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Founded
in 1936 by one of India’s
outstanding personalities, Rukmini Devi
Arundale, Kalakshetra is a renowned
institution of fine arts in India. The
beautiful campus on an estate of 100 acres is located
on the shores of the sea
near Madras and numerous students from
all over the world throng the institution,
particularly to learn that unique ‘Kalakshetra
style’ of dancing. The name ‘Kalakshetra’
means a temple of fine arts and has as its ideals, laid
down by its founder: - emphasising the essential unity
of all true art and - working for recognition of the
arts as vital to individual, national, religious and
international growth.
Students here are trained in classical dance (Bharatanatyam),
music, painting
and crafts. Alumni of this institution have set up schools
of their own and also
teach in universities in various parts of India besides
their parent institution.
The institution has its own theatre conceptualized by
Rukmini Devi and
designed on the Kerala pattern of a ‘Kuttambalam’,
a performance place in the
temples. The beautiful auditorium also has many features
of the performance
hall as described in Bharata’s Natya Shastra, the
treatise on Indian dance and
drama. By the Kalakshetra Foundation Act 1993, the institution
was declared to
be one of national importance by the Govt. of India.
The governing Board has as its chairman, R. Venkataraman,
Former President of India.
The members include S. Rajaram, R.V. Ramani, Pandit
Jasraj, N. Krishnan, T.T. Vasu,
Justice S. Mohan, Lalgudi G.Jayaraman, Sonal Mansingh,
R.V. Vaidhyanatha Ayyar,
V. Subramaniam, M. Balamurali Krishna, Vyjayanthimala
Bali, Ustad Ghulam Dastagir Khan,
Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Dr. Padma Subramaniam, Pritha
Ratnam and Kadri Gopalnath.
The Director is S. Rajaram.
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