The 41st Isai, Iyal, Nataka Vizha of Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Vani Mahal, got under way at T. Nagar on Tuesday.
The festival, which will be on till March 7, will have two concerts daily from 4 p.m. and a drama by Kathadi Ramamurthy on Saturday and Srinivasa Kalyanam, a dance programme by Sridevi Nrithyalaya.
Sabha president Deccan N. Krishnamoorthy said that this was the first programme of the Sabha after a year of lockdown. The Sabha will conduct the Namasankeerthanam festival from March 22 to 28 and Sri Ramakrishna Navami festival from April 14 to 21. He said that the Sabha was in its 75th year and its a special time for it.
K. N. Ramaswamy, Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai Kendra, in his address, said that both rasikas and artistes missed the live performances and the interactions between them. He said the Bhavan was the first to resume live programmes this year in an open ground in Kilpauk.
Prizes were distributed to vocalists and instrumentalists, who were selected during the 2019-20 Isai Vizha.