Past Navaratri Festival Events

Navaratri, one of India’s major festival celebrations, is a time to see family and friends, enjoy music and dance and seek blessings for new endeavors. Wesleyan’s annual festivals celebrate traditional Indian music and dance.

Image above: in September 2017 as part of the 41st annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan, Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and his sister Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi performed as a violin duo, accompanied by Sangita Kalanidhi Trichy Sankaran on mridangam and Shri Tripoonithura Radhakrishnan on ghatam. Photo by Sandy Aldieri of Perceptions Photography.
2024
October
2023

2022
September
2021
October September
2020
November October
2019

2018

2017
September
2016
October
2015

2014
September

2024

October

V.V. Subrahmanyam: Violin Concert
Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
One of the finest violinists in classical Karnatak (South Indian) music, Shri. V.V. Subrahmanyam returns to campus for his 80th anniversary concert, nearly 60 years after his first perfomance at Wesleyan in 1966. He will be joined by his son and fellow violinist Shri. V.V.S. Murari, Shri. Trichy Sankaran on mridangam (double-headed drum), Shri. K.V. Gopalakrishnan on kanjira (frame drum), and Smt. Banu Jaiganesh on tampura (four-stringed harmonic instrument). Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.
Holding History: Evolution and Transformation of Wesleyan University’s Navaratri Festival
Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 5:00pm
World Music Hall
This panel discussion will focus on the history of the Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan, featuring Adjunct Associate Professor of Music and Global South Asian Studies B. Balasubrahmaniyan, Adjunct Associate Professor of Music and Global South Asian Studies David Nelson PhD ’91, Professor of Dance, Global South Asian Studies, and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Hari Krishnan, Jody Cormack-Viswanathan PhD '92, and Joseph Getter MA ’99. Convened and moderated by graduate music student Hansini Bhasker. Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.
Tea and Samosa with Shakti
Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 4:15pm
World Music Hall
Enjoy South Asian cuisine and gather with friends around a sampling of samosa (savory fried pastry) and tea, hosted by Shakti, Wesleyan’s South Asian Students’ Association. Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.
Indian Dance Showcase
Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 3:00pm
World Music Hall

Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.

Connecticut-based choreographers Sarada Nori Akella and Rachna Agrawal (pictured) will be joined by Wesleyan students Akhil Joondeph '26 and Tanvi Navile '25 to showcase short performances from a range of different classical dance styles, including North Indian Kathak, South Indian Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam, and Odissi from Eastern India. The performance will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Hari Krishnan, Professor of Dance, Global South Asian Studies, and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Saraswati Puja [New Time]
Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 2:15pm
World Music Hall
Saraswati Puja is a Hindu ceremony that marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. Open to all, this service is led by Joseph Getter MA ’99 and invites audiences to participate to bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items associated with learning, creativity, and knowledge–making for blessing. Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, October 11, 2024 at 7:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Vocalist B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by David Nelson PhD ’91 on mridangam (double-headed drum) for their 20th annual Navaratri Festival concert together. Both are Adjunct Associate Professors of Music and Global South Asian Studies. They will be joined by violinist Shri. V.V.S. Murari, and Shri. K.V. Gopalakrishnan on kanjira (frame drum). Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.
K. S. Subramanian: “Vina in Voice in Vina”
Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 4:30pm
Adzenyah Rehearsal Hall, Room 003 (Daltry Room), 60 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown

The 48th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan will begin with a Music Department Colloquium talk presented by Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian, a ninth-generation vīṇā (stringed instrument) player from the renowned Karaikudi tradition, founder of the Brhaddhvani Research and Training Centre for Musics of the World, and Wesleyan alumnus (MA Music, 1977; PhD Ethnomusicology, 1986). Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.
Ghana Rāga Tānam—Improvisations on the Vīṇā: A Concert with K.S. Subramanian MA '77, PhD ’86
Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 12:00pm
Olin Library, Gribbel Room 202A (second floor)

A lunchtime concert with Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian, a ninth-generation vīṇā (stringed instrument) player from the renowned Karaikudi tradition, founder of the Brhaddhvani Research and Training Centre for Musics of the World, and Wesleyan alumnus (MA Music, 1977; PhD Ethnomusicology, 1986). Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.

