Yuvakalavahini, in association with Saripally Kondala Rao, is organising the Dr. Akkineni Nageshwara Rao Nataka Kala Parishad State Level Padya & Gadya Nataka Competitions 2007, from 10th to 14th September, at the Ravindra Bharathi auditorium. A total of four gadya natakas (prose drama) - Aatma Katha, Kabir Das, Rangula Ratnam and You - and five padya natakas (verse drama) - Nartanashala, Sri Khadga Tikkana, Ye Velugulaki Prasthanam, Bhukailash and Chiruthonda Nambi - will be staged during 5-day competitions.
Today, the last day, a padya natakam called Chiruthonda Nambi will be presented by Sri Meera Kalajyotsna of Visakhapatnam. Chiruthonda Nambi was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. As part of the Jangama Aradhana ritual for Lord Shiva, he used to feed many needy people everyday and give away whatever they asked.
One day, in order to test his devotion, Lord Shiva descends onto earth in the form of poor man and visits Nambi's place. He is welcomed and was asked what he wanted to eat. Shiva asks him to cook for him a curry of his son's flesh, and accordingly, Nambi kills his son Siriyala and prepares the curry. Pleased at his devotion, Lord Shiva brings Siriyala back to life and promises Nambi that he will be deemed to be one of his best devotees.
Dr. Meegada Ramalinga Swamy as Chiruthonda Nambi, S V Ratna Sastry as Tiruvengana, V Satyam as Shiva, M Tirupati Naidu as Shankara Sreshthi and P V S Neelima play the central characters. The play is written and directed by Dr. Meegada Ramalinga Swamy, and has music by T Vasu on the harmonium and D Srinivas on the mridangam.
Dr. Meegada Ramalinga Swamy is a renowned theater personality and the founder of Sri Meera Kalajyotsna in 1982. He has been in the field of theater for 37 years now. He has written and directed many landmark plays, such as Kalahasteeswara Mahatyam (Natkeera), Ashwaddhama, Gunanidhi, Chiruthonda Nambi, Jai Basaveeswara and Kunti Karna, and is a recipient of a record 18 Nandi Awards from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. Swamy has written about 60 books on theater, artistes and literature. He toured 18 states of USA in 1995 under invitation from the Telugu Association of North Atlanta, and presented his plays there. Currently, he is working as Head of the Telugu Department at the V S Krishna Govt. College, Visakhapatnam. He was awarded a doctorate by the Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, for his research work in the field of Telugu Theater, in 1993.
The best play in each of the two categories, gadya and padya natakams, will receive Rs. 15,000 each, and all participating plays will be given Rs. 10,000 each.
Please contact Y K Nageshwara Rao of Yuvakalavahini at 99086-30555 for further details.
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