Jayadev Raju

🪔 About

Dr. Jayadev Raju is a Bharatanatyam exponent born in Hyderabad and raised in Chennai's culturally rich neighborhood of Adyar, India. His journey in Bharatanatyam began at the age of five under the tutelage of the legendary Guru Padma Subrahmanyam, who instilled in him a holistic understanding of Sanskrit, scriptures, and spirituality alongside the dance form. He was notably the only boy in his class during an era when Bharatanatyam was predominantly female-dominated. Dr. Raju has also been mentored by his present guru, Narthaki Nataraj, and has showcased the intrinsic works of gurus Dr. Kalarani Ramachandran and Induvadana, daughter of the late Adyar K Lakshman. He recently performed a culmination of 50 years of his dedication to Bharatanatyam at the Narada Gana Sabha. Beyond his artistic pursuits, Dr. Jayadev Raju is also a toxicologist, contributing scientifically to food chemical safety in Canada. Despite living abroad for over two decades, he maintains a daily practice of Bharatanatyam. He is an active practitioner of Bharatanatyam and yoga based in Ottawa, Canada, where he has significantly contributed to various productions and festivals promoting Indian arts and culture. Dr. Raju advocates for the integration of Bharatanatyam into temple rituals to revive its spiritual essence and calls for greater corporate and governmental support for the arts.