While audiences come out and attend programmes this Margazhi, it is important to be careful and follow COVID-19 protocols, said Preetha Reddy, executive vice-chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, on Thursday.
“Be careful and enjoy yourself since it is a great way to be happy and healthy,” she said while inaugurating Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Naatya Utsav 2021.
While thanking the performing artistes and the rasikas, she said that between March 2020 and November 2021 most aspects, which had been taken for granted, just disappeared. Normalcy just became a luxury and routine had become completely dry and parched of celebrations. However, now that over one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered, there was a sense that things were getting better. “While we have to be cautious and follow protocols, there is certainly a lot more optimism,” she said.
Bharathanatyam dancer and guru Padma Subrahmanyam said Bhavan was an institution of international repute. She thanked Ms. Reddy and vice-chairman of Bhavan’s Chennai Kendra Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti for their contribution to the development of arts.
Ms. Subrahmanyam urged the government to reduce GST on auditorium rents. “I appeal to the government to help in this regard so that the culture of this country is protected,” she said.
Bhavan’s Chennai Kendra chairman N. Ravi said that during the just concluded 21-day-long music festival in which 200 artistes participated, around 15,000 people viewed the programmes online. He said that during the 11-day-long Naatya Utsav, 250 artistes, both young and established and accompanists, would present individual and group performances. He said the Bhavan was happy to provide top class cultural fare to audiences and a stage to artistes.
Mr. Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti and Director of Bhavan’s Chennai Kendra K.N. Ramaswamy addressed the gathering.
While daily programmes are streamed on www.bhavanchennai.org , audiences can watch them live at the Bhavan’s auditorium.
