Rukmini Devi Arundale’s magnum opus of sorts, the six dance dramas that tell the Ramayana story is evergreen. And are staged every year at Kalakshetra.

They will be staged at the 72nd Annual Art Festival to be held on from December 19 to 28 at the Bharata Kalakshetra auditorium, Kalakshetra Foundation, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai

Rukmini produced the story of Ramayana, beginning with the Sita Swayamvaram, in 1954, completing it after fourteen years, with the final episode of Maha Pattabhishekam, the coronation in Ayodhya.

In the original epic, Sri Rama also returns from exile to Ayodhya after fourteen years, which is a strange coincidence.

Rukmini Devi has followed the text of the Valmiki Ramayana except in the very first episode of Sita Swayamvaram, where she has taken 31 verses from Ananda Ramayana.

Mysore Vasudevacharya composed the music for the first four episodes.

After he passed away, the last two episodes were completed by vidwan Rajaram, who had worked with his grandfather on the earlier production.

Vasudevacharya has skillfully portrayed the emotions conveyed in the verses of Valmiki through appropriate ragas, which echo the mood. He has also given musical expression to such concepts as distance, height, separation by structure, and so forth, said a note from Kalakshetra.

Rehearsals have been going on in the campus since September, with faculty members and senior dance students involved.

Over the years, the original costumes that Rukmini carefully created and preserved have been used and the worn out ones are replaced the way they were first produced.

These celebrated productions will be presented alongside performances by other eminent artists.

Details of the fest and ticket booking info is at – https://kalakshetra.in/