Kalakshetra Foundation
கலாக்ஷேத்ரா
India's most renowned academy for Bharatanatyam dance and Carnatic music, with a leafy campus open to visitors and dance dramas staged during festival season.
Kalakshetra was founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale to revive Bharatanatyam and other classical arts. Near Besant Nagar, the campus keeps the feel of a traditional gurukul, with open-air classrooms beneath banyan trees. On weekdays, visitors can tour the grounds, the handloom weaving center and the craft exhibitions during designated hours. Dance dramas are staged during the Margazhi music season in December and January and during the academy's festivals. Tickets must be booked in advance.
Opening hours
Visits approx. 08:30–11:30; closed Sundays (check official website)
Nearby sights
- Ashtalakshmi Temple
- Elliot's Beach (Besant Nagar)
- Theosophical Society Adyar
- Guindy National Park
- Kapaleeshwarar Temple
- San Thome Basilica
- Vivekanandar Illam (Ice House)
- Parthasarathy Temple