Rattayya Sarma

🪔 About

Pasumarthy Rattayya Sarma, also known as Rathiah Sarma, is a distinguished figure in the Indian classical dance form of Kuchipudi, particularly renowned for his contributions to Kuchipudi Yakshagana. Born in 1940 in Kuchipudi village, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, to Pasumarthi Viswanatham and Balatripura Sundari, he began his formal education with Sanskrit at the age of seven. His initial training in Kuchipudi Yakshagana dance was under his father, Pasumarthi Viswanatham. He further honed his craft through a twelve-year Gurukula training under eminent masters including his uncle Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma, Vedantam Parvatisam, Chinta Krishna Murthy, and Vedantam Prahlada Sarma. Sarma has enjoyed a distinguished career as a Kuchipudi artist, performing in over two thousand shows across India and internationally. He is particularly noted for his excellence in *Stree Vesham* (female roles), such as Leelavathi in *Bhakta Prahlada*, Usha, Sasirekha, Parvati, Devadevi, and Mohini. He has also portrayed significant male characters including Hiranyakasipa, Banasura, Aniruddha, Siva, Sri Rama, Srinivasa, Prahlada, Narasimha Murthi, Lava and Kusa, Narada, and Sreekrishna. His repertoire includes performances in various dance ballets like *Bhamakalapam*, *Mohini*, *Rukmangada*, *Usha Parinayam*, *Sasirekha Parinayam*, and *Ramanatakam*. As a dedicated teacher and guru, Pasumarthy Rattayya Sarma has served as a dance teacher at the Kuchipudi Kalakshetra in Kuchipudi since 1969, where he currently holds the position of Principal. He has also taught at the Siddhendrayogi Kuchipudi Kalapeetham in Kuchipudi and served as a Visiting Professor at Potti Shriramulu Telugu University. He has choreographed several productions, including “Prahlada Vijaya Yakshagana,” “Girija Kalyanam,” “Ardhanariswara,” “Ksheerasagara Mathanam,” and “Bhamakalapam.” His commitment to preserving the traditional Yakshagana Bani of Kuchipudi is widely recognized, and his dance has been documented by the Films Division, Mumbai. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2006).