Madhavi Festival 2026: Swapnasundari Premieres ‘Parijatham’ in Vilasini Natyam at Delhi’s Stein Auditorium

Seventh edition of the Madhavi Festival brings Vilasini Natyam by Padma Bhushan awardee Swapnasundari and Agama Bharatham by Ganesa Natyalaya to India Habitat Centre on Friday, 28 August 2026

There are evenings in the classical dance calendar that arrive not merely as performances but as pilgrimages — moments when lineage, devotion, and artistry converge on a single stage. The seventh edition of the Madhavi Festival promises to be exactly that kind of evening.

On Friday, 28th August 2026, from 7:00 PM onwards, the Stein Auditorium at India Habitat Centre (IHC), New Delhi, will host a rare and luminous gathering of dance, ritual and remembrance, as the festival presents Vilasini Natyam by Swapnasundari alongside Agama Bharatham by Ganesa Natyalaya.

An Evening Rooted in Memory

Instituted in the loving memory of Madhavi Gopalakrishnan, the Madhavi Festival is far more than a showcase of technique — it is a tribute shaped by family and by faith in the transformative power of dance.

The festival was founded by celebrated dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, together with her siblings — the distinguished author and social activist Meera Khanna (President, Guild of Service), educationist Indira Nayar, and decorated Army officer Col. Ravi Nair. Together, they have built a stage that honours their sister’s abiding love for the art form, ensuring her passion continues to move audiences year after year.

Now in its seventh year, and organised by the Madhavi Foundation for Creative Excellence, the festival continues to bring forward dancers whose work deepens our understanding of classical Indian traditions — this year, in the rare and evocative idiom of Vilasini Natyam.

“Vilasini Natyam is an artistic creation which reflects the typicalities of dances performed in the royal courts and temples of Telugu land. This version of Parijatham draws upon a 300 year old unpublished libretto. I am thrilled to perform this in Delhi for my friend Rama. In the selection, I will be exploring the kaleidoscopic emotional world of Satyabhama—her pride, longing, jealousy and boundless love for Krishna…. ” —Swapnasundari

Parijatham: A Solo Portrait of Longing and Devotion

The evening opens with Parijatham, an original solo choreography by Swapnasundari — founder of the Vilasini Natyam revival and a Padma Bhushan awardee whose artistry has shaped generations of dancers and scholars alike.

Through a seamless interweaving of dance, song, and spoken dialogue, Parijatham unveils the many moods of Satyabhama, the proud and passionate consort of Krishna. The costuming and handcrafted wooden ornaments summon a bygone era, lending the narrative an almost archaeological intimacy. Across the piece, Swapnasundari traces the full emotional arc of Satyabhama’s inner world — her pride in royal lineage, her aching longing for Krishna’s presence, the sharp sting of jealousy toward his other consorts, her fierce possessiveness, and, above all, a love so overwhelming it colours every gesture. It is a role built for Swapnasundari’s celebrated command of Abhinaya — the subtle, layered art of expression that has defined her career.

“I hope this performance ignites interest in true Manodharma (non-choreographed spontaneous improvisation) which characterized the now-obscure art of South India’s temple and court dancers,” says renowned Swapnasundari.

Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu: Ritual as Living Art

The second presentation of the evening, Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu, turns from the personal to the universal.

“Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu, which emerged from a 10 day workshop generously conducted by Swapnasundari with our Ganesa Natyalaya students, reminds us that dance can be both prayer and pedagogy—uniting performers and audiences in a shared aspiration. We are honoured to bring these rare ritual forms and artists who keep these traditions alive, ” says Rama Vaidyanathan, Co-Founder, Madhavi Festival.

Performed by the students of Ganesa Natyalaya and choreographed by Swapnasundari, the piece emerges from an intensive ten-day workshop on Agama Bharatham — a term Swapnasundari herself coined to describe the ritual dance vocabulary rooted in agamic, temple-based worship.

The work reconstructs the ancient Agama Baliharanam ritual for the stage, weaving together sacred movement sequences with audio-visual elements and a narrative thread that illuminates the meaning behind each gesture for a contemporary audience.

At its core, Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu is an age-old prayer rendered anew — a collective invocation for peace, equanimity, and harmony among all humankind.

About Swapnasundari

A dancer, choreographer, and vocalist of formidable range, Swapnasundari is celebrated for her mastery of both Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam, and above all for single-handedly reviving Vilasini Natyam from the courtesan repertoire of the Telugu Devadasis. Her style is marked by graceful, flowing movement paired with richly nuanced facial expression.

Since 1996, she has performed Baliharana and other sacred rituals during live worship at the annual Brahmotsavam of the Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Rang Bagh, Hyderabad — a devotion that continues to inform her art. She remains active worldwide as a singer, teacher, writer, and performer.

For those drawn to the quieter, ritual-steeped corners of Indian classical dance, this seventh edition of the Madhavi Festival offers a rare confluence — a solo of aching devotion and a group work of collective prayer, both shaped by one of the form’s most singular living artists.

“The Madhavi Festival has always celebrated the depth and diversity of Indian dance and presenting Vilasini Natyam by Swapnasundari is an honour.” —Rama Vaidyanathan