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Kuchipudi Yakshaganam
Rare Compositions Reclaimed
Performers
At 85 years of age, Guru Sri Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma Garu remains one of the last living custodians of the Kuchipudi Yakshagana tradition, a dance-drama format that seamlessly integrates dance, music, abhinaya, dialogue, and the singing of padyams by the performer. Kuchipudi dancer Aishwarya Meenakshi presents this evening, offering a chance to witness dharavus from this near-forgotten repertoire.
Distinct from the solo recital format commonly seen today, Kuchipudi Yakshaganam is a collaborative and immersive performance practice accompanied by a live orchestra, preserving the form’s historic character as a total theatre tradition. This presentation serves as an act of cultural preservation and transmission. It is a rare opportunity to encounter, celebrate, and document a vital chapter in the history of Kuchipudi directly from one of its most distinguished torchbearers.
Credits:
Nattuvangam: Sri Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma
Vocals: Ajeesh Menon
Mridangam: Sreerang Kalamandalam
Flute: Srikrishna Bhat
Violin: Arjun MD
Supported by:
Venue: Auditorium
Performers
Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma
Guru Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma is the lone survivor amongst the old stalwarts of the Kuchipudi Yakshagana tradition. A Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow and an awardee is the torch bearer who has dedicated his life to pass on this legacy that is on the verge of oblivion to the succeeding generations. Like all other men born in his community, Rattaiah Sarma was initiated into Kuchipudi Yakshagana at a very tender age and since then the artform has been his raison d’etre. In his prime, he was hailed as a star performer of solo numbers within the Kuchipudi Kalapa format. He has fervently pursued the artform to this very day and willingly teaches anyone who can dedicate themselves to art. He has successfully instilled and nurtured the same passion in his disciples and is keen on sharing his vast resource of knowledge to scholars and students to help them explicate the nuances and intricacies of Kuchipudi and thus propagate the artform. Despite all the accolades and awards he has won, Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma chooses to lead a very humble and remote life in Kuchipudi village.
Aishwarya Meenakshi
Aishwarya Meenakshi is a Kuchipudi artiste from Bengaluru, trained under Smt. Sreelakshmy Govardhanan and Shri Pasumarthy Rattaiah Sharma Garu. She is a Senior Scholarship recipient from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, A-graded Doordarshan artiste, and represented India as a cultural ambassador in South Korea through the ICCR. She has performed at platforms including the Nishagandhi Dance Festival and Soorya Youth Festival. She trains under Shri Pasumarthy Rattaiah Sharma Garu, the last living Bhagavatulu in the Kuchipudi Yakshaganam tradition, currently learning traditional Yakshaganams centred on authentic Vachika Abhinaya, preserving the form’s original narrative and performative essence.
