About
Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya is a dance college and research institution in Mumbai, founded by the eminent Mohiniyattam exponent and scholar Kanak Rele. One of India's first institutions to offer degree-level education in classical dance, and home to the Nalanda Dance Research Centre, it is dedicated to the teaching, scholarly study and codification of Indian classical dance, with a special contribution to Mohiniyattam.
Kanak Rele established Nalanda to bring academic rigour and degree education to Indian classical dance, then largely taught informally. Through the college and its research centre she pioneered dance scholarship in India and undertook landmark work reconstructing and systematising Mohiniyattam, making Nalanda a centre for both the practice and the study of classical dance.
Founding & Leadership
Fees, grants and support; a not-for-profit institution.
Leadership & Trustees
Cultural Funding
Recognition
[{"name": "A pioneer of degree education and research in classical dance", "year": "1966", "note": ""}]
Nalanda pioneered the academic study and degree education of Indian classical dance and made a foundational contribution to Mohiniyattam scholarship, shaping how the art is taught and researched.
[Atlas Perspective] Nalanda is a cultural operator, a dance college and research centre, not a funder. It is a key partner for classical-dance education, research and Mohiniyattam initiatives. Founder Kanak Rele is deceased (2023); current leadership should be web-verified and date-stamped.