Skip to main content

Admissions

Join a Class

Regular classes in vocal, mridangam and violin, at whichever of the trust’s four centres suits you best.

A Carnatic ensemble on the garlanded Narayaneeyam stage in 2013 — the vocalist at the centre with mridangam, tambura and violin — beneath the Sangeethothsavam banner.
Padmavibhushan Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna singing at Narayaneeyam in 2011, seated in yellow at the centre of his accompanists with a painting of Saraswathi behind the stage.

What is offered

Learn where the music is taught in its pure form

Veenavadini Sangeetha Vidyapeetam conducts regular classes in vocal, mridangam and violin. A student joins at whichever branch is convenient — the Narayaneeyam Music Campus at Ballapadavu, ‘Kedara’ at Perla, the Mangalore class at Bejai-Kapikad, or ‘Natya Mantapa’ at Madhur.

The focus of the Vidyapeetam is on making its students good performers and skilled artists. Alongside individual lessons, student teams are trained to present group krithis, ‘Sadhaka’ practice classes are conducted once a week to give structure to practice at home, and Nadopasana gives every student a monthly stage of their own.

Fees, class timings and start dates are not published: they differ from centre to centre and from course to course. Call the office on 04998-285344 (landline) or 09447693944 (mobile), or send the enquiry form further down this page, and the office will tell you what applies to the class you are interested in and when it next meets.

  1. Three disciplines

    Vocal, mridangam and violin, taught by the Vidyapeetam’s own gurus in the pure Carnatic tradition.

  2. Four centres, one choice

    Ballapadavu, Perla, Mangalore and Madhur — a student picks whichever branch is convenient.

  3. Open to more than beginners

    Students, music teachers and music lovers may all take part in the Ganamadhuryam and Muraleeravam camps.

See what is taught

Regular classes

Vocal, mridangam and violin

The three disciplines of the Veenavadini Sangeetha Vidyapeetam, taught week after week at the branches.

  • Vocal

    Carnatic classical vocal taught in its pure form, with the focus on turning students into good performers and skilled artists.

  • Mridangam

    The percussion of the Carnatic concert stage, taught in the lineage of Prof. Mavelikkara Velukutty Nair.

  • Violin

    Carnatic violin, taught both as a solo instrument and as accompaniment to the voice.

Send an enquiry Veda, Thanthra, Jyothishyam and Sanskrit

Where the training leads

Grade examinations and group krithis

Students of the Vidyapeetam are encouraged to sit the graded public examinations in Carnatic music conducted by the Government of Karnataka.

  • Government of Karnataka

    Junior Grade

    The first of the graded public examinations in Carnatic music; students of the Vidyapeetam are encouraged to sit it once their foundation is secure.

  • Government of Karnataka

    Senior Grade

    The intermediate grade, taken after the Junior Grade, covering a wider repertoire and greater manodharma.

  • Government of Karnataka

    Vidwath

    The highest of the graded examinations. Smt. Swarnagowri was the first student of the institution to pass the Vidwath examination conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Board.

Group krithis, trained in teams

Beyond individual lessons, student teams are trained here to present the great group krithis in ensemble — and some very rarely known krithis are taught as well.

  • Thyagaraja Pancharathna Krithis

    The Vidyapeetam has built a good team to render Thyagaraja’s Pancharathna Krithis, sung together each year at Thyagarajothsavam.

  • Navavarana Krithis

    Student teams are trained here to present the Navavarana group krithis in ensemble.

  • Navagraha Krithis

    The Navagraha group krithis are likewise prepared and presented by trained student teams.

H.H. Sri Prince Rama Varma teaching from the platform at the February 2012 Muraleeravam camp, students and parents seated on the floor of the hall before him.

Special workshops

Ganamadhuryam and Muraleeravam

Since May 2005, Ganamadhuryam music camps have been in progress, in which well-known artists such as Prof. K. Venkatramanan, Prasanna Venkatraman, Govindan Namboodiri and Shankaran Namboodiri have taught. Presently, every four months, Prof. K. Venkatramanan teaches the compositions of Tyagaraja, Muttuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri and other composers. Past camps include a Swathi Thirunal krithis workshop in May 2019 and an orientation camp by Sri O. S. Thyagarajan of Chennai in February 2015. Students, music teachers and music lovers can all participate.

Muraleeravam is conducted exclusively by H.H. Sri Prince Rama Varma, who teaches krithis that cannot be learnt anywhere else. About 27 such camps have been held by ‘Narayaneeyam’ so far and nearly 125 krithis taught, and the series has been recorded and telecast by the SVBC channel of Hyderabad.

