Natyanjali is a composition in bharatanatyