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U.K LONDON Kendra

Diwali Gala Report 2023

On November 25, 2023, the annual Diwali Gala was held at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, with His Excellency Mr. Vikram Doraiswami, the High Commissioner of India, London as the chief guest, and sitarist Anoushka Shankar as the guest of honour.
The event began with a vibrant music ensemble performance by the Bhavan students. Dr Nandakumara offered a prayer after which the Bhavan’s Chairman Mr. Subhanu Saxena gave the welcome address. This was followed by a scintillating Kathak performance by the Bhavan students.
Anoushka Shankar addressed the audience and spoke fondly of her memories at the Bhavan. This was followed by a beautiful Bharatanatyam performance by the Bhavan students.
Mr. Vikram Doraiswami’s eloquent speech was very well received and appreciated. He spoke with insight on Indian culture and how our arts have survived thousands of years and are still learnt, taught, and performed widely across the globe. He appreciated the Bhavan’s continual efforts in making sure of the same.
The event concluded with a brilliant Odissi performance by the Bhavan students.


U.K LONDON Kendra

India’s Independence Day Celebrations 2023

On August 2, 2023, the London Kendra celebrated the Independence Day of India with a grand event comprising illuminating speeches by guests and cultural performances.
The celebration marked the 77th anniversary of India gaining Independence.
The evening began with a prayer by Executive Director Dr. M N Nandakumara, MBE, followed by the welcome address by Mr. Subhanu Saxena, Chairman, Bhavan UK. Cllr. Patricia Quigley, Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, addressed the gathering. She threw light on the Bhavan’s illustrious history of 50 years and the pride of place it holds in the local community as well as in the broader diaspora.
Lord Loomba, CBE, Member of the House of Lords, spoke about the freedom fighters and briefly remembered the freedom struggle and the incidents that lead to India’s Independence.
The main speech of the evening was by H.E Mr. Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India. He spoke about how, 76 years ago, there were concerns on how India could achieve democracy with all its diversity, and yet today it stands tall as the world’s largest democracy. The fact that the Bhavan is based in a Church building is itself a testament to our culture and tradition of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
This was followed by a felicitation to Nandaji, for being honoured with an MBE.
Nandaji expressed his gratitude to Dalalji, Mathoorji, Dr. Marr, Shantanuji and Joginderji.
The audience were then treated to patriotic songs and dances by the students of the Bhavan.


U.K LONDON Kendra

Summer School 2023

The Bhavan, London, held its annual summer school between July 15 and August 6, 2023. A three-week intensive offering training with experts in the field of Indian Classical Dance and Music from India and the UK, culminated in a weekend performance. The Bhavan’s summer school is one of the most eagerly awaited annual summer intensives in the UK.
Over 240 students were a part of the summer intensive and all courses proved to be extremely popular and well-attended. Students from Intermediate to Advanced and Masters levels were a part of the intensive.
The summer school teachers’ concert series showcased all the visiting teachers in live concerts and also gave a chance for the budding artists of the Bhavan to open for them.
The intensive culminated in a grand weekend finale event on August 5–6, 2023. All students had the opportunity to perform on the stage, showcasing the special choreographies and songs they had learned during the summer intensive. Both days saw a houseful auditorium, and the performances were received with great enthusiasm and appreciation by the audience.


U.K LONDON Kendra

Teachers’ Concerts Series

The Bhavan, London is currently in the middle of its annual Summer School programme. It is a three-week intensive programme in Indian Classical Arts including dance, music, instruments, and languages with renowned teachers from India and the UK. 
July 22 and 23, 2023 saw a Hindustani vocal recital by Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar and a Carnatic vocal recital by Dr. Baby Sreeram.
The Hindustani vocal recital was opened by Vidya Joshi, followed by the main recital by Dr.Nagaraj Rao Havaldar.
Dr Havaldar also spoke about the lineage and the responsibility of the artists to carry forward the Parampara to the younger generation.
The next evening began with an opening recital by Srividya Srinivasan, followed by the main recital by Dr. Baby Sreeram. She presented some rare Krithis and impressed the audience with her mastery of the tradition and range.
The second weekend of teachers’ performances was on July 29 and 30, 2023 with a Kathak recital by Abhay Shankar Mishra and a Bharatanatyam recital by Smt. Srekala Bharath. 
The recital on July 29, 2023 featured the beautiful upcoming artist Aishwarya Hariram, followed by Abhayji’s presentation. 
Abhayji’s mastery over Kathak shone through the performance and will easily be remembered as one of the best Kathak recitals the Bhavan has seen in recent times.
The Sunday event featured an opening performance by upcoming dancer Abbeyrame Laveniya Hariharan.
The main performance by Smt. Srekala Bharath was also well appreciated by the audience.


