Former vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of the Northeast Region G. Kishan Reddy will be inaugurating the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s ‘Dakshin Bharat Sanskritik Kendra’ here in Hyderabad on Monday.
The foundation stone for a ‘Bharat Kala Mandapam auditorium’ will also be laid at the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training campus in Madhapur. The official function will be held at the Shilpa Kala Vedika in Hi-Tec City, where a cultural programme celebrating the life and times of legendary musician-singer Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao will be held, informed a press release on Sunday.
Sangeet Natak Akademi, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture and an apex body in the field of performing arts in the country, is into the preservation and promotion of diverse cultural heritage of the country expressed in forms of music, dance and drama.
“It is a matter of pride that South India’s rich and diverse intangible cultural heritage that is renowned globally will be further strengthened through this dedicated South India Cultural Centre. The centre is envisaged for the promotion of research and documentation of music, folk and tribal arts, theatre and puppetry. It will be developed as a state-of-the-art regional centre,” said Mr. Kishan Reddy.
The Ministry of Culture had recently commemorated the 100th birth anniversary of the legendary musician, freedom fighter and Padma awardee Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao through yearlong celebrations starting in December 2022 and culminating in December 2023, he pointed out.
Ghantasala’s legacy — his music and his emotive voice — continues to thrive in the homes of music lovers across India and around the globe. He was not just a singer but a freedom fighter who spent more than a year in jail for his participation in the Quit India movement, said the Minister.
During the event, the recent Padma awardees from the Telugu states will be felicitated, added the release.
