Sangeet Natak Akademi

Summary

Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.

Sangeet Natak Akademi
AbbreviationSNA
Formation1953; 71 years ago (1953)
HeadquartersRabindra Bhawan, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi, India
Region served
India
Chairman
Sandhya Purecha
Vice Chairman
Joravarsinh Jadav
Parent organisation
Ministry of Culture, Government of India.[1]
Websitesangeetnatak.gov.in

History edit

It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and became functional the following year, with the appointment of its first chairman, Dr. P. V. Rajamannar. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, inaugurated it on 28 January 1953 in a special function held in the Parliament House. The academy's Fellowship and Award are considered very prestigious.[2]

Functions edit

 
Rabindra Bhawan, Delhi which houses the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi and Sahitya Akademi.

The academy functions as the apex body of the performing arts in the country to preserve and promote the vast cultural heritage of India expressed in music, dance and drama. It also works with governments and art academies in states and territories of the country.

SNA established several institutions over the years:

Centers:[4]

In addition, the Akademi

  • Subsidizes the work of institutions engaged in teaching, performing or promoting music, dance, or theatre
  • Gives grants to aid research, documentation and publishing in the performing arts
  • Organises and subsidises seminars and conferences of subject specialists
  • Documents and records the performing arts for its audio-visual archive
  • Renders advice and assistance to the government of India in the task of formulating and implementing policies and programmes in the field
  • Carries a part of the responsibilities of the state for fostering cultural contacts between regions in the country, as well as between India and the world
  • Organises its annual festival of music, dance and theatre in NCT Delhi.[5]

Facilities edit

The academy is an important source of information and offers the following facilities.

Audio–visual archive edit

The academy's audio-visual archive has several audio/video tapes, photographs and films. It is the largest archive of its kind in the country and is extensively drawn upon for research on the performing arts of India.

Library edit

The academy maintains a reference library consisting of about 22,000 books.

Books on several subjects including Dance, Drama, Music, Theatre, Sociology, Folklore, Tribal Studies, Indian History and Culture, Indian Art, Religion and Epics, Mythology, Anthropology and Reference works such as Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Yearbooks, Bibliographies, Indexes and Newspaper clippings about Academy Awards and eminent artistes in the field of performing arts, can be found here.

Gallery of musical instruments edit

The academy has a museum-cum-gallery of musical instruments in Bhapang vadan, New Delhi. There are more than 200 musical instruments on display here.

Documentation unit edit

It has a documentation unit that collects and records works of masters in the field of music, dance and theatre on audio and video to help researchers. The academy produces several in-house publications.

Awards and fellowships edit

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award edit

The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is the highest national recognition given to practicing artists, gurus and scholars. It carries a purse money of Rs. 1,00,000/-,[6] a shawl, and a tamrapatra (a brass plaque). The number of awards given annually is 33 at present and, till date, over 1000 artists have been honoured.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya edit

Each year the Academy awards Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships, Ratna Sadsya, to distinguished individuals for their contribution to the field of arts, music, dance and theatre. The first Fellow of the Akademi was elected in 1954, and till date, the Akademi has honoured 123 eminent personalities as Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna).

Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar edit

Instituted in 2006, in memory of Ustad Bismillah Khan, this award is given to young artists (under 40 years of age) for their talent in the fields of music, dance and drama.[7]

Tagore Ratna and Tagore Puraskar edit

On the occasion of the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna and Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Puraskar were conferred. These awards were given at events in Kolkata – Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Samman on 25 April 2012[8] and in Chennai Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Samman on 2 May 2012.[9]

Kala Deeksha Initiative edit

Sangeet Natak Akademi has started Kala Deeksha Initiative which is carrying on Guru Shishya Parampara. It was launched by Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER, Shri G. Kishan Reddy.[10]

Indian classical dances edit

The Sangeet Natak Akademi confers awards on nine[11] Indian classical dance forms:

  1. Bharatanatyam: originating in Tamil Nadu
  2. Kathak: originating in Northern India
  3. Kathakali: originating in Kerala
  4. Kuchipudi: originating in Andhra Pradesh
  5. Manipuri: originating in Manipur
  6. Mohiniaattam: originating in Kerala
  7. Odissi: originating in Odisha
  8. Sattriya: originating in Assam
  9. Chhau: originating in Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Sangeet Natak Akademi's Parent Organisation". Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Sangeet Natak Akademi". sangeetnatak.gov.in. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Institutions of the Sangeet Natak Akademi". SNA. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Centres of the Akademi". SNA. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  5. ^ Chakraborty, Shruti (15 July 2009). "Centre stage". mint. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna and Akademi Puraskar". Archived from the original on 3 January 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar". Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  8. ^ "COMMEMORATION OF THE 150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE (1861–1941) - Kolkata". Wayback Machine. 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  9. ^ "COMMEMORATION OF THE 150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE - Chennai". Wayback Machine. 2 May 2012. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Government Committed for Preservation and Promotion of India's Vast Intangible Valuable Cultural Heritage: Shri G Kishan Reddy". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Guidelines For SNA Fellowship (Ratna) & Award (Puraskar)".

External links edit

  • The official website of the Sangeet Natak Akademi
  • List of Awardees – Sangeet Natak Akademi
  • 'An agenda for the arts', Frontline magazine (The Hindu), 15–28 February 2003[usurped], article on 50th anniversary
  • Data Bank on Traditional/Folk performances
  • Current events page on the website (slightly outdated)
  • The Academy's Official List of Award winners
  • Carnatic India: a portal on Indian classical fine arts
  • Akdemi Music