Sangam Festival, an organization committed to the preservation, promotion, and showcasing of exceptional Indian classical artists and South Asian arts, is preparing to host a comprehensive three-part festival on Sunday, December 31, 2023, at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore.
Established and championed by Bharatanatyam exponent and scholar Bala Devi Chandrashekar, Sangam Festival transcends mere artistic pursuits; it serves as an extensive resource center, offering knowledge, promotion, references, and unwavering support to the arts community in both the USA and India.
In collaboration with Kartik Fine Arts, this year’s festival will include the esteemed Sangam Festival Award to Excellence, to be presented to Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. The event will also feature an educational presentation titled “When Arrow Strikes” by Meenakshi Chittaranjan and a captivating performance of “Rukmini Kalyanam” by the Kuchipudi Art Center.
The core mission of Sangam Festival is to establish a convergence of Indian classical music and dance from diverse regions of India and South Asia, fostering collaboration with artists from global traditions. The organization actively contributes to education, instilling an appreciation for genuine classical Indian and South Asian performing arts.
Sangam Festival’s activities encompass performances, lectures, workshops, digital resources, mentoring, and financial support for artists. Additionally, the festival aspires to become an authentic source for universities and colleges seeking to enrich their repositories of Indian Classical and South Asian performing arts.
Bala Devi Chandrashekar, leveraging her talent in Bharatanatyam, has successfully raised over $500,000 for charitable causes across India, the Middle East, and the USA over the past 25 years. Her commitment to positive societal impact is evident through support for causes such as the Trenton Soup Kitchen, an old age home in Montgomery, New Jersey, Home Front, AIM for SEVA in India, and contributions to disaster relief efforts.
In addition to her philanthropic endeavours, Bala Devi actively contributes to education, language preservation, and cultural heritage initiatives. This includes projects focused on preserving ancient languages like Sanskrit and Tamil. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bala Devi Chandrashekar and Sangam Festival were the first to extend crucial support to over 30 classical artists in Chennai and Bangalore.
Sangam Festival aspires to provide a model of substantial learning for all participants. Recognizing the imperative to kindle interest in the theory and practice of dance for both practitioners and art enthusiasts, the festival emphasizes the joy of sharing each artist’s work. The convergence of scholarly presentations and performances aims to empower participants, sparking a desire to seek and crave more knowledge. About Sangam Festival:
Sangam Festival is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and presenting world-class Indian classical artists and South Asian arts. Founded by Bharatanatyam exponent Bala Devi Chandrashekar, the festival is a beacon of support, knowledge, and promotion for the arts community in the USA and India.