U.K LONDON Kendra

World Dance Day

The Bhavan, London celebrated World Dance Day on April 29, 2023. It was cause for much celebration for The Bhavan as well as the dancers as the event was revived at The Bhavan auditorium after a two-year break due to the pandemic.
The event proved a massive success. Dancers and dance schools travelled from across England to perform before a sellout audience. The themes chosen for this year were 'Dance in response to the climate change and the natural environment', and 'Dance in response to the increasing digitalisation of every aspect of today's life'.
The programme included a Bharatanatyam performance by Kavya Muralidharan, a classical Odissi piece by Katrina Rute and team, performances by Amritha Jayakrishnan and team, Satyam School of Dance and Music, Debanjali Biswas and her Manipuri dance ensemble, Samarpana Classical Arts, Cambridge, Divya Kasturi's Company of Young Talents, Asmitha Keer and team, Monidipa Seal and team and Abhinav Mishra and his Amun Bhachu team.
The general and folk segment began with a Bharatanatyam presentation by the Upahaar School of Dance, followed by a heart-warming emiclassical/Bollywood performance by an Edgware dance group of women over 50.
The audience was also treated to energetic folk dances by Ragasudha & Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence (Tribal), Garba folk dance group (Garba), London School of Hula and 'Ori (Hawaiian), Ponsita School of Dance (Tamil harvest folk), and Sarjan Nartan Academy (Rajasthani folk).


U.K LONDON Kendra

Sanskrit Scholar Awarded Honorary MBE

Dr. Mattur Nandakumara, a highly respected authority on Vedic literature, philosophy, mythology, and rituals, has been appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to the teaching, performance, and accessibility of Indian classical arts in the UK. He has actively promoted Sanskrit education and Indian culture in the UK and Europe for over four decades.
Dr. Nandakumara is the current Executive Director of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (also known as The Bhavan) in London, UK and also been identified as one of the UK's top 100 most influential Asians for his role as an ambassador for India's art, culture, and philosophy.
Since 1977, Dr. Nandakumara has been associated with The Bhavan in London, where he has been teaching multiple Sanskrit courses ranging from introductory to expert-level courses in grammar, commentary, and discussion on the great literary texts.
Expressing his gratitude upon receiving the MBE award, Dr. Mattur Nandakumara said, -œI am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this prestigious recognition from His Majesty King Charles III. I am committed to continuing my efforts in teaching and making Indian classical arts accessible in the UK and the rest of the world. I am grateful for the support of my family, mentors, colleagues, and students, without whom this would not have been possible.-
Dr. Nandakumara's outstanding achievements in promoting and preserving Sanskrit education and Indian culture have been recognised with several awards, including the Kannada Rajyotsava Award in 2011, the Samskriti Seva Samman by Hindi Samiti UK for his contribution to Art and Culture, and the Award of Distinction in the field of Art and Culture in 2006, instituted by the India International Foundation and presented by Baroness Usha Prashar.
Dr. Nandakumara has contributed to promoting Indian culture in the UK by organising concerts for the benefit of The Bhavan featuring eminent artists like Pt Ravi Shankar, Pt Birju Maharaj, Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Pt Jasraj, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and Anoushka Shankar, among others. Since 1984, he has been responsible for presenting over eighty events every year, featuring eminent artists and scholars, many of whom have conducted workshops and lecture demonstrations.
Dr. Nandakumara's dedication, knowledge, and contribution to the promotion and preservation of Indian culture and Sanskrit education are an inspiration to all.


