About Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra
The journey of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra began on the eve of India’s independence when its Founder, Smt. theSumitra Charat Ram, put together an all-night musical evening at her home in New Delhi. This event led to the formation of the ‘Jhankar Music Circle’, which was formalised as ‘Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra’ in 1952.
Since then, the Kendra has been staging the Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival for several decades. This is one of the oldest and most celebrated festivals in the country, which not only features distinguished maestros but also provides a platform for younger talent. India’s iconic institution completed 70 years on 17th March 2022 and is the leading torchbearer for the preservation and promotion of our country’s rich performing art traditions.
The Kendra’s Faculty of Music currently offers Vocational and Professional courses in Hindustani Vocal & Instrumental Music. The Faculty of Dance offers similar courses in Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, and Mayurbhanj Chhau styles. Over the years, the Kendra has had the privilege of having some of the most legendary masters as its faculty. This has allowed several of our alumni to become famous artists and skilled teachers.
Having produced over 60 dance-dramas, the Kendra’s dance ensemble has become renowned for its dance-dramas based on our country’s rich history, mythology, and folklore – the most iconic being ‘Shri Ram’ that was first presented in 1957, a permanent repertory. Many of the Kendra’s productions have been performed numerous times all over the country and abroad – the Kendra has a permanent In House Productions & Programs.
The Kendra maintains its campus in the heart of Delhi’s cultural hub, the Mandi House area. The premises house a teaching block, a hostel for staff and students, a cafeteria, the Jhankar Studio, and the Kendra’s theatre, the renowned Kamani Auditorium.
Our Mission
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra is solely dedicated to the highest quality of preservation and promotion of the Indian culture, delivered with creativity and innovation. The Kendra brings originality to its patrons and its viewers by conceiving one-of-a-kind dance-dramas based on Indian classical epics.
It also strives to enhance the cultural and creative diaspora through its College of Music which imparts education in Indian Classical Performing Arts. Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra offers a unique art experience to all ages and diverse national and international strata of society, which will remain in perpetuity.
Sumitra Charat Ram
Founder
Sumitraji, as she is fondly called, was born on 17th November 1914 into an illustrious family of landowners of Western UP, then known as the United Province. Her father, Raja Jwala Prasad, was a gifted individual who rose to become the first Indian Chief Engineer of UP. After early schooling in Nainital and Allahabad, Sumitraji went on to join the Banaras Hindu University under the tutelage of the best in Music and Literature, such as Rabindranath Tagore, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Jaishankar Prasad, Mahadevi Verma, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar etc.
Shobha Deepak Singh
Chairperson
Shobha Deepak Singh is a photographer, writer, classical dancer, and the Chairperson of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra. She is known for her contributions to the revival of Mayurbhanj Chhau, a tribal martial dance form from Odisha. The Government of India awarded her the fourth-highest civilian award of the Padma Shri in 1999, for her contributions to Indian Arts and Culture. Shobhaji was born on 21st October 1943 to Lala Charat Ram of DCM and Smt. Sumitra Charat Ram, the renowned arts doyenne and Padma Shri recipient.
Revival
SBKK continues to be a cultural beacon that revives Indian classical art forms and celebrates them through the wonderful mediums of Music and Dance with audiences across the globe, especially the youth.
Kathak Dance Form
Through the Kendra’s College of Indian Classical Music & Dance, SBKK has played a notable role in the revival of the Kathak dance style. In fact, the national institute for teaching Kathak – Kathak Kendra – was originally a department of SBKK until 1964. Thereafter, as a service to her country, our Founder, Smt. Sumitra Charat Ram, donated this unit to the Government of India.