2023

Kathak Dance Performance: Jin Won
Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 2:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Kathak (North Indian classical) dancer and tabla player Jin Won explores the sonic and visual possibilities of rhythm through dance and music with a singular style. Originally from South Korea, she spent over fifteen years training in India. In her Connecticut debut at Wesleyan, Won’s performance will feature two pieces: Nolpan: Khoj’ and Nrrita.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 11:00am
World Music Hall
This religious service, led by Joseph Getter MA ’99, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items for blessing. This event is part of the 47th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Pīlu: Suhail Yusuf Khan and Henry Hodder with Vishal Nagar
Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 7:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
At Wesleyan, North Indian sarangi (bowed string instrument) master and PhD candidate Suhail Yusuf Khan MA ’18 and California-native guitarist and songwriter Henry Hodder ’20 perform the world premiere of tunes from their forthcoming debut EP Soon, developed as part of “Music and Mysticism of the Indian Subcontinent,” Hodder’s senior tutorial at Wesleyan directed by Khan. The duo will be joined by tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar and vocalist Marni Loffman '19. A talk-back moderated by Professor of Music Jane Alden will follow the performance.
The Akkarai Sisters Violin Duet: Akkarai S. Subhalakshmi and Akkarai S. Sornalatha
Friday, October 6, 2023 at 7:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
The Akkarai Sisters—S. Subhalakshmi and S. Sornalatha—are renowned for their soulful and nuanced, creative interpretations of classical Karnatak (South Indian) violin and vocal duets. The duo has collaborated with musicians working in genres ranging from Hindustani to jazz and Western classical. Their performances have graced stages globally, captivating audiences with their musical virtuosity. This performance at Wesleyan will be their Connecticut debut.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India [CANCELED]
Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 7:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
PLEASE NOTE: This concert has been canceled. Vocalist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan will be joined by Adjunct Associate Professor of Music David Nelson PhD ’91 on mridangam (double-headed drum) for their 20th annual Navaratri Festival concert together. The duo will be accompanied by violinist L. Ramakrishnan.
Graduate Music Colloquium: Garrett Field—“Rethinking Rāga in Free Rhythm: Karnatak Ālāpana and Eloquent Writing” [New Date and Location]
Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 4:30pm
Adzenyah Rehearsal Hall, Room 003 (Daltry Room), 60 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown

Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology/Musicology at Ohio University Garrett Field MA ’08, PhD ’13 examines the playing of South Indian Karnatak mandolinist U. Srinivas (1969–2014) to offer a clearer view of the interesting musical processes that occur during improvisational performances.

2022

Dance Performance: Nrithya Pillai
Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 2:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall

Nrithya Pillai is an acclaimed performer and activist from the hereditary community of South India’s former courtesan artists. She presents her dance in the context of critical perspectives on the form, and her New England debut performance will be accompanied by live musicians. A talk-back moderated by Professor and Chair of the Dance Department and Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Hari Krishnan will follow the performance. This event is part of the 46th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 11:00am
World Music Hall
This religious service, led by Joseph Getter MA ’99, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items for blessing. This event is part of the 46th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan
Saturday, October 1, 2022 at 7:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
World-renowned sitar virtuoso Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan belongs to the seventh generation of an influential musical lineage. His playing focuses on exploring and expanding the possibilities of the melodic framework for improvisation in North Indian classical music, or raag, often to mind-blowing effect. This concert is part of the 46th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Master Class with Sujata Goel: Bollywood Dance—A Globalized Body
Saturday, October 1, 2022 at 11:00am
Bessie Schönberg Dance Studio, 247 Pine Street, Middletown
This Master Class, led by Indian-American choreographer and dancer Sujata Goel, is an introduction to Bollywood dance. Originating in the 1930s, Bollywood dance is a hybrid form that fuses eastern and western dance styles. In this class, participants will look at the history of Bollywood through its different styles spanning the 1940s to present day. The class is open to all, no previous experience or training is required. Sujata Goel is part of SAEDA (South Asian Experimental Dance Artists).

