Avadhānaī Śikṣā Workshop

1st to 5th July 2024 (Offline)

The Avadhānī Śikṣā workshop was organised from 1st to 5th July 2024 at Ritaṃbharā Retreat, Bengaluru. It was a fully residential workshop organised by the Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chanakya University, headed by Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy. The intention of the workshop was to encourage and nurture individuals having a flair for the art of avadhānam. 13 Participants were selected out of over 80 applicants from across India. The resource persons for the workshop included renowned scholars like Śatāvadhānī Dr. R. Ganesh, Śri Shashi Kiran B.N., Dr. Shankar Rajaram and Dr. Ramakrishna Pejathaya. Saṃskṛtam was the medium of instruction for most part of the workshop. In the welcome address, Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy spoke on what the workshop aimed to bring about, followed by a discourse on avadhāna kalā by Śatāvadhānī Dr. R. Ganesh. The sessions were oriented around the themes of Citrakāvya, Samasyā-pūraṇaṃ, various Chhandas and the aesthetics of poetry along with deep discussions on creativity and critical thinking in language. The participants were encouraged to compose original verses and had an opportunity to present them to the experts and receive critical feedback. Evening Bhajan sessions provided the much-needed refreshment after the rigorous hours of thinking and composing. The participants’ feedback was encouraging and reflected their gratitude for the opportunity to closely interact with the experts in the field and gain tremendous insights in the art form.