Camp dates are announced as they are fixed, and interested music students and aspirants are asked to contact the institution. The camp enquiry asks for your academic and music qualifications, the name of your present music teacher, and which camp you wish to attend.

All programmes and camps

Four centres

Pick the branch that suits you

Classes are conducted at the Narayaneeyam Music Campus in Ballapadavu and at the Perla, Mangalore and Madhur centres, so a student can choose whichever is convenient.

Good to know

Questions before you join

Answered from what the trust has actually published. Where it publishes nothing — fees, exact timings — the answer points you to the office.

Joining & admissions

  • Anyone who wishes to learn Carnatic classical music is welcome. Veenavadini Sangeetha Vidyapeetam offers regular classes in vocal, mridangam and violin, and the focus of the Vidyapeetam is on making its students good performers and skilled artists. Students, music teachers and music lovers alike may also take part in the Ganamadhuryam and Muraleeravam workshops.

  • Classes are conducted at the Narayaneeyam Music Campus in Ballapadavu and at the Perla, Mangalore and Madhur centres, so a student can choose whichever branch is convenient. To enrol, send an enquiry through the Join a Class page or call the campus on 04998-285344 (landline) or 09447693944 (mobile), and the office will tell you when the next class at your chosen centre meets.

  • The trust does not publish a fee schedule, and fees differ from centre to centre and from course to course. Please call 04998-285344 or 09447693944, or write through the contact form, and the office will explain what applies to the class you are interested in.

  • Yes. Students of the Vidyapeetam are encouraged to attend the Junior Grade, Senior Grade and Vidwath examinations conducted by the Government of Karnataka. Smt. Swarnagowri was the first student of the institution to pass the Vidwath examination conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Board, and was felicitated for it at the 2017 Onam celebration.

  • Camp dates are announced on this site as they are fixed, and interested music students and aspirants are asked to contact the institution. The camp enquiry asks for your name, date of birth, age, gender, email, phone, address, your academic and music qualifications, the name of your present music teacher, and which camp you wish to attend — Muraleeravam or Ganamadhuryam.

Classes & teaching

  • Regular classes are held in vocal, mridangam and violin. Beyond individual lessons, student teams are trained here to present group krithis such as the Pancharatna, Navavarana and Navagraha Krithis, and some very rarely known krithis are also taught. The Vidyapeetam has built a good team to render Thyagaraja’s Pancharathna Krithis.

  • Vocal is taught by Ganapraveena Sri Yogeesha Sharma Ballapadavu and Vidushi Smt. Sandhya; mridangam by Ganapraveena Sri Yogeesha Sharma Ballapadavu; and violin by Sri Prabhakara Kunjaru and Ganabhushana Sri Jagadeesh Korekkana. Through the camps and workshops, students also learn directly from renowned visiting artists and scholars — Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna himself visited the Narayaneeyam Music Campus three times and took class for the students of Veenavadini.

  • Sadhaka classes are conducted every Saturday. They guide students to improve themselves through a proper procedure of practising the lessons they have already learnt, so that riyaz at home is structured rather than left to chance.

  • Yes. Nadopasana is the stage provided for the students of the institution to render their music concerts individually and thus build up their confidence, and it is conducted once a month. It has helped many students become good performers by improving their performing skills. Students also perform at the Vidyadashami Sangeethothsavam, at the Onam celebration and at the annual Veenavadini Sangeethothsavam.

  • The Vaidic-Thanthric Vidyapeetam was established for studies and research related to Vaidic and Thanthric vidya, with the aim of retaining, protecting and popularising the richness of the Vedas, Thanthra, Manthra, Jyothishyam and Sanskrit. Thanthra, Veda, Jyothishyam and Sanskrit are the main subjects, and classes are conducted for about 20 hours each month for interested students. The teaching faculty includes Brahmashri Mullappalli Krishnan Namboodiri (Working President, Thanthravidyapeetam Aluva), Brahmashri K. Eshanan Namboodiri, Brahmashri Krishnan Namboodiri Marthandam, Brahmashri Krishnadas, Dr. Radhakrishna Bhat of Maikana and Madhava Bhat of Bengrodi (Vaidic), Muralikrishna Perla (Sanskrit) and Ganesh Bhat (Jyothishyam).

Enquire

Ask the office about a class

Tell us which centre and which discipline interest you. Fees, timings and start dates are not published here, so the office will reply with what applies to that class.

Addresses and map

Fields marked with an asterisk are required.

Prefer to write or call? bsnussp@gmail.com 09447693944

Before you enrol

Come and listen at Narayaneeyam

Nadopasana and Rasikapriya come round each month, and the festivals fill the campus calendar — visiting a programme is the simplest way to hear what is taught here.

See what is onVisit the campus