September

B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, September 30, 2022 at 7:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Vocalist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan will be joined by Adjunct Associate Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and Pranav Swaroop, violin, as part of the 46th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Dance in the Round with Parijat Desai
Friday, September 30, 2022 at 12:15pm
Center for the Arts Courtyard (in front of Ring Family Performing Arts Hall)
India-born, U.S.-raised choreographer/dancer Parijat Desai leads an inclusive workshop based on the "garba" circle dance from Gujarat, India. No experience necessary. Visual elements of Desai's performance project "How Do I Become WE" are featured in the SAEDA (South Asian Experimental Dance Artists) exhibition Kinetic Visualities.
Film Screening: The Other Song
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 7:00pm
Powell Family Cinema, The Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies, 301 Washington Terrace, Middletown, Connecticut
The Connecticut premiere screening of the documentary The Other Song will be followed by a Zoom conversation with Director Saba Dewan based in India, and moderated by Assistant Professor of Film Studies Anuja Jain as part of the 46th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Kinetic Visualities Exhibition Opens
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 12:00pm
Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, South Gallery
The exhibition Kinetic Visualities will present art processes by the members of SAEDA (South Asian Experimental Dance Artists), a United States-based collective which explores shared and divergent artistic processes and disrupts representations of South Asian bodies in the diaspora. This exhibition is part of the 46th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Music Department Colloquium: Lara Pearson—Interacting with Melody Through Movement: Co-singing Gesture in Karnatak Vocal Performance
Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 4:30pm
Zoom
Lara Pearson is a musicologist and researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (Frankfurt am Main, Germany). Her paper will reflect on the relationship between gesture and melody in the South Indian style known as Karnāṭaka Saṅgīta (Karnatak music). The colloquium is organized by Assistant Professor of Music John Dankwa and Assistant Professor of Music and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Saida Daukeyeva as part of the Music Department Colloquium Series. It is also part of the 46th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.

2021

October

Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan’s Raag Bhimpalasi
Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 2:00pm
YouTube
World-renowned sitar virtuoso Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan belongs to the seventh generation of an influential musical lineage. This free, pre-recorded concert with accompaniment by Sri Subhajyoti Guha on tabla as part of the 45th annual Navaratri Festival will be followed by a live discussion and Q&A with the artist moderated by sarangi (bowed string instrument) player and vocalist and Wesleyan graduate student Suhail Yusuf.
Dance Workshop and Conversation with The Post Natyam Collective
Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 2:00pm
Zoom
The Post Natyam Collective (Sandra Chatterjee, Cynthia Ling Lee, and Shyamala Moorty) will engage with this free workshop's participants through creative exercises and video documentation of performance works from the past fifteen years as part of the 45th annual Navaratri Festival. Moderated by Professor and Chair of the Dance Department and Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Hari Krishnan.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, October 1, 2021 at 7:00pm
YouTube
Vocalist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan will be joined in this free virtual concert by Adjunct Associate Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam as part of the 45th annual Navaratri Festival.

September

Film Screening and Discussion: Kattumaram (Catamaran)
Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 7:00pm
YouTube
Part of an emerging queer cinema from South India, this free virtual screening of the 2019 film Kattumaram (Catamaran) as part of the 45th annual Navaratri Festival will be followed by a discussion with director Swarnavel Eswaran and Assistant Professor of Film Studies Anuja Jain, moderated by Chair of the Dance Department and Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Hari Krishnan.

2020

November

Navaratri Festival: Concert Broadcast No. 3
Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 4:00pm
WESU Middletown 88.1FM
A broadcast of an archival concert from Wesleyan's 17th annual Navaratri Festival on September 17, 1993 featuring South Indian music performed by violinist brothers Mysore Sri. M. Nagaraj and Mysore Sri. M. Manjunath.

October

Navaratri Festival: Concert Broadcast No. 2
Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 4:00pm
WESU Middletown 88.1FM
A broadcast of archival recordings featuring North Indian music performed at Wesleyan by sarod player Ali Akbar Khan on October 25, 1966 as well as a concert by Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (been) with Tewari (vocals) and Srinivasan (tambura) circa 1968.
Navaratri Festival: Concert Broadcast No. 1
Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 4:00pm
WESU Middletown 88.1FM
A broadcast of an archival concert from Wesleyan's 24th annual Navaratri Festival on September 13, 2000 featuring T.Viswanathan on flute and vocals, Trichy Sankaran on mridangam, and G. Harishankar on kanjira.
A Conversation with Ananya Chatterjea and Hari Krishnan: Rethinking “Navaratri”
Friday, October 2, 2020 at 7:00pm
Professor and Chair of the Dance Department Hari Krishnan will speak with Ananya Chatterjea, Artistic Director of  Ananya Dance Theatre in this free talk, part of the 44th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Navaratri Festival: Conversation with “Sakthi Vibrations” Director Zoe Sherinian
Thursday, October 1, 2020 at 8:00pm
A virtual conversation about the ethnomusicological documentary "Sakthi Vibrations" with Director Zoe Sherinian. Moderated by ethnomusicology doctoral student Bianca Iannitti as part of the 44th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan University. The film will be available for viewing online before the event with a link included with the reservation confirmation.
Navaratri Festival: Music Department Colloquium - Anna Morcom
Thursday, October 1, 2020 at 4:40pm
Zoom
A virtual talk by Professor of Ethnomusicology and Mohindar Brar Sambhi Chair of Indian Music at U.C.L.A.'s Herb Alpert School of Music Anna Morcom at the start of the 44th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan University.

