The 2020 chapter of the bi-annual Nishagandhi Festival is all set to be inaugurated on the 20th of January 2020 at Nishagandhi Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram, and like every year, it would be a another classical extravaganza of Indian dance forms, music, art, food and history. The event is organized by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, along with other supporting states.
For connoisseurs of dance, music and traditional Indian art, the Nishagandhi Festival weaves an enchanting week of entertainment and history, wherein art takes the center stage. Also known as the Nishagandhi Nritya Utsav, the festival sees audiences from all across the globe taking their seats to witness some of the most talented and famous artists from India. The theme of the festival is to promote the diverse culture and heritage of the country, and thus sees participation from all kinds of classical performing artists. The performances are staged in the open air theatre of Kanakakkunnu Palace and are open to the public.
With every passing year, the Nishagandhi Festival is setting a prestigious stage wherein several renowned artists are looking forward to their involvement. In the past years, we have seen mind blowing performances by artists including Balabhaskar, Mattannur Sankarankutty, C.V. Chandrasekhar, Priti Patel, Vyjanthi Kashi, T.V. Sankaranarayan, Aswathy, N. Srikant, Madhavi Mudgal, Madhimita Paul, Zakir Hussain, Ileana Citaristi, Hema Malini, Gayathri Asokan and many more. The participation represents Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Mohniyattam, modern ballet and other forms of folk art.
Apart from being a perfect gathering of music and dance lovers, the festival also sees a variety of traditional artwork, ranging from handicrafts to cuisines from across India. Additionally, a fair (mela) is also arranged adjacent to the dance festival, in the SooryaKanthi Fair Grounds. This is also an opportunity to meet craftsmen working on traditional materials like bamboo, coconut and clay to bring out works of art. The fairgrounds also see a food festival that includes participation from famous personalities and luxury hotel chains. Consequently, the cultural extravaganza also becomes a treat for your body with cuisines ranging from traditional Keralian dishes to exotic Bengali and Mughlai items. This is also one of the biggest crowd puller to the festival.
In the January 2020 chapter of the Nishagandhi Nritya Utsav, you will see artists from all different states to perform various dance art. Each evening of the January 2020 chapter of the festival will see a unique schedule of cultural amalgamation and everyone is invited to be a part of the extravaganza that will last till the 26th of January.
About the Kanakakunnu Palace
The Kanakakunnu Palace is located in Trivandrum, close to the Napier Museum and was built by Sree Moolam Thirunal and is one of the last remaining architectural vestiges from the colonial era. The palace was built to become a seat of entertainment and cultural gathering and is today protected by the tourism department. Round the year, the palace hosts several cultural festivals and Nishagandhi festival, aka, the All India Dance Festival is one of the most prominent occasions.
The Kanakakkunnu Palace is well connected to the Trivandrum International Airport and Thiruvananthapuram Junction Railway Station. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation has also made special arrangements for local transportation for guests coming from across the world this time.
Program Schedule of Nishagandhi Festival – 2020 (Yet to announce)
| Date | Artiste/Group | Art Form |