Alekhya Punjla

🪔 About

Alekhya Punjala is a highly acclaimed Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher from Telangana, renowned for her expertise in both Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam. Born on April 9, 1962, in Hyderabad, her journey in dance began at the tender age of four under the tutelage of Dayal Sharan. She further honed her skills in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam under the esteemed Dr. Uma Rama Rao and received intensive training in abhinaya (expressive acting) from Guru Pasumarthy Krishnamurthy. [1, 2, 4] Punjala holds a rich academic background, with a bachelor's degree in English literature, psychology, and philosophy, a master's degree in dance (Bharatanatyam) from Osmania University, and another master's degree in ancient Indian history, culture, and archaeology. She earned her PhD for her seminal research on "Kshetrayya Padams and their importance in Abhinaya in Kuchipudi Dance." [1, 2, 4, 6] Her academic career saw her serve as Professor and Head of the Department of Dance at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, where she also made history as the university's first woman registrar. [1, 2, 4] She later took voluntary retirement to dedicate herself fully to performing and teaching. [1] As a performer, Punjala is celebrated for her mastery of Satvika Abhinaya and her captivating portrayals of mythological heroines in solo and ballet forms. [2, 3, 5] Her innovative choreographies include ballets based on compositions by Annamacharya, Kshetrayya, Thyagaraja, Sreenadha, and Narayana Teertha, and she has explored themes like 'Bhakti Movement in Dance'. [3] She has graced prestigious national festivals such as Khajuraho, Konark, Haridas Samaroh, and Chidambaram, and has performed internationally across the USA, Germany, Mauritius, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, often under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). [2, 3] She is a top-ranked artist of Doordarshan and a panel member of the ICCR. [1] Punjala is also a dedicated educator, having founded her dance institution, Trishna, to train young dancers. [1, 3, 4, 6] In 2024, she was appointed as the chairperson of the Telangana Sangeetha Nataka Academy. [1, 2] Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2011), Ugadi Vishishtha Award (2002), Hamsa Award (2002), Prathiba Rajiv Puraskar (2009), Abhinaya Tapasvini, Padma Shri.