2019

Lecture / Demonstration: Amjad Ali Khan
Monday, October 14, 2019 at 4:30pm
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall
GRAMMY Award-nominated sarod (19-stringed instrument) master Amjad Ali Khan is joined by his sarod-playing sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash for a free lecture / demonstration.
Amjad Ali Khan: Sarod Trilogy
Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 3:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
GRAMMY Award-nominated sarod (19-stringed instrument) master Amjad Ali Khan is joined by his sarod-playing sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 11:00am
World Music Hall
This religious service marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items for blessing. All are welcome to attend.
Bhojanam (Feast)
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 6:00pm
Fayerweather Beckham Hall, 55 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
Treat yourself to vegetarian Indian delicacies at the Navaratri Festival’s Bhojanam (Feast) following the Connecticut debut dance performance by Yashoda Thakore at 4pm.
Dr. Yashoda Thakore: Courtesan Dance from South India
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 4:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Dr. Yashoda Thakore balances the practice of the art of dance with research in her Connecticut debut during the Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan. She has enthralled audiences around the world—from England and Greece to Dubai and Bangladesh—with her flawless artistry.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, October 11, 2019 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Vocalist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and violinist Nandini Viswanathan.
Colloquium: Re-sounding Islam—Marking Religious and Aesthetic Pluralism in the Historiography of South Indian Music
Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 4:30pm
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall
Davesh Soneji, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s South Asia Studies Department, will give a talk at the start of the 43rd annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.

2018

Mythili Prakash
Sunday, October 14, 2018 at 3:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
The dynamic Mythili Prakash makes her Connecticut debut to conclude the 42nd annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, October 14, 2018 at 11:00am
World Music Hall
This religious service, led by A. V. Srinivasan, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items for blessing.
Gayathri Venkataraghavan
Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Indian singer Gayathri Venkataraghavan will perform with violinist Mysore Srikanth and B.Sivaraman on mridangam as part of the 42nd annual Navaratri Festival.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, October 12, 2018 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Vocalist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and violinist Sandhya Anand.
Navaratri Dinner Discussion
Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 7:00pm
Downey House, Room 100, 294 High Street
A panel discussion to educate about and celebrate the Navaratri Festival with good food and lively facilitation. Hosted by Shakti, Wesleyan's South Asian Students' Association.
Navaratri Festival Colloquium: Temples, Sanskrit, and Tamil in the Karnatak Songs of Muttusvami Dikshitar
Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 4:30pm
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall
The 42nd annual Navaratri Festival Music Department Colloquium features a lecture by Dr. Indira Viswanathan Peterson entitled Temples, Sanskrit, and Tamil in the Karnatak Songs of Muttusvami Dikshitar.

2017

September

Lalgudi Duo
Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and his sister Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi perform as a violin duo, blending tradition and innovation, and mesmerize the audience.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 5:00pm
World Music Hall
This religious service, led by A. V. Srinivasan, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items for blessing.
Darpana: Nataraja Vandanam - Love Songs to Shiva
Friday, September 29, 2017 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Mallika Sarabhai and three dancers from India's Darpana Academy of Performing Arts perform Nataraja Vandanam: Love Songs to Shiva, choreographed by Ms. Sarabhai and her mother Mrinalini Sarabhai.
Navaratri Festival: Henna and Chaat
Friday, September 29, 2017 at 7:00pm
Olin Memorial Library Lobby 252 Church Street, Middletown
Experience South Asian culture through henna art and sampling of chaat (savory snacks), hosted by Shakti, Wesleyan's South Asian Students' Association.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Thursday, September 28, 2017 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall

Vocalist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and violinist L. Ramakrishnan.

Navaratri Festival Film Screening: Mrinalini Sarabhai - The Artist and Her Art
Thursday, September 28, 2017 at 5:30pm
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall
Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Artist and Her Art (2012) tells the story of Indian dancer and choreographer Mrinalini Sarabhai (1918-2016), and is directed by Yadavan Chandran and Mallika Sarabhai (Ms. Sarabhai's daughter).
Navaratri Festival: Music Department Colloquium—Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life
Thursday, September 28, 2017 at 4:30pm
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall

Author and mridangam virtuoso Douglas Knight '70 will discuss Balasaraswati: Her Art & Life - one book in three editions, for three audiences, first published in 2010 by Wesleyan University Press.  

