A month into the new year, we present an exciting evening as part of the Yati gati series with Karuna Sagari - மன வெளி - Mana veli - The mind’s expanse. The mind is often compared to a monkey as it oscillates between the past and the future. Despite its tendency to brood, distract and doubt, the mind is vast like the skies. The ability of the mind to imagine and manifest, to love and endure, and to reflect and revitalize makes human beings human.

Karuna Sagari will present an evening of Bharatanatyam featuring sacred and secular literature from the tevaram and the Sangam anthologies.

About Yati Gati

‘Yati Gati’ is a performance series curated by Temple of Fine Arts and Atta Galatta. In line with its core intent of ‘staging the dialogue between the artist and the audience’, the evening will host a moderated interaction between the artist and audience about the art form and the thought process behind the work performed.

About Karuna Sagari

Karuna Sagari Venkatachalam is a classical Bharatanatyam dancer who endeavors to create a lingering emotional experience rather than a fleeting aesthetic performance. Initially trained by her mother, Dr. Neela Venkatachalam, Karuna is a Kalakshetra Alumna who previously trained under Sheejith Krishna for a decade. She is currently under the mentorship of senior dancer- choreographer, Malavika Sarukkai. She holds a Masters Degree in Tamil from Annamalai University and a Masters Degree in South Asian Studies, Heidelberg University, Germany.

The inheritor of a rich oral legacy in Tamil poetry and music, Karuna Sagari received in-depth instruction from her grandmother, Late. Smt. Swarna Somasundaram, an esteemed scholar of classical and medieval Tamil literature. She is an ICCR empanelled artist and the founder of Bhakti Natya Niketan (BNN) at Coimbatore. Karuna has performed widely in ensemble and solo productions at prestigious venues in India and abroad.