As part of the customary musical celebrations during the Margazhi month (the ninth month of the Tamil calendar, typically falling between mid-December and mid-January), a group of performers from Bhaskar’s Arts Academy in Singapore toured three cities in Sri Lanka and India.
Combining flute music and graceful dance movements, the “Venu Natya Lahari” programme involved seven dancers, nine flautists and a mridangam player, who performed under the guidnace of seasoned gurus.
The programme was supported by the National Arts Council.
The flute ensemble, established in 2022 and led by the renowned artiste Ghanavenothan Rethnam, collaborated with a dance troupe for the first time.
Dr Ghanavenothan, who was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2024 for his outstanding contributions to Indian classical music, said: “The group was formed based on the idea of the late Mrs Santha Bhaskar, the co-founder of the academy.”
The falutists, who are young hobbyists, took on the challenge of performing technically demanding pieces for the shows.
Specifically, they staged the full version of the Thillana-style song “Kalinga Narthana”, composed by the 18th-century bard Oothukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer.
“Kalinga Narthana” depicts the legendary battle between Lord Krishna and the serpent Kaliya.
Dance choreographer Meenakshy Bhaskar said that because the lyrics are filled with alliteration and rhyme, it is mandatory to sing them with absolute clarity.
“It was a tongue twister, necessitating rigorous practice as well as familiarity with Sanskrit terms,” she said.
After performing in Jaffna and Colombo in Sri Lanka, the group took to the stage in Chennai.
The organisers in Jaffna told Dr Ghanavenothan that Bhaskar’s was the first musical group to visit the region since the end of the civil war.
“Our production was the first to be staged at a newly opened auditorium in a school for orphans and the underprivileged in Achchuveli. All the 800 villagers gathered there,” he said.
Dr Ghanavenothan added that they donated books to the children and also provided musical instruments. Additionally, colouring books were provided by the Krishna Our Guide organisation.
The Bhaskar’s group also performed in Colombo. On Dec 18, 2025, they performed again at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hall in Mylapore, Chennai.
The event was attended by Singapore’s Consul-General Edgar Pang and diplomat Vaishnavi Vasudevan, as well as renowned Carnatic vocalist O.S. Arun, flautist P.V. Balasai and composer Radha Vijayan.
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