Smitha Rajan

Smitha Rajan (born in 1969) is an Indian Mohiniyattam performer from Kerala and granddaughter of the Indian classical dancer couple of Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma. Smitha Rajan started her training in dance at her maternal grandparent's residence in Tripunithura, off Kochi. As a child, Smitha was surrounded by dance and music. Smitha's aunt, Kala Vijayan (a recipient of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam), was the first to notice talent in young Smitha. During a master class at her grandparents' institution, Kerla Kalalayam in Tripunithura, her aunt saw Smitha performing a full Cholkettu (the first item in a typical Mohiniyattam repertoire) along with the senior students. From then, Guru Kala Vijayan started training her in Bharatanatyam. Smitha did her Arangetram in Bharatanatyam at the age of 4. Her mother, Guru Sreedevi Rajan, taught Smitha her first lessons in Mohiniyattam, and Smitha performed her Arangetram in Mohiniyattam at the age of 6. She later mastered Mohiniyattam under the guidance of her grandmother.

Guru Smitha Rajan's Nrithyakshetra, Temple of Dance, will present the beautiful and graceful dance form of Mohiniyattam, a
classical dance style that originated in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Sruthi Manasa Ainapurapu
and Surya Varshita Kuchi have mastered the intricate movements and expressions of Mohiniyattam, and
their performance is a testament to the beauty and richness of Indian classical dance.

1. They will begin their performance with a Navarasanjali, setting the tone for a performance that
will likely be full of emotion, beauty, and devotion. Malayalam poet K. C. Kesava Pillai, through
his lines extols Devi Mahishasura Mardini’s divine beauty and her role as the destroyer of evil
forces, who brings happiness to her devotees and adorns the abode of Lord Shiva. The poet
concludes his tribute by paying his respect to Devi Ma by expressing his desire to always
remember and seeks her blessings to experience the different emotions or Navarasas such as
Love, Courage, Compassion, Humor, Wonder, Fear, Disgust, Anger, and finally Peace. Set to
Raagamalika

2. Keertanam: The main and final performance is a Mohiniyattam interpretation of a famous song
composed by Purandara Daasar in praise of Lord Shiva, who is the beloved of Devi Parvathi. The
song depicts Lord Shiva as the greatest devotee of Purandara Vithala, Vishnu, and is filled with
stories that describe him as the one who adorns his hair with the moon and river Ganga, holds
the bow Pinaka, and wears the skin of a tiger. “Chandrachooda Shiva Sankara Parvathy”, set to
Raagamalika and Aadi Taala