Tucked away in a quaint in the tiny, dreamy village of Mayannur in Kerala, where the pulse of traditional India art echoes, lies Thattakam, a dream project of Maya and Vinayan, the dancer couple who have also established the Triveni Academy of Natya in Chennai. Thattakam grew out of their desire to transform their ancestral land in Mayannur into a cultural centre in honour of Maya’s parents who were ardent art lovers and instrumental in honing her interest in Indian classical dance.

Since its inception, Thattakam has hosted Dakshina Mukuram—a series of residential camps exploring various facets of performing arts. The seventh in the series, held between the 20-22 May 2025 played host to senior dance gurus Shanta and Dhananjayan. They were accompanied by their son, C.P. Satyajit, and Anupama Satyajit.

The three-day workshop was themed Abhinayangikam, focussing on effective use of abhinaya through body language (angika), words/sounds (vachika), costume/decor (aharya), and the inner emotions (sattvika). There were participants from Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Pune, and Kerala.

Each day began in the quiet of dawn, as students gathered in the rustic dance hall of Thattakam, open to the rustle of trees, the wind, and the morning chirps of the birds. The workshop was inaugurated amidst Mangala vaadyam led by Kottakkal Ravi, in the presence of Shankaran Kutty Maaraar and other dignitaries. 

Day one was devoted to angika abhinaya—the communication through posture, gesture, and movement. While Satyajit and the Dhananjayans shared their knowledge and exercises on the topic, Anupama Satyajit led sessions on ‘Yoga for dancers’. Through inimitable stories and experiences, they took the participants through their journey of mindful attention to their adavus, body language, and choreographies for effective abhinaya.  They were guided into paying attention to the spaces between sounds and energies and patterns created by movements. The day ended with a photo walk in the wild with Satyajit.

Day two started with a yoga session and then explored mukhaja abhinaya. The participants journeyed through the discovery of facial muscles and intensities of expressions. The day ended with a visit to an ancient temple.

On day three was a wrap. Experienced as well as young dancers shed their inhibitions and embraced their learnings and experienced abhinaya. The highlight of the day was the Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, and Kathak performances by the participants and Maya Vinayan, as an offering to the Dhanajayans in front of all well-wishers of Thattakam. The performances were skillfully supported by Girish Mohan on vocals, Vidya Gireesh on Veena, Sudaman on mridangam, and Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan (retired principal of the Kerala Kalamandalam who joined the team impromptu!) on Chenda. And, to the surprise of all present, Shanta Dhanajayans performed the Astapadi Priye Charusheele, for the audience. 

As the camp drew to a close, there was no grand stage or elaborate showcase. Instead, there was a deep, collective sense of calm- an acknowledgment of having touched something sacred. Dakshina Mukuram had lived up to its name—a reverent offering, a southward gaze, a return to roots.