Nandanar is the 18th of the 63 Nayanars, who were Tamil poet saints devoted to Lord Shiva. He was born in the village of Adhanur, Tamil Nadu centuries ago, in an agricultural community considered untouchable. He lived with unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva, inspiring those around him to follow this path of faith. His immense devotion triumphed social barriers and prompted divine intervention that led him first to the Sivaloganathar Temple in Thirupungur, and then to the Thillai Natarajar Temple in Chidambaram, leading to the feet of His Lord. Nandanar’s life was memorialized in Sri Gopalakrishna Bharati’s Nandanar Charitam, which was in the kathakalakshepam genre in the Tamil language. Its songs have also been performed in Carnatic concerts and Bharatanatyam choreographies.
Paying respects to Sri Gopalakrishna Bharathi’s magnum opus, today’s production presents the legend of Nandanar through the Kuchipudi nruthya natakam format, with a vibrant musical presentation that features original songs written in Telugu. This production has been conceived and choreographed by Acharya Deepa Narayanan Sashindran of Kuchipudi Parampara Foundation, Bengaluru, with Grant Support from Sangeeth Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
Performances
June 2024: Perkinsons Center for the Arts, Chester, Va.
April 2025: Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival
May 2025: Sangeetha Natya Mahotsavam
