest names in the world of art and entertainment including sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, singer Kailash Kher, Padmasree Sudha Raghunathan, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Manju Warrier and dancers Gopika Varma, Krithika Subramanian,Yamini Reddy are among the star-studded lineup of Kerala Tourism’s nine-day long Nishagandhi Festival which begins next month.

On Tuesday, Tourism Minister Shri A P Anil Kumar unveiled the brochure of the annual dance and music festival which will be held from January 20-28, 2015 at Kanakakkunnu in Thiruvananthapuram.

“Kerala Tourism has been reaping the benefits of holding such a prestigious cultural event here. It is today an important part of our tourism calendar and of the itinerary of both domestic and foreign tourists,” said Shri A P Anil Kumar.

Kerala Tourism Director Shri P I Sheik Pareeth said the Nishagandhi festival this year will be even more splendid and colourful than before.  “It is a privilege to have all these nationally and internationally recognized artists come here and showcase the best of Indian culture before a very appreciative audience,” he added.

The fest will kick off with Kailash Kher’s band performing Sufi fusion music, Kailasa, on January 20. The second day of the fest will see a Kuchipudi dance performance by actress and dancer Manju Warrier and Manipuri performances by Nimita Devi and group.

Arushi Mudgal, a promising Odissi dancer, and the Carnatic Vocalist Padmasree Sudha Raghunathan will take to the stage on the second day of the fest.

On January 23, Nishagandhi will see performances by Kuchipudi dancer Payal Ramchandani  and a concert by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan.

A classical fusion by upcoming Veena artist Nisha Ponni and a Bharatanatyam recital by dancer Sridhar of Manichithrathazhu fame and his wife Anuradha, will be the highlights of day four

Mohiniyattam dancer Methil Devika and Dehi-based contemporary Kathak artist Aditi Mangaldas will perform on the fifth day of the fest. The following day will see Arya Jayadevan rendering Carnatic vocals and a joint Indo-Malaysian Bharatanatyam performance by Rama Vaidyanathan and Ajit Bhaskar Dass.

A collage of classical dance and theatre, ‘Antharam’, will be staged by the renowned cine artist Suhasini Maniratnam in collaboration with celebrated dancers Gopika Varma, Krithika Subramanium and Yamini Reddy on January 27th.

The fest will conclude with the presentation of the specially choreographed programme ‘Bharatam Keralam’ by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Chairman Soorya Krishnamoorthy.

In addition, Kanakakkunnu Palace will host a Kathakali fest from January 27 to February 1, as part of Nishagandhi. Kathakali masters Padmasree Kalamandalam Gopi, Padmabhooshan Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Prof. Kalamandalam C M Balasubramanian, Dr. Ettumanoor P Kannan and Sadanam Krishnankutty will be among the performers.

The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will organize a food fest along the sidelines of the Nishagandhi festival.