Eminent research scholar, exponent and guru of Mohiniattam, Nirmala Paniker's 60th birthday (shashtipoorthi) will be celebrated by her students, colleagues and friends on 16th May 2010 at Natanakairali Research and Performing Centre for Traditional Arts, Irinjalakuda, Kerala.

Different cultural organizations of Irinjalakuda plan to jointly felicitate the artiste. There will be lec-dems, discussions and several performances from 10 am to 10 pm.

Ammannur Kuttan Chakyar is Chairman while V P Radhakrishnan is the Convenor.

Here is the brief programme -

Morning events

Inauguaration by Dr.K.G.Paulose (Vice Chancellor , Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University) Lec-dem about the contributions of Nirmala Paniker and Natanakaisiki towards Mohiniyattam - Meenakshi Menon and students of Natanakaisiki Mohiniyatta Gurukulam

Discussion: Prof. George S Paul, Shyamala Surendran, Renu Ramanath, Dr.Neena Prasad, Dr. Indu G and Methil Devika

Post-lunch events

Kathakali Sangeetham

Participants - Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri, Kalanilayam Rajeev, Sushri Kapila and Sudharma Narayanan

Accompanied by: - Chenda - Sarvasri. Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan; Maddalam: Kalanilayam Prakasan; Edakka - Kalanilayam Kaladharan

Saxophone concert - Takashi Saito (Japan)

Introduced by Reiko Takahashi Irino

Evening events

Felicitation function - Chief Guest - guru Kalakshetra Vilasini . Felicitations by various individuals and organizations

This will be followed by Nangiar Koothu - Akrooragamanam - Kapila accompanied by: Kalamandalam Rajeev, Kalamandalam Hariharan, Kalamandslam Narayanan Nambiar, Kalanilayam Unikrishnan, Saritha Krishnakumar

Later that night, there is a Mohiniattam performance by students of Natanakaisiki Mohiniatta Gurukulam . The dancers: Umadevi A N, Sandra Pishroty, Sudharma P, Parvathy S Vallabhan, Greeshma Suresh, Tomoe Tara Irino

The musicians are - Reju Narayanan, Maddalam - Kalanilayam Prakasan, Flute - Reghu Chalakudy, Vyshakhan Irinjalakuda, Edakka - Kalanilayam Kaladharan

The last event, at 9 p.m. is Thiruvathirakali by students and parents of Natanakaisiki Mohiniatta Gurukulam