Our Faculty and Consultant Scholars
Our Truly Erudite, Amazing People…
Our faculty and affiliated scholars are renowned for their dedication, value-based scholarship, and extraordinary insights into their respective domains of knowledge.
We are proud to present them to you:
Faculty
Dr. R. S. Nandakumar
Dr. R. S. Nandakumar is a natural musician and the son and disciple of Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. R. Sathyanarayana, an internationally acclaimed scholar and musicologist.
Nandakumar’s music is distinguished by its unique features: a rich, rangy, and supple voice, self-engineered through years of practice; an extensive and diverse repertoire; and a pioneering approach to reviving the ancient, beautiful song traditions of Indian music—some dating back over a thousand years. He presents these timeless treasures in contemporary settings, appealing to modern audiences.
He was the first artist to perform the Tirupati Tirumala Shilalekha Suladis during its Lokarpana, following the publication of the now-renowned Tirupati Tirumala Inscriptions by TTD.
His contributions include work for UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage projects in Karnataka. His doctoral thesis, The Musical Works and Life of Sripadaraja, which traces the historical evolution of Karnataka Music, earned him the D.Litt from Kannada University, Hampi.
A widely traveled performer, Nandakumar has toured Europe, South Asia, and America, and is a familiar name on several television and radio platforms. He has performed on prestigious cultural stages across Karnataka, India, and abroad.
A musicologist and performing artist of international repute, Dr. Nandakumar was honored with the title ‘Karnataka Kala Sri’ by the Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy, recognizing his lifelong dedication to Karnataka Music.
Faculty
Dr. Radhika Nandakumar
Dr. Radhika Nandakumar is among the contemporary pioneers of the celebrated Mysore School of Bharatanatyam. Her dance style is a synthesis of spatial precision and melodic depth—striving toward aesthetic divinity through classical form.
Drawing deeply from Art Historiography, her research has refined and matured the Mysore tradition, imbuing it with profound artistic and intellectual clarity. A gifted danseuse with a distinct individual style, Radhika has created innovative expressions rooted in contemporary life, while firmly grounded in the traditional shastraic and gurukula systems of learning.
Her work establishes a dynamic balance between textual tradition and embodied knowledge. Through careful restoration and faithful reinterpretation of classical texts, she has given Bharatanatyam new life—borrowing from the past to speak meaningfully to the present and the future.
Her choreographies are known for being authentic, vibrant, and deeply evocative.
Consultant
Sri Vijay Sarathy
Sri Vijay Sarathy is a remarkable scholar and spiritual practitioner. Adept in Yoga and an initiated Śrīvidyā sādhaka, he has been blessed by his guru, Sri Sathyanandanatha, to walk the path of liberation as guided by the Śākta doctrine.
A highly articulate intellectual, Vijay speaks with clarity and depth on subjects related to Yoga, Śrīvidyā, and dharmic living. He is also a cultural influencer, inspiring many through his lifestyle rooted in the values and practices of the Sanātana Dharma.
His presence in the institution adds a deeply spiritual and philosophical dimension to the pursuit of knowledge and self-realization.
