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Nrityagram was the dream project of the Odissi Dancer, Protima Gauri. It was her passion and devotion for dance that resulted in a modern dance gurukul. Nrityagram is a eco-friendly dance village and a residential school located at a distance of 4km from Hesarghatta in Bangalore.
A View of Nrityagram
Photo Courtesy: Tim Schapker
Protima Gauri was an Odissi Dancer and a model. She was the wife of Bollywood actor Kabir Bedi . At the age of 26, her life changed when she saw a Odissi Dance recital and that's when she started her dance training.
Later on, Protima Gauri became an excellent dancer and her interests gave birth to the opening of Nrityagram in 1990. Her main idea was to revive the ancient gurukul system (residential school) for dance.
A Ganesha Idol in Nrityagram
Photo Courtesy: pupilinblow
Nrityagram was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister V.P. Singh on 11th May 1990. Today, the dance school has created a place for itself in the world of performing arts. The school follows a guru-shishya tradition and the students help their teachers in gardening and other works in the premises.
The dance school was designed by the architect named Gerard Da Gunha. The serene ambiance and the eco-friendly set up attracts a lot of visitors. Now it is also one of the tourist places in Bangalore.
Odissi dancers performing a dance recital
Photo Courtesy: Yogesh Balasubramanian
Lynne Fernandez, a theatre artist from Delhi became actively involved with Nrityagram during 1995. Later, Protima Gauri suffered from some health issues which made her give the full authority to Lynne Fernandez in 1997.
The dance group of Nrityagram also made its dance debut at New York in 1996. The performance got them mixed reviews but from then on this unique dance school hasn't turned back. It has flourished over time in the guidance of excellent dancers like Surupa Sen (first student), Bijayini Satpathy and Pavithra Reddy. There are many other personalities who have supported this gurukul to blossom over the years.
The Surroundings of Nrityagram
Photo Courtesy: Pavithrah
"Nritya" means Dance and "Gram" means village. Visitors can get a tour of Nrityagram and also see a small dance recital. The Odissi Gurukul has been very successful from years. Other dance forms like Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Manipuri are also taught here.
There is an auditorium where many dance programmes take place. Nrityagram also organises a festival called Vasanthahabba. It was last celebrated in 2004 and large audience (40,000) came to witness this event. However, Vasanthahabba hasn't been organised after that time due to some issues.
Artistic Sculptures
Photo Courtesy: Pavithrah
The dance ensemble of Nrityagram has performed in many parts of India as well as in other countries. It has also won many awards for its great performances.
The school also conducts worshops on yoga, theatre, literature, etc. Eminent dancers and artists come here to witness the charismatic auro of this institution.
On the eve of International Dance Day, it is so interesting to go on a tour around a place which celebrates the Indian classical dance forms. The dream project of Protima Gauri has now become an integral part of Bengaluru's cultural heritage.
