The Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable Trust was founded in the year 1996 by the late Smt. Indira Garyali with a view to promote Education, Indian Culture and Heritage and to facilitate charitable assistance for the aged, poor and destitute of India.
Over the years, the trust has conducted many activities under it’s core objectives and has grown from strength to strength to be recognized in India and abroad for affordable education, promotion of vedic heritage, Indian classical dance and music and charitable assistance and endowments.
The trust conducts the Vasant Utsav festival of Dance every year to promote Vedic culture and Indian classical dance and music. The trust also conducts many charitable activities as providing donations for scholarships, aged care facilities, mental health of the poor and needy as well to orphanages, girl child education, palliative care and for assistance of the disabled. The main charitable purpose of the trust is to help women and families take care of their children and determine their own future. The trust has collaborations with Equitas Development Initiative Trust and the Sai Jeya Trust to conduct charitable activities that help youth and families build a future for themselves.
The current trustees include Padmabhushan Sri. R. Nagaswamy, eminent archaeologist and Dr C.K. Gariyali IAS Rtd.
Vasant Utsav Festival of Dance 2019
The Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable Trust has been conducting the Vasant Utsav Festival of Dance commencing on the 1st of May each year at Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai since 2006. The festival of dance is conducted for roughly 10 days and showcases the various classical dance forms of India. Over the years the festival has showcased performance by stalwarts such as Padma Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh and Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subramaniam and has awarded world renowned performing artists and Vedic scholars for their contribution to the preservation and promotion of Indian Culture and heritage. This festival is one of the core cultural activities of the trust and is dedicated to the promotion of Vedic heritage and Indian art and Culture.
The festival is dedicated to the loving memory of the Late Smt. Indira Garyali the founder of the trust who was a great patron of arts and worked for the preservation of Indian culture and heritage.
This year will be the 16th edition of the Vasant Utsav Festival of Dance will be held from 1 to 12 May 2019 at Kapaleswarar Temple , Mylapore. Smt.Revathi Ramachandra ,Director of Kalakshetra will inaugurate the festival on 1 May and Sri. K. Mohammed Ibrahim Khaleel will be the Guest of Honour. Bharatanatyam Gurus , Smt. Revathi Ramachandra and Kalamamani Srekala Bharath; Vedic Scholars Shri Mani Dravid Sastrigal and Sri. Anantha Krishnan P and Sri Virendra Qazi ,Kashmir Saivisam scholar will be honoured during the inaugural function.
The ceremony will be followed by Kathakali recital of Sri .Prabal Gupta and Sri Kottakkal C.M.Unni. The festival will continue until 12 May featuring fantastic performances of various dance schools such as Kuchipudi Art Academy, Kathak by Devaniya, Bharatanayam by Guru Kalaimamani Srekala Bharath and disciples and Kuchipudi by Guru Kalimamani Sailaja. The full program list is provided in the attached invitation.
We would like to publicize this event as it is a free event with the sole aim to preserve and promote Indian art and culture. We look forward to your support in promoting this free festival of dance
