The 44th Natyanjali Festival organized by the Natyanjali Trust will take place from February 26 to March 2 at Chidambaram Nataraja Temple.
The Natyanjali Festival, which started in 1981, was held continuously for 33 years until 2014. However, after the Supreme Court ruling that allowed the Podhu Dikshitars to manage the temple, they began organizing their own Natyanjali Festival under the Thillai Natyanjali Trust from 2015. Due to this, the Natyanjali Trust continued conducting the festival at the V.S. Trust premises on South Street.
However, the Podhu Dikshitars stopped organizing the festival at the temple in 2022. Now, the Natyanjali Trust is reviving the grand festival, scheduled to be held for five days starting February 26.
Speaking about the event, Natyanjali Trust Secretary Sambandham said:
“The festival will feature various classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, and Manipuri. More than 450 dancers from Tamil Nadu, North India, and even foreign countries will participate in this divine tribute. We are giving more opportunities to young artists this year.”
He further highlighted that Natyanjali has significantly influenced classical dance awareness across Tamil Nadu. Many temples now host Natyanjali performances on Maha Shivaratri, and the number of dance schools has increased. He also emphasized that many global dance forms have their roots in Tamil Nadu’s classical traditions.
During the press meet, Trust Chairman Muthukumar, Vice Chairman Natarajan, Treasurer Ganapathi, and other members were also present.