Every year, during the month of May, a village not too far from the Chola heartland of Thanjavur lights up with much pomp and grandeur. Narasimha Jayanthi, a Hindu festival that is celebrated in the month of Vaisakha holds great significance for the village and hence a grand fortnight-long Nritya-Nataka Utsavam is organised. In the truest sense Melattur is an art village because it has produced some of the most outstanding artistes, composers and personalities, who have made unparalleled contributions to art.
Even today, the plays composed by the eminent playwright Melattur Venkatarama Sastri are enacted to honour the great artistic legacy of this village. The unparalleled and heartwarming hospitality that is offered by villages to their guests needs no elaboration. Members of every household guide visitors to the Varadaraja Temple where a stage is put up on the street, facing the deity.
Sustaining a tradition like Bhagavata Mela is a monumental task and the festival thrives even today due to the efforts of several artistes and art lovers. The family of the renowned dance guru and Bhagavata Mela exponent Melattur S. Natarajan continues to organise the Utsavam even after his passing.
Natarajan’s brother Kumar took over the baton and has taken several steps to ensure a larger audience attends and, most importantly, appreciates the worth of the tradition. The entire fest is livestreamed for the benefit of global audiences. In addition to this, Kumar has released several videos.