Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir Lineage
The Rajarajeshwari Gurus have a lineage of ancestors dating back to more than two centuries.
Sri Venkatakrishna Nattuvanar was patronized by the Maratha Serfoji II of Thanjavur in early 1800. The second generation of Sri Veeraswamy Nattuvanar and his sister Chinnaappa Ammal were followed by the renowned Sri Panchapakesa Nattuvanar who was the Samasthana Vidwan of Thanjavur and Ramanathapuram courts.
Rajarajeshwari Kala Mandir was established in Bombay (Mumbai) by Guru Sri A. T. Govindraj Pillai in the year 1945. He was assisted by his wife Smt. Karunambal.
Bharata Vidwan Sri T.P. Kuppiah Pillai, son of Sri Panchapakesa Nattuvanar and father-in-law of Sri Govindaraja Pillai, joined Kala Mandir and was the prime architect of the school.
Rajarajeshwari, in course of time grew into be the Premier establishment assisted by Guru Govindraj Pillai’s sons Guru T.K. Mahalingam Pillai and Guru K. Kalyanasundaram Pillai.
Guru Vishal Ramani was initiated into dance by the senior Guru Kuppiah Pillai. She was a disciple of Guru Govindaraj Pillai and Guru Mahalingam Pillai as well as Smt. Karunambal of Sri Raja Rajeshwari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir.
Vishal started the first Bharatanatyam Dance School Raag Tarang in San Francisco Bay area in 1979. The school then re-emerged as Shri Krupa Dance Foundation in 1992. Guru Vishal has trained over 1500 students and graduated 120 students. Many have performed recitals all over the world. Today Shri Krupa has over 200 students learning Bharatanatyam and is graduating over 10 students every year.
