About Kalai Kaviri

     This premier institution Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India, hails from her parent institution Kalai Kaviri, and is the culmination of the vision and dream of her Founder Rev. Msg. S. M. George, a visionary and pioneer in promoting fine arts, realizing academic excellence for Indian traditional Gurukula art forms to the level of Ph.D. Programme. This is a matchless march in the Indian cultural promotion.

Upholding the cultural cause, with the able guidance of Rev. Fr. S. Louis Britto, the Secretary & Director, with the academic and professional expertise of Dr P. Natarajan, the Principal coupled with the talents and hard work of the faculty and the administrative staff as well as the feats of the students, the college renders laudable service. Nationally accredited with ‘A’ Grade by NAAC, the College is dedicated, to promote, popularize and perpetuate the Indian traditional Gurukula art forms of Bharathanatyam and South Indian Classical Music in their pristine purity ; To bring these prestigious art forms of the rich and the elite, to the access of the less-privileged and the backward communities ; To utilize the communicative potential of Dance and Music to convey human and social development values to elevate the attitudes of the people through research-oriented performances.

     Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, originally affiliated to Bharathidasan University, transitioned its affiliation to The Tamilnadu Dr. J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University on November 14, 2013, in accordance with Section 1(3) of the Tamil Nadu Dr. J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University Act 2013. This transition, approved by the Government of Tamilnadu, marks Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts as the first college of its kind in the southern region of India. Recognized as the “Best Cultural Institution in Tamilnadu for the year 2000,” the Government of Tamilnadu elevated its status to that of a Government Aided College, despite a 23-year policy, demonstrating its commitment to fostering cultural education.

     The College offers Bachelor’s Degree, Integrated Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree Courses in Bharathanatyam (Dance) and South Indian Classical Music (Vocal and Instrumental). M.Phil. and Ph.D. Programmes in Dance and Music.

     Our students come from all over Tamil Nadu, from the States of Puducherry, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Andaman Islands, and from countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Mauritius. There are Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, priests, religious nuns, etc. among the students.

     The College give priority to the students coming from the socially, economically backward communities and from the rural background. The College serves the younger generation with a mission spirit giving the talented and deserving students among these categories, free board and lodging and make concession in hostel fees to many students. The physically handicapped students undergoing Degree courses in these Fine arts, are supported financially by the college.

     ‘Arangetrams’ are a specialty made part of the curriculum for our students. Every student is given the opportunity to perform ‘Arangetram’ which is the qualifying stage performance of a student completing her/his degree course, in which they prove their talents in what they have learnt in their degree courses.

     An Audio Recording Studio with Digital Recording facility and a Video Studio with Canopus DV Storm XA’ Plus Digital Video Editing facility, compliment curricular activities and help to achieve a blend of Art and Technology in the promotion of Fine Arts. Students perform for video-lessons for the Off-campus Degree Programme. They also gain experience in operating Audio / Video equipments for Dance & Music Programmes. They are exposed to Audio / Video recording and editing process in Dance & Music.

     Utilizing the innovative nature of our traditional arts of dance and music, Kalai Kaviri develops her expertise in Research with creative skill and produces Audio and Video presentations of Dance and Music.

     The college has an Archive with records of 33 years of Kalai Kaviri’s activities, Bharathanatyam Jewellery, Musical Instruments, etc. Musical Instruments Bank, Book Bank, Costumes & Jewellery Bank and Question Bank are maintained for the benefit of the students.

     Intercollegiate and Interschool Cultural Competitions and Festivals are conducted in Dance and Music to encourage local talents.

     In order to enrich the knowledge and talents of the students, various Workshops on Dance, Music, Yoga, Dance therapy; Concerts, Lecture-demonstrations by professionals; Special coaching by Visiting Faculty, are conducted in Dance and Music. Students are given opportunities for Music Composing and Dance Choreography. Exceptionally talented students become the main Dancers & Musicians of the Troupes of the college and also become Teachers for the Part-Time evening courses for Dance and Music. Our students bring credit to the college competing and winning in various competitions.

     Our graduated students are now teaching these classical arts in schools, colleges or running their own schools in different parts of Tamilnadu, different states of India and even abroad. The psychological, moral and social up-lift given to them is for the rest of their lives. Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, thus empowers the womenfolk to create a solid future for themselves challenging the obstacles in the society.

     The Alumni Association bears witness to the college’s mission of promoting the fine arts and empowering the artistes with a status economically and socially.

Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts helps to build up the cultural mission in the other regions. Dance teachers graduated from Kalai Kaviri have initiated training in Bharathanatyam in the different regions – in ‘Nav Sadhana Kala Kendra’ of Varanasi (U.P.) to benefit the Northern region of India. Initiation of such cultural efforts, is being done by our teachers in ‘Sandhesha’ in Mangalore and NBCLC in Bangalore of Karnataka State and in Eluru of Andhra Pradesh and many other places in India and abroad.

With a unique mission, the Dance Troupe of Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts fosters and promotes the cultural arts of Indian heritage through dance programmes, reaching out to the people as Ambassadors of Love, Messengers of Peace and Courier of Culture. Started in 1978, the Dance programme is an extravaganza of various Indian classical and folk dances, communicating spiritual, social-awareness, patriotic, human and Gospel values, in the five major Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi. The Dance Troupe is nationally and internationally accepted, availed and appreciated and has given nearly 1620 performances in India and abroad. Our students of Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts are the main dancers of this Troupe. Accepting invitations, the Dance Troupe had made 13 international tours, performing in Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, Mauritius, La Reunion, Canada and England.

Kalai Kaviri honours highly dedicated and deserving artistes from Tamilnadu in the fields of Music, Dance, Drama, Literature and other arts, with “Kalai Kaviri Awards”.

The historical work of publishing the Tamil Epic “Yesu Kaviam” on the life of Christ written in the popular, traditional, yet simple poetic style of Tamil literature by Poet Laureate Kannadhasan, in 1982, has drawn the attention of the entire Tamil speaking world admiring Kalai Kaviri for this monumental contribution to Tamil literature (6 Editions with more than 3,00,000 copies).

“Nattuppura Isaiyil Namma Yesaiah” (The life of Christ in 114 Folk Dance Songs) in audio series, is a venture to give recognition and social status to the Folk arts. These are a variety of folk dance songs belonging to the different states of the country, like, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, North India, etc.

Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts endeavours to utilize the available resources and talents in the field of Fine Arts for Research and Specialization. With dedication and zeal, we go ahead in our mission of cultural promotion.

As always believed by our founder and sculptor of Kalai Kaviri, the Late Rev. Msgr. S.M. George, the “Best is Yet to Come”. With his spiritual guidance, Kalai Kaviri will proceed diligently with deep commitment, in the path he paved for promoting the Indian Fine Art Forms.