Maharajah's Government College of Music and Dance

Government college specialising in Kuchipudi dance and Carnatic music, founded by the royal family

The Maharajah's Government College of Music and Dance is a state-run institution in Vizianagaram specialising in Kuchipudi classical dance and Carnatic classical music — two of South India's most demanding performing arts traditions. The college traces its origins to the patronage of the Vizianagaram royal family, who maintained court musicians and dancers and eventually formalised their support into an institution.

Performances by college students and teachers are occasionally open to the public; ask locally about schedules. Even if no performance is on, the campus itself and its connection to the history of Indian classical arts makes it worth knowing about. Vizianagaram's identity as a town is partly bound up with this tradition — a fact not obvious from the outside.

things to do sight museum
A story
Kuchipudi — the classical dance form originating in Andhra Pradesh — was historically a tradition performed exclusively by Brahmin men from the village of Kuchipudi, who would travel through the region performing devotional plays. The Vizianagaram royal family were among the most significant patrons of the form in the 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing performers to court and funding the training of dancers at a time when the art form was in danger of dying out. The college they established continues that tradition today, with students from across the state training in both classical dance and Carnatic music performance.