Siddaganga, Tumkur, Karnataka.

Siddaganga, Tumkur, Karnataka.

Siddaganga Matha is in a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Tumkur taluk of Tumkur district in Karnataka.

Siddaganga Institute of Technology is a technological institute in Tumakuru, Karnataka, India. It is run by the Sri Siddaganga Educational Society.

Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur popularly known as SIT established in the year 1963, is one among 125 institutions run by Sree Siddaganga Education Society, headed by His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamiji, a centenarian. Sree Sree Swamiji is shouldering the onerous responsibility of providing free food, shelter and education to over 9000 children drawn from the poor sections of the society without discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or community at Sree Siddaganga Gurukula. In addition to this, Swamiji receives thousands of pilgrims and devotees everyday. He looks after the affairs of more than 125 educational institutions and even at the age of 107 years, Swamiji works 18 hours a day.

His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamiji is the present head of Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur Dist. Born in 1907, Sree Swamiji has devoted more than 75 years of his age to the fruitful service of humanity, hard work and disciplined life. His concern for the poor and the down trodden are utmost. Endowed with sound collegiate education in English, Sanskrit and Kannada, Sree Swamiji has developed educational institutions in which the students are exposed to a wide spectrum of knowledge- right from traditional learning of Sanskrit to the modern science and technology.

Shilparamam, Hyderabad, Telangana.

Shilparamam, Hyderabad, Telangana.

Shilparamam is an arts and crafts village located in Madhapur, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The village was conceived with an idea to create an environment for the preservation of traditional crafts. There are ethnic festivals round the year.

Shilparamam Arts and Crafts village is a tribute to the cultural legacy of India. The primary aim of this establishment is to foster, restore and help flourish the culture of India’s glorious past. It provides a common platform for artisans and performing artists to showcase their talents. Nestling amidst rocks, rippling waterfalls and gorgeous lawns, Shilparamam is a melting pot of traditions and cultures. Here each season brings a mood of festivity and Indian festivals are celebrated in the most traditional way.

Shilparamam hosts a multitude of ethnic art, crafts and culture from all over the country. The yearly All-India Festival of Arts and Crafts held here in February highlights the cultural and creative traditions from every corner of the country and provides a unique occasion to take home a piece of Indian art.

October and January

Cultural activities are also held during the ten days of Dussehra in October and during the Sankranthi Sandadi festival of harvest in January.

March

Annual art and craft festivals are held here since 1995, in the first two weeks of March each year where artisans from all over the country are invited.

At Shilparamam, Indian festivals are celebrated in the most traditional way and unique festivals bring together talents from the world over. The festivals of Shilparamam include the International Kite Festival, Navarathri, South India Festival, Sankranthi Sandadi, Ugadi etc.

Parnasala, Bhadrachalam, Telangana.

Parnasala, Bhadrachalam, Telangana.

Parnasala is a village in the Dummugudem mandal in the Khammam district of Telangana, India. The village is accessible by road and boats and is situated 32 km from the temple town of Bhadrachalam.

According to the legend, the most disciplined Lord Shri Ram spent some of his fourteen years of exile at this place. The little stream stands as a testimony to the belief that Sita, wife of Lord Shri Ram, took her bath in the stream, the place is called Sita Vaagu. Every belief is justified one such proof is the imprints in “Radhagutta” in Parnasala. Another story accounting to the history of this historical village is that Maricha Rakshas was killed by Lord Shri Ram in the same place when he came in disguise as a golden deer to deceive Goddess Sita.

Ravana used a ploy and abducted Sita, carrying her to Lanka with him. An earthen ditch, reportedly caused when Ravana removed the earth to carry Sita, can be seen in Parnasala. Lord Ram killed Maricha at Parnasala and is believed to have languished in agony and sorrow at the loss of Sita. A tiny hut with kaleidoscopic painted sculptures of Sri Ram, Ashman, Sita and Ravana can be seen in Parnasala, which is a popular tourist attraction.

Nrityagram, Hessaraghatta, Karnataka.

Nrityagram, Hessaraghatta, Karnataka.

The dance village is situated on a 10 acre land near Hessarghatta, 30 Km from Bangalore. This was founded in 1990 by Protima Gauri who was a model, actress and a dancer. Protima Gauri’s joy and passion for dance art form can be experienced with a visit to the dance village. Here classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi are taught by teachers from all over India. Martial arts are also taught here.

 The land for the village was given on lease by the state government and on 11 May 1990 Nrityagram was dedicated to aspiring classical dancers of the nation by the then Prime Minister, V.P. Singh. Eminent architect Gerard Da Cunha designed the exotic dance village. The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble made its debut in 1996 in the city of New York, receiving rave reviews, a proof that the gurukula system of imparting knowledge of performing arts was a successful endeavor. 

Lalita Kala Thoranam, Hyderabad, Telangana.

Lalita Kala Thoranam, Hyderabad, Telangana.

An open air Auditorioum with a seating capacity of 4500 people was the brain child of late Sri N.T.Rama Rao, the Ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. This was built at Public Gardens,

Hyderabad within a three months period for holding International Film Festival during 1986.

Lalita Kala Thoranam was the brainchild of late Sri N.T.Rama Rao, the Ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. This was built at Public Gardens, Hyderabad within a three-month period for holding an International Film Festival in 1986.

Lalita Kala Thoranam is primarily famous for its large-scale musical concerts like Enrique Iglesias and the likes. A lot of traditional dance and music performances are also held here. The event held here is the African Footprint, a dance performance par excellence that draws a crowd of thousands.

Kerala Lalithakala Academy, Thrissur, Kerala.

Kerala Lalithakala Academy, Thrissur, Kerala.

Kerala Lalithakala Academy for Fine Arts is an autonomous body which was established in 1962 to promote art and artistic heritage, based at Thrissur in Kerala. C.N. Balakrishnan is the newly appointed chairman of Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi.

The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Complex, designed by the renowned architect Lauri Baker, has the stamp of Kerala’s indigenous architecture. The head-office complex graces the cultural capital of Kerala with its Art Gallery, Reference Library, Archives, and Guest House.

Located in the heart of Thrissur, Kerala Lalithkala Academy is always abuzz with activity because it is the venue where well known artists converge for meetings and discussions and to share their experiences.

Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy, Kerala.

Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy, Kerala.

Kerala Kalamandalam, deemed a University of Art and Culture by the Government of India, is a major center for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the Southern states of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala.

It is situated in the small town of Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur.

Kerala Kalamandalam, the cultural repository of Kerala, founded in 1927, by the famous poet Vallathol Narayana Menon to revive the art and dance form of Kerala, which was heralded as Kerala’s first institution to provide training in classical performing arts. The introduction of Kalamandalam gave rebirth to the two classical forms of dancing, Mohiniyattam, and Kathakali, which were slowly loosing importance. It is situated 32 km from Thrissur, on the banks of Bharathapuzha river in Cheruthuruthy. 

The Institution also offers training in other traditional dance forms of Kerala like, The costume room is fascinating; it showcases a stunning assortment of costumes, head-gear, wooden masks and wooden weapons used by the Kathakali and Koodiyattam characters. In close proximity to the old Kalamandalam campus is the Vallathol Museum — a tribute to the founder of this great institution. The Vallathol Samadhi is a peaceful and quiet spot. There is a Portrait Gallery too where master artistes of the past have been rendered beautifully in oil portraits.