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The Smriti Festival is a heartfelt tribute to the late Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj, conceptualized and curated by his senior disciple Neha Banerjee, Artistic Director of Kathak Darpan Institute. The festival is a living homage to Maharajji’s timeless legacy — not just in Kathak, but in his deep reverence for all forms of Indian classical art.
“Smriti” — meaning memory — is more than a commemorative event. It is a celebration of art in its totality, embodying the very essence of Pt. Birju Maharajji, who believed in honoring every classical form. From Kathak to Bharatanatyam, from Odissi to Kathakali, Smriti embraces the diversity of India’s rich cultural heritage — much like Maharajji himself.
Smriti isn’t confined to Kathak alone — and that is its greatest strength. It celebrates every Indian classical art form, honoring the spirit of Maharajji who himself was a poet, singer, painter and percussionist — an artist of holistic vision.
Each edition of Smriti brings together senior maestros and young aspirants, movement and melody, legacy and innovation — reflecting a truly inclusive tribute.
This year, Smriti 2025, the third edition of the Smriti Festival is scheduled from August 15 to August 17 at the Rukmini Arangam, Kalakshetra, Chennai. As part of the inauguration, the Kathak Darpan team, trained by Kathak Artiste & Curator of the Smriti Festival, Neha Banerjee, performs a tribute to the legend Late Padma Vibhushan Pt Birju Maharaj ji. This will be followed by the conferring of the awards Padmabhushan Pt Birju Maharaj Smriti Award to Late Ustad Zakir Hussain & The Dhanajayans. The Pt Birju Maharaj Yuva Puraskar Award will be conferred on Kathak artiste, Shanky Singh.
The three-day festival will witness performances by renowned Percussionist & Composer, Taufiq Qureshi, Kathak artistes Padmashri Shovana Narayan and Guru Saswati Sen, a Kuchipudi group presentation by the Kuchipudi Art Academy, Natya Katha by Padma Vibhushan Dr Sonal Mansingh, a performance by the recipient of the Pt Birju Maharaj Yuva Puraskar award, Shanky Singh and a Mohiniattam performance by Gopika Varma.
“Smriti is not just a festival, it’s an emotion. A living memory of Maharajji’s love for art in all its forms. He never saw boundaries in tradition — he celebrated everything. That’s what Smriti is — a celebration of that vast, generous spirit” - Neha Banerjee, Artistic Director of Kathak Darpan, Chennai.
