Close on the heels of bringing focus on to the dilapilated Osmania General hospital is another attempt to bring the spotlight on the state’s many temples. And a new body, calling themselves the Telangana Heritage Trust, may just have a plan.
Borrowing from the world-famous Konark Dance festival in neighbouring Odisha, the Trust is planning to organise the Telangana Temple festival, or the Gudi Sambaralu.
An inaugural event is being planned at N-Banyan, Shilparamam on Saturday — danseuse and actress Rukmini Vijaykumar has been chosen to perform at the opener.
The presentation is a 90-minute production by Rukmini’s group, Radha Kalpa, and is titled “Prabhavati” —based on the love story of Pradyumna, Krishna’s son and Prabhavati, an asura princess. Adapted from a Telugu novel, written by Pingali Suranna, Prabhavatee Pradyumnamu, it has been performed worldwide.
Rukmini, a frequent visitor to the city, is excited about the new project. “It is important for the next generation to know about the various art forms India has. Also, parents must help their children to learn more about different art forms because it is an acquired taste,” says Rukmini, the celebrity student of renowned dance guru Sundari Santhanam.
Back to the festival, it certainly seems ambitious. Dr Srinagi B. Rao, who started the festival along with Shashikala S. Reddy, hopes the festival will help both dance and the temples.
“Dancers from all over the country will be performing. The events will be free for all and will be performed at temples in the different districts of Telangana. All events —which will include dance forms such as Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Bharatnatyam, etc — will start from the January of 2016,” says Rao.
