Bharatanatyam Dance Ballet By Students Of Ragalaya Music & Dance Academy: Events in Hyderabad

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And tonite at Shilparamam, what not to do if you gobble a Shiva lingam.

Shilparamam, as part of the on-going All India Crafts Mela from 16th to 31st December, is organising a dance ballet called Pancha Ramalu, by the students of Raagalaya Music & Dance Academy, today, the 6th day. The ballet will be performed by Madhavi Sarma, Dhanalaxmi, Lavanya, Bharathi, Tejaswini, Chennakesari, Maheshwari, Gowthami, Shikha, Samiksha, Nikita, Amulya, Rajni Priya, Rachana and others, and is about the five Shiva lingas that fell in five different places of Andhra Pradesh during the killing of demon Tarakasura by Lord Subrahmanya.

As per puranas, during the Ksheerasagaram (the churning of the milk ocean), a Shiva linga came out from the ocean-bed. Whoever possesed this linga, it is believed, would become immortal. Tarakasura, taking advantage of his size, gobbled up the linga. With his immortal power, he started troubling the devas. Unable to tolerate the asura, the devas descended at Amaravati to perform a penance and appease Shiva to request him to get rid of the mighty Tarakasura.

Legend has it that Shiva's son Subrahmanya vanquished the demon, and the Shiva linga, hidden in the asura's body, shattered into five pieces and fell at Amaravati or Amararamam near Guntur, Draksharamam near Kakinada, Palakollu or Ksheeraramam near Narsapur, Kotipalli or Kumararamam near Rajahmundry, and Bhimaramam at Samalkot near Kakinada.

The ballet Pancha Ramalu starts with depicting the Ksheerasagaram, followed by the killing of the asura by Lord Subrahmanya, and the importance of the five places or Pancha Ramams. The ballet will be supported by Mantha Srinivas on the vocals, Srividya with the nattuvangam, Nageshwara Rao on the mridangam, Sai on the violin, Nagoori Babu on the flute and Ramana on the ghatam, with compering by Mantha Laxmi who is also the script writer.

Raagalaya Music & Dance Academy was started by Chennakesari, four years ago, at Anandrao Nagar, Old Alwal. The institute has about 200 students learning Bharatanatyam, Carnatic vocal, veena and Western dances. Madhavi Sarma teaches Bharatanatyam, Laxmi teaches vocals, Balu teaches the veena, and Kasi teaches Western dances.

Before the establishment of the institute, Bharatanatyam used to be taught free-of-cost. Even now, it is being taught at a nominal fee. The students of Raagalaya have performed at various venues of Hyderabad like Shilparamam, Sri Thyagaraya Gana Sabha and Ravindra Bharathi.

For further details, please contact the venue at 2310-0455.