2016

October

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 3:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
events/2021/07-2021/07082021-nrityagram-dance-ensembleThe internationally acclaimed Nrityagram Dance Ensemble from Bangalore, India,  redefines both dance and theater with powerful imagery and captivating dance as part of the 40th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 11:00am
World Music Hall
This religious service, led by A. V. Srinivasan, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items for blessing.
Shenkar
Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Indian-born American violinist, singer, and composer L. Shankar Ph.D. ’74 will perform as part of the 40th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, October 28, 2016 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Vocalist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam, violinist Sandhya Anand, and Karthik Venkataraman on kanjira as part of the 40th annual Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan.
Navaratri Festival: Henna and Chaat
Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 7:00pm
Olin Library Lobby
Experience South Asian culture through henna art and sampling of chaat (savory snacks), hosted by Shakti, Wesleyan's South Asian Students' Association.
Music Department Colloquium Building a Home: The First Half-Century of Music and Dance of India at Wesleyan
Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 11:50am
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall (former CFA Hall)
Ph.D. candidate Joseph Getter presents the historical background of Indian music and dance in the United States, the Wesleyan University World Music Program, and the Navaratri Festival.

2015

Alarmél Valli
Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 3:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall

Click here to view the full album on Flickr.

Internationally acclaimed Indian dancer and choreographer Alarmél Valli turns the traditional Bharatanatyam style into subtle, deeply internalized, personal dance poetry in her Connecticut debut.

Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 11:00am
World Music Hall
This religious service, led by A. V. Srinivasan, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts, and other items for blessing.
 
Bhojanam (Feast)
Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 6:30pm
Daniel Family Commons, Usdan University Center

Click here to view the full album on Flickr.

Treat yourself to vegetarian Indian delicacies at the Navaratri Festival’s Bhojanam (Feast) following the 4pm concert by Sri Rajesh Vaidya. 

Sri Rajhesh Vaidhya
Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 4:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall

Click here to view the full album on Flickr.

Sri Rajhesh Vaidhya's veena (plucked string instrument) playing will be accompanied by two mridangam players, plus tabla and gatam.

Navaratri Festival: Film Screening Lasya Kavya: The World of Alarmél Valli
Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 2:00pm
CFA Hall

Lasya Kavya: The World of Alarmél Valli, a film by award-winning director Sankalp Meshram, about the internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer.

B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, October 9, 2015 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Vocalist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and violinist K.V.S. Vinay.
Navaratri Festival: Henna and Chaat
Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 7:00pm
Olin Library Lobby

Click here to view the full album on Flickr.

Experience South Asian culture through henna art and sampling of chaat (savory snacks), hosted by Shakti, Wesleyan's South Asian Students' Association.

Navaratri Festival: Music Department Colloquium
Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 4:15pm
CFA Hall
A talk and performance by Associate Professor of Dance Hari Krishnan and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan

2014

September

Malavika Sarukkai: Rasamanjari
Sunday, September 28, 2014 at 3:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Acclaimed dancer Malavika Sarukkai presents the New England premiere of Rasamanjari, a celebration of the classical dance language of India, as the conclusion of the 38th annual Navaratri Festival.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, September 28, 2014 at 11:00am
World Music Hall
This religious service, led by A. V. Srinivasan, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors.
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Keyboard Sathya
Saturday, September 27, 2014 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
The United States debut of the duo of Grammy Award–winner Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (pictured), who plays Mohan Veena (a modified lap slide guitar), with 19-year-old virtuoso Keyboard Sathya.
Film Screening: The Unseen Sequence
Saturday, September 27, 2014 at 3:30pm
CFA Hall
Directed by Sumantra Ghosal, this new film celebrates Malavika Sarukkai’s distinctive intellectual and creative approach to Indian dance.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, September 26, 2014 at 8:00pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Vocalist B. Balasubrahmaniyan, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music, is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and L. Ramakrishnan on violin.
Henna and Chaat
Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 7:00pm
Olin Library Lobby
Experience South Asian culture through henna art and sampling of chaat (savory snacks), hosted by Shakti, Wesleyan's South Asian Students Association.
Colloquium: Richard Wolf—The Voice in the Drum, Creative Non-Fiction, and Ethnomusicology
Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 4:15pm
CFA Hall

Harvard Professor of Music & South Asian Studies Richard Wolf discusses his forthcoming novel about drummers, dancers, and other participants at a Sufi shrine in Lahore, Pakistan.