An ancient art form makes a memorable debut in Kerala

Bhagavata Mela Natakam, a centuries-old tradition, traveled to Kerala for the first time. The audience at Jubilee Memorial Hall was delighted by the performance of Rukmini Kalyanam, a mix of dance, drama and dialogues. Lead dancer Srikanth, with decades of Bharatanatyam training, and the other cast members, singers and musicians, made the show a success.

Rarely does the centuries-old Bhagavata Mela Natakam travel outside Melattur, a quiet village near Thanjavur. It came to Kerala on Saturday night, and the large audience at the Jubilee Memorial Hall loved it.

The Bhagavata Mela Natakam performances are presented every summer at Melattur’s Varadaraja Perumal Temple. The tradition of the Bhagavata Mela goes back to the 16th century when a large group of Telugu Brahmin families settled down at Melattur, from Vijayanagar.

Several dance dramas – which often go into the early hours of the morning – are staged at Melattur by a group of dedicated performers, some of them professional Bharatanatyam dancers, the others professionals like engineers.

One of the dramas, Rukmini Kalyanam, proved a refreshingly different experience for the dance connoisseurs of Malabar. It was the first ever performance of a Bhagavata Mela Natakam in Kerala.

The ballet, as the title suggests, is all about the wedding of Lord Krishna and the princess Rukmini. It was presented by Bhagavata Mela Natya Nataka Sangam, led by Kalaimamani S. Kumar.

The Bhagavata Nataka, performed exclusively by male dancers, is a pleasant mix of dance and drama with a fair amount of dialogues. Because the troupe boasts talented, experienced dancers like N. Srikanth, you could expect some exquisite pieces of pure dance as well.

Srikanth portrayed the title role of Rukmini with finesse, restraint and grace. His training of decades as a Bharatanatyam dancer – he is among the finest male practitioners in the form – came in handy.