Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi

Established on May 31, 1952 by the Government of India, Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi helps to preserve the vast cultural heritage of India as well as promotes the various forms of music, dance and drama. The academy is popularly known as the National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama in English. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, inaugurated this meuseum on January 28, 1953 in a special function held in the Parliament House.

Awards are given to the deserving people in the field of drama and other cultural activities. The awards given through this academy are :

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya
• Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar

The Sangeet Natak Academy functions as headquarter of the performing arts in the India. This academy not only, but also. This academy in New Delhi establishes and maintains institutions and projects of national importance like:

• Jawaharlal Nehru Manipuri Dance Akademi, Imphal
• Kathak Kendra, Delhi
• Sattriya Kendra
• Ravindra Rangshala

Library:

Over the years the academy has housed a small but fully specialized collection of books on music, dance, and drama comprising about 20,000 volumes. The library also maintains files on personalities in the performing arts, consisting of clippings from newspapers and periodicals.

• Books 22,000 approx.
• Gramophone Records 9680
• Periodicals Over 100 Video Cassette
• 90 Back Volumes of Audio Cassette
• Periodicals Over 1200 Audio Cassette
• Commercial 1595
• Data Files Over 2000
• Audio Archival Audio Cassette 761
• Compact Discs 430
• Gifted Audio Cassette 98

Other functions of the Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi include:

• National Projects in the support of Kuttiyattam (the age-old Sanskrit theatre of Kerala)
• Gives grants to aid research, documentation and publishing in the performing arts
• Organizes and subsidizes seminars and conferences of subject specialists
• Supporting the work of institutions engaged in performing or promoting music, dance, theatre and teaching,
• Documents and records the performing arts for its audio-visual archive.
• Fostering cultural contacts between various regions within the country and oversees.
• Renders advice and assistance to the Government of India in the task of formulating and implementing policies and programs in the field.