Dancer Padma Subrahmanyam has a huge project to execute. To build a campus for her dream institution called Bharatamuni Foundation for Asian Culture.

The Government of Tamilnadu gifted the BFAC five acres of land near the world famous heritage site of Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram). It was a great gift from the then chief minister J. Jayalalithaa. But this world renowned classical dancer needs tons of money to build all that she has dreamt of. And that is a lot.

The Bharatamuni Museum of Asian Performing Arts should interest tourists and researchers. The main auditorium to be named after the Kashmiri commentator Abhinavagupta. The Conference Hall to be named after Ilango Adigal, the author of the Tamil epic 'Silappadikaram'. A library of books and audio-visual materials named after Kanchi Mahaswami. And other blocks for study to be named after ancient Asian authorities on performing arts like Zeami of Japan.

Says Padma Subrahmanyam, " This centre is meant to foster research on performing arts; it is envisaged as an Asian Cultural Corridor for artistes and philosophers to interact and help human harmony and strengthen the common civilisational self esteem. The imprints of Bharatamuni's Natya Sastra are still felt all over Asia in the form of sculptures, paintings and performing arts.

As of now, a temple dedicated to lord Ganesha has been constructed ".
Now, Padma wants to raise a sum of Rs.25 lakhs to fund the first phase of project.

And she hoped that she could do this by staging a unique dance festival in Chennai. Six different dance recitals which featured her and one dance-drama which featured her dancers and sishyas was held last week in Chennai.

Her dance academy Nrithyodaya had joined hands with Bharat Kalachar, run by Ms. Y. G. Parthasarathy, to present this festival.
Padma says that perhaps this was the first time that a classical dancer performs six recitals on different themes evening after evening across six days.

Titled 'Padmavin Bharatarpanam', the fest, was held at the Narada Gana Sabha hall in Alwarpet, Chennai, from January 29 and till February 4.
On the final day, the dance drama 'Meenakshi Kalyanam' was staged with over 50 artistes on stage.
Padma also hopes dancers and dance academies in india will help fund her project.

Around Bharatamuni's shrine, she says, there will be the 108 twin dance figures of Siva and Parvati portraying the Karanas of Natya Sastra, reflecting the ancient Asian common codes of dance.
She hopes to get dance groups to pay Rs.30,000 to erect a granite sculpture of every Karana.
"This will make the institution a truly artistes' effort,"says Padma.
It will not be easy. And it will call for smart efforts to accomplish what is certainly an ambitious project.

You can reach Nrithyodaya at 6, Fourth Main Road, Gandhinagar, Chennai - 600 020.
Tel: 24910575 / 24910618 Fax: 24420258
Email: kannanveena@hotmail.com / bharataculture@yahoo.co.in