U.K LONDON Kendra

The Bhavan's Music Festival

For the past one year, The Bhavan, London has been celebrating its golden jubilee with a whole year of specially curated performances, workshops, and events.
As one of the finale events, on March 18, 2023 Pt. Kushal Das gave a Sitar recital, accompanied on the Tabla by Pt. Rajkumar Misra. On March 19, 2023 the Mysore Brothers gave a duet violin recital accompanied by Double Mridangam by Sri M Balachandar and Sri Bangalore Prakash.
The Mysore brothers and Pt. Kushal Das got together in a live conversation and interaction with the audience and threw light on the deeper insights and nuances of their respective instruments. The audience had the chance to ask them questions and gain their perspectives about their art forms.
The music festival concluded with a Hindustani vocal recital by Sri. Sanjeev Abhyankar on March 25, 2023 and a Karnatic vocal recital by P Unnikrishnan on March 26, 2023.


U.K LONDON Kendra

A Cultural Plethora

The last weekend of February 2023 at the Bhavan proved to be a treat for the London art lovers, with three different events on offer.
On February 24, 2023, Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence presented their production 'Shivoham', woven around the different aspects of Lord Shiva and his 'Sapta Tandava'. Dancers from different Indian classical genres came together to display the mythologies of Shiva and his dancing form. A brainchild of Ragasudha Vinjamuri, the evening was a spectacular display of Indian classical dance forms, music, and lyrics. Shri Amish Tripathi, Director of the Nehru Centre graced the occasion as chief guest.
On February 25, 2023, Smt. Punita Gupta, a star disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar, celebrated 50 years of her career as a sitarist with a special concert along with her students. As this coincided with the Bhavan's own golden jubilee year, it was an emotional occasion for all involved. Her students paid tribute to her excellence and dedication. The team received high praise for the quality of the performance, the organisation and curation of the event.
On February 26, 2023, the audience was treated to a special concert by 'The Carnatic Comfort Zone', the Berlin based German-Sri Lankan group led by the charismatic Sri Lankan singer and composer Manickam Yogeswaran and his team of musicians, a fusion of East and West.
The audience applauded the unique amalgam of Carnatic classical compositions with Western instruments and melodies. 
Members of the audience later remarked: -œIt was so harmonious and blended so beautifully. There was never a dull moment, and the interweaving of musical instruments was enchanting-.
Yogeswaran presented songs from 'Raghupati Raghava' and 'Thirupugal' to his own compositions for films in innovative ways that allowed all the instruments to play together and solo.


U.K LONDON Kendra

'Triveni'

Over two weekends of February 2023, the Bhavan, London hosted the first instalment of a unique festival centred on the youth artistes currently training at the Bhavan.
The Bhavan's resident teachers in various subjects presented their disciples, showcasing the intensive training they receive in Indian Classical Performing Arts.
The festival took place on February 11, 12, and 19, 2023.
The first day saw performances from students of Hindustani vocal, tabla, and sitar. The second day showcased students presenting Carnatic vocal, veena, and Carnatic violin concerts, and the final day saw a dance extravaganza featuring upcoming talents in Odissi, Kathak and Bharatanatyam.
The audience was thrilled with the quality of the performances on all three days. The students were grateful to have the opportunity to present their talents in an event which was specially curated for them.


U.K LONDON Kendra

The Bhavan's Republic Day Celebrations 2023

On February 9, 2023, The Bhavan, London, organised a celebration of India's Republic Day. His Excellency Sri Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India, was the Chief Guest of Honour.
Lord Dholakia OBE PC (Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and Patron of The Bhavan), Shri Virendra Sharma MP, Cllr Daryl Brown (Deputy Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham), Mr Gopi Hinduja of the Hinduja group, Brigadier Vikramjit Singh Gill from the High Commission and Murli Ramadoss of Chellaram Foundation were among some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion with their presence.
The speeches by the dignitaries were followed by cultural performances by The Bhavan's music and dance students.


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