The Marghazi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival, founded by Swathi Lakshmanan, is a month-long series of performances during the Tamil month of Margazhi that takes place in the East Bay. Each week is filled with performances from December 15 – January 13. More information can be found on the National Ethnic Arts website, a new non-profit created by Swathi Lakshmanan.

Charan Venkata Sai Karthik Kanchana and Akshitha Bathula introduce talk open the the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Sarat Chandrapaty accompanies on the mridangam for Carnatic vocal at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Anaya Poddatoori performs Carnatic vocal at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Divya Ramachandran accompanies on the violin for Carnatic vocal at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Avya Poddatoori performs bharatanatyam at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Avya Poddatoori performs bharatanatyam at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Founder Swathi Lakshmanan speaks to the audience at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Pooja Ganesh performs kathak at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Pooja Ganesh performs kathak at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Varsha Kuppa performs bharatanatyam at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local
Varsha Kuppa performs bharatanatyam at the 4th Annual Margazhi in San Francisco Music and Dance Festival in Pleasant Hill, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local

Sree Sripathy joined India Currents as a staff photographer and CatchLight Local Fellow as part of CatchLight's California Local Visual Desk program in June 2022. Reach out with story ideas or comments...