BVK Sastry Memorial annual symposium will be held on Sunday at the Gayana Samaja Auditorium. Artists and art lovers will always remember and respect BVK, as a veteran critic. For several decades he contributed reviews on music, dance and painting in both Deccan Herald and Prajavani. Of course, BVK Sastry was not only a reputed critic but also a veteran scholar and author of few books. In fact he was known as a ‘walking encyclopedia’ of fine arts!

A felicitation volume called ‘Muralivani’ was presented to him in 1999 which was sponsored by Ramasudha Charitable Trust. The book contains 127 articles of BVK on music, dance and allied subjects. On that occasion an endowment was instituted and the ‘BVK Sastry Memorial Committee’ came in to existence.

A variety of dance
Under the aegis of this committee a seminar/symposium is held every year, alternatively on music, dance and painting.

This year it is the turn of dance and a very interesting subject has been chosen for the symposium. ‘Navarasa in Indian Classical Dance’ (the nine sentiments) will be demonstrated in different forms by seven senior and highly talented artists. Manju Bhargavi (in Kuchupudi), Usha Datar (Kathakali), Anuradha and Sridar (Bharathanatyam), Surupa Sen (Odissi) and Nandini and Murali (Kathak) will bring out the salient features in their respective styles.
Keynote address will be delivered by S N Chandrasekhar, senior critic. Indeed, it is a good opportunity for the young artists and connoisseurs, for aesthetic perception.

Collaboration
J W Lobo, director ICCR, will preside over the inaugural function and V N Subba Rao (chairman, Media Academy), G N Ranganatha Rao (senior journalist) and Dr A H Rama Rao (chairman, National Education Society) will speak on the life and works of BVK Sastry.

The programme will be held in collaboration with the Gayana Samaja, Ganakala Parishat, Shanthala Arts Academy and Nritya Kala Parishat at the Gayana Samaja Auditorium, KR Road, at 10 am.