National and international students during the opening ceremony of the International Cultural Exchange Dance Festival – Nritya Vahini at Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam in Tirupati on Saturday. | Photo credit: KV POORNACHANDRA KUMAR
Traditional classical and folk dancers from Thailand and Sri Lanka, who enjoyed the vibrant confluence of art forms in India, expressed that they will take home fond memories of the Tirupati Dance Festival.
The teams participated in ‘Nritya Vahini 2025’, a three-day international cultural exchange dance festival organized 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 acclaimed ballet dance form ‘Khon’, Sri Lankan ‘Kandyan’ dance and Indian ‘Kathak’, ‘Garba’ and ‘Bharatanatyam’.
The Thai delegation, led by Vipada Petchot, former faculty at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, performed the “Khon” dance and performed “Ramakien”, the Thai version of the Ramayana.
Rama chasing the magic deer and Hanuman being held back by the mermaids Suvannamaccha (“Suvarna Matsya” or golden fish) in search of Sita were among the episodes of the Thai ensemble.
“We have also brought the nuances of the Rama-Ravana war to the fore on stage,” said her colleague Krailas Chitkul, who heads the university’s department of performing arts.
“The event gave us an opportunity to look at the commonalities that included the expressions we utter as well as the stances we take while dancing,” said Indika Tikiri Bandara, Faculty of Dance and Drama at the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The demonstration was carried out by his colleague Tharanga Disanayake.
The Lankan team performed a centuries-old Kandyan (even country) dance form that originated in the hill capital of Kandy and traces its roots to Kohomba Kankariya, an ancient purification ceremony to invoke divine protection and healing.
Vice Chancellors Tata Narasinga Rao (SVU) and V. Uma (SPMVV) felicitated the teams at the closing ceremony held here on Saturday.
Published – 15 Nov 2025 20:28 IST
