Children aged 5 to 16 can learn Bharatanatyam, vocal music, veena, mridangam, drawing, silambam and more at state-run evening classes in Chennai, through the Tamil Nadu Jawahar Siruvar Manram (Jawahar Bal Bhavan). It is run under the state Department of Art and Culture, and its main Chennai centre is in Mylapore, where classes run on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4 pm to 6 pm, according to the department’s centre list.
Many parents in the city have never heard of it, partly because it does little advertising. Here is what it offers, where the Chennai centres are, and what to ask when you call.
What the Manram is
The Manram began in Chennai in 1979 to give art education to children, says the department’s 2023-24 policy note; the centre list dates the Mylapore centre to November 1978. It has since spread across the state. The 2024-25 policy note counts 60 centres: 32 district Siruvar Manrams, 26 extension centres and 2 rural centres. In August 2026 the 2026-27 policy note put the number of children being trained at 6,480, Deccan Chronicle reported.
The policy note lists the subjects taught: vocal music, Bharatanatyam, folk dance, crafts, drama, gymnastics, mridangam, tabla, karate, computers, keyboard, veena, drums, bands, tailoring, drawing and painting, screen printing, flute, yoga and silambam. Chennai centres offer a wide range of these, while district centres pick any four.
Chennai centres and timings
The department’s list gives six centres in and around Chennai. Most run in school buildings after school hours.
| Centre | Days and time | Main subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Mylapore: Chennai High School, 103 Veeraperumal Koil Street | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, 4-6 pm | Vocal, Bharatanatyam, veena, mridangam, drawing, folk dance, drama, keyboard, drums, gymnastics, karate, tailoring, silambam |
| Vyasarpadi: Wisdom Matriculation School, Krishnamurthy Nagar | Fri, Sat, 4-6 pm | Bharatanatyam, drawing, gymnastics, drums, karate, computers |
| Villivakkam: Singarampillai Elementary School, Devar Street | Fri, Sat, 3.30-5.30 pm | Bharatanatyam, drawing, yoga, keyboard, silambam, drums |
| Selaiyur: Zion Matriculation School, Indhra Nagar | Fri, Sat, 4-6 pm | Vocal, Bharatanatyam, drawing, karate, silambam, keyboard |
| West Tambaram: Avvai Middle School | Wed, Fri, 2.30-4.30 pm | Computers, karate |
| Ramavaram: Dr. MGR Home and Higher Secondary School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired | Mon, Tue, 2.30-4.30 pm | Bharatanatyam, drawing, computers, screen printing |
The list names a contact person and mobile number for each centre. The Mylapore number given is 98408 01868. Timings and teachers change, so treat the table as a starting point.
A new home in Mylapore
For years the city’s Bal Bhavan worked out of borrowed space. In December 2020, Mylapore Times reported that the state had sanctioned about Rs 2.40 crore for a complex on Corporation land on Luz Avenue, opposite Raga Sudha Hall, with about 16 classrooms, a small auditorium and a library. The 2024-25 policy note gives the figure as Rs 2.41 crore and still described the building as under construction. Ask the Mylapore centre whether classes have moved there.
Fees, admission and what to ask
The department’s current pages do not publish a fee. In 2012 the Luz Avenue centre charged Rs 100 a month per activity, allowed up to two activities per child, and was open to children not enrolled in school, Mylapore Times reported. Those terms are old, so confirm them. When you call, ask:
- Which subjects have seats this term, and on which days.
- The monthly fee and whether there is an admission fee.
- What documents to bring; a birth certificate and a photograph are the usual minimum for age-based classes.
- Whether your child can join mid-year or must wait for a new batch.
Camps, competitions and awards
The Manram is more than a weekly class. The policy notes describe:
- District competitions once a year in vocal music, Bharatanatyam, folk dance and drawing, for ages 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16.
- State competitions for the 9-12 and 13-16 groups, with prizes of Rs 10,000, Rs 7,500 and Rs 5,000. The 2024-25 note says Rs 1.8 lakh in all goes to 24 winners.
- Residential camps: a summer camp at a hill station, a winter camp in the half-yearly holidays and a craft camp in the quarterly holidays, each for about 100 children from across the state.
Separately, the department’s District Art Societies give a Kalai Ilamani award, worth Rs 4,000, to young artistes up to 18 years old. Children who train seriously at the Manram are natural candidates.
Quick answers
What age group can join Jawahar Siruvar Manram?
Children aged 5 to 16, according to the Art and Culture Department.
Where is the main Chennai centre?
In Mylapore. The department lists it at Chennai High School, 103 Veeraperumal Koil Street, with classes four evenings a week.
Is it free?
No current fee is published. It has historically charged a small monthly fee, so check with the centre.
Are there centres in north Chennai?
Yes. Vyasarpadi and Villivakkam both hold weekend-eve classes on Fridays and Saturdays.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Jawahar Siruvar Manram centres (Department of Art and Culture, Tamil Nadu)
- Art and Culture Department Policy Note 2024-25 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Art and Culture Department Policy Note 2023-24 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- TN Minister presents policy note for tourism, culture (Deccan Chronicle)
- New complex for Jawahar Bal Bhavan in Luz sanctioned (Mylapore Times)
- State Govt. organises classes for children (Mylapore Times)
