Kum. Sai Nikita Katuri Showcases ‘Nava Janardhana Parijatham’ at Nartanasala
Nava Janardhana Parijatham’ A Unique Prabandha Presentation by Kum. Sai Nikita Katuri. Nartanasala
Hyderabad, Dec 01: Nava Janardhana Parijatham: A Unique Prabandha Presentation by Kum. Sai Nikita Katuri. Nartanasala proudly presents the solo performance of Nava Janardhana Parijatham by Sai Nikita Katuri, a work originally revived and documented by the legendary Bharata Kala Prapoorna Padmasri Late Dr. Nataraja Ramakrisha, the doyen of Andhranatyam and recreator of Perini Sivatandavam. This presentation is choreographed and guided by his foremost disciple, Guru Shri Kala Krishna.
On Sunday, 30th November 2025, Kum. Sai Nikita Katuri, daughter and disciple of Ms. Sunila Gollapudi, presents a novel interpretation of Andhranatyam’s traditional Nava Janardhana Parijatham under the able guidance and choreography of her Guru, Abhinava Satyabhama, Shri Kala Krishna, followed by a felicitation ceremony at Bhaskara Auditorium, Birla Planetarium in Hyderabad.
The event was graced by B R Vikram Kumar, Editor in Chief , The Dance India, Chairman, Federation Of Classical Dance Festival Organisers (FCDFO); Sai Venkatesh, General Secretary, Federation Of Classical Dance Festival Organisers (FCDFO); M Bharathi, National Coordinator, Federation Of Classical Dance Festival Organisers (FCDFO); Dr Sajani Vallabhaneni, Legal Advisor, Federation Of Classical Dance Festival Organisers (FCDFO); Dr. Sajani Vallabhaneni, Senior Research Fellow, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India; PhD in Dance from PSTU; Andhranatyam and Kuchipudi exponent; Mangala Sheshadri, Senior Director, Google.
Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna garu, with his diligent scholarly efforts, revived Andhranatyam. Andhranatyam belongs to the Nattuva Mela tradition and is the ancient classical dance form of the Telugu regions (Telangana, Rayalaseema, and Andhra) that has been in vogue for the past 2000 years. Andhranatyam is a combination of Agama, Asthana, and Prabandha traditions, which a female artiste can showcase on the same stage and in the same performance. It is an Eka Patra Kelika, i.e., a solo performance.
Guru Shri Kala Krishna garu was the sole and foremost disciple of Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna, who went through explicit training on the nuances of NavaJanardhana Parijatham from great dancers like Annabhatla Satyabhama and others. Since then, he has not only done complete justice to playing the “Satyabhama,” being titled “Abhinava Satyabhama” himself, but also further researched the multiple interpretations documented by his Guru and trained thousands of students.
NavaJanardhana Parijatham (Shringara Drishya Divya Prabandham) is a shringara rasa-predominant solo dance ballet depicting an episode of the love story between Lord Shri Krishna and his beautiful 8th wife Satyabhama, as ancient as the Gita Govindam. It belongs to the Prabandha tradition of Andhranatyam which used to be performed in the nine Janardana temples of East Godavari Dt. of Andhra Pradesh. It used to be performed for nine continuous nights either at various places or at a place itself either by one dancer or nine different dancers, and was patronized by Pithapuram Rajas. It is as ancient as Gita Govindam and is believed that one need not explicitly study the Bharata’s Natya Sastra if trained in Navajanardhana Parijatham. While there are many versions depicted by
Kuchipudi and others, this particular version is in Daasi Bhaagavatham style, where one dancer narrates the story and plays all the characters (eka patra kelika).
Sunila Gollapudi, IT leader, author, trained classical vocalist, a painting artist and AI and Data Engineering Lead of Google, spent over three decades learning the nuances, building expertise, performing and teaching Andhranatyam under the able guidance of her Guru Shri Kala Krishna. She founded her nonprofit banner Nartanasala in 2012 and has been involved in spreading the dance form along with her Guru and fellow Andhranatyam and Perini dancers. She has performed over 400 shows nationally and internationally and has been involved with several philanthropic activities in the field of dance.
Sai Nikita Katuri is a young artiste who has completed her 12th grade at Sreenidhi International School while actively pursuing her passion for the performing arts. She is a certified RSL grade 5 pianist, trained classical vocalist, and a dedicated Andhranatyam dancer under the tutelage of her mother and Guru Sunila Gollapudi and Guru Kala Krishna. An aspiring music producer, she currently trains at Whitenoise Academy under the mentorship of Mr. Vinayak Rao, exploring the fusion of traditional art with contemporary sound design. With a strong artistic foundation and clear creative vision, Nikita aims to pursue music and dance full-time, contributing to the evolving landscape of Indian performing arts while honoring its timeless heritage.
On the 30th of November, Sai Nikita Katurii performed an engaging sequence of Nava janardhana Parijatham in four segments. This presentation begins with the dancer introducing the storyline of Satyabhama’s journey from shy confessions and longing search for Krishna, through the hardship of separation, to reconciliation and devotion. Drawn from the version revived and enriched by Late Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna and newly structured for solo presentation by Guru Shri Kala Krishna, this production preserves the authentic Andhranatyam tradition while bringing forward its nuanced abhinaya and jathis.