The 80th birthday of Bharatanatyam guru, dancer, choreographer, research scholar and musician Padma Subrahmanyam was celebrated in a grand manner at the Narada Gana Sabha on Thursday evening.
Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, who released a book on Padma Subrahmayam titled ‘Nayana Savana,’ said it was her honour and privilege to participate in celebration of the remarkable milestone of the living legend and the illustrious Paddu akka, as she was fondly called. She said these 80 years were filled with her grace, dedication and unparalleled contribution to the Indian arts.
S. Gurumurthy, Editor, Tuglak recalled Kanchi Paramacharya Chandrashekara Saraswathi’s guidance to Padma Subrahmanyam to travel on the path of nationalism and divinity. He said that only this holy land can produce such a divine art form such as Bharathanatyam. He complimented the dance guru for carrying this great art to the next generation.
Akhila Srinivasan, Managing Director, Shriram Life Insurance who spoke about Ms. Subrahmanyam’s research into the 108 Karanas, said that she proved that each Karana was a frozen moment of a movement. She recalled how the Paramacharya asked her to design a new set of 108 Karanas based on her study for the uttara Chidambara Nataraja temple in Satara, Maharashtra. And the saint approved all of them.
Former Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and religious exponent Sudha Seshaiyyan recalled a particular scene in a performance by Ms. Subrahmanyam on Kamba Ramayanam, lauding her for her exposition and interpretation.
Roja Kannan, President, Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) said she was inextricably linked with the dance form and her life story must be etched in gold in the annals of history.
The event was organised by Nrithyodaya, Narada Gana Sabha in association with SASTRA Deemed-to-be University and Dr. MGR-Janaki College of Arts & Science for Women. The book was written by Satavadhani R. Ganesh and Arjun Bharadwaj.
Vaidhyasubramaniam, Vice Chancellor, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Narthaki Nataraj, Member Tamilnadu State Planning Commission and K. Harishankar Secretary, Narada Gana Sabha were present on the occasion.
Her disciple Gayathri Kannan made a presentation on the life and works of Ms. Subrahmanyam.
A book on the work of the danseuse by R. Ganesh and Arjun Baradwaj was released in the occasion. The authors gave the audience a brief insight into the book itself and the immense talent of Padma Subrahmanyam as a dancer.
