Nrityagram Dance Village

Nrityagram Dance Village is a residential classical dance gurukul located at Hesaraghatta, about 30 km northwest of Bengaluru in Karnataka. Founded in 1990 by Odissi dancer Protima Gauri (Protima Bedi), it was conceived as India's first modern gurukul for Indian classical dance. Designed by architect Gerard da Cunha, the village features earthy, vernacular buildings set amid farmland and is dedicated to the intensive training and preservation of Odissi and other classical dance forms.

Visitors can expect a quiet, rural gurukul campus set amid farmland and open fields near Hesaraghatta Lake. The village consists of low, red-brick vernacular structures designed by Gerard da Cunha, including residential cottages, dance studios, a temple dedicated to dance, library and community spaces. It is a working residential school, not a conventional tourist site, so visits are by prior appointment only and may include observing rehearsals, interacting with students and teachers, and learning about the gurukul system and Odissi dance practice.

Founded in 1990 by Protima Gauri, formerly Protima Bedi, a noted Odissi dancer, Nrityagram was established as India's first modern gurukul for classical dance. Created on 10 acres of land near Hesaraghatta, it revived the traditional guru-shishya parampara in a contemporary residential setting. The campus was designed by architect Gerard da Cunha using vernacular, sustainable techniques.

Nrityagram is dedicated to the preservation, practice and propagation of Indian classical dance, especially Odissi, along with Mohiniyattam, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Chhau. It functions as a residential ensemble where dancers train intensively under gurus, and its dance ensemble has performed nationally and internationally, contributing to the continuity of classical dance traditions.