Nritya Vahini-2025, a three-day dance festival, concludes in Tirupati

The traditional classical and folk dancers from Thailand and Sri Lanka, who enjoyed the vibrant confluence of art forms in India, expressed that they will carry home cherished memories of the dance festival in Tirupati.

The teams participated in “Nritya Vahini 2025”, a three-day international cultural exchange dance festival organised by Sri Padmavti Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) under the PM-USHA scheme.

From lectures to dance demonstrations, on-stage workshops to breath-taking concerts, the event witnessed synergy, with Thailand’s revered dance ballet form ‘Khon’, Sri Lanka’s ‘Kandyan’ dance, and India’s ‘Kathak’, ‘Garba’ and ‘Bharatanatyam’.

The Thai delegation led by Vipada Petchot, a former faculty at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, performed ‘Khon’ dance and showcased ‘Ramakien’, the Thai version of the Ramayana.

Rama chasing the magical deer and Hanuman hampered by the mermaids Suvannamaccha (‘Suvarna Matsya’ or golden fish) during his search for Sita were among the episodes performed by the Thai ensemble.

“We also brought the nuances of the Rama-Ravana war to the fore on the stage”, said her colleague Krailas Chitkul, who heads the Performing Arts department at the university.

“The event provided us an opportunity to look at the commonalities, which included the terms we pronounce and also the postures we make during the dance,” said Indika Tikiri Bandara, a faculty of dance and drama at the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka. His colleague Tharanga Disanayake conducted the demonstration.

The Lankan team performed the centuries-old Kandyan (up country) dance form, born in the hill capital of Kandy and tracing its the roots to the Kohomba Kankariya, an ancient purification ceremony invoking the divine protection and healing.

Vice-Chancellors Tata Narasinga Rao (SVU) and V. Uma (SPMVV) honoured the teams at the closing ceremony held here on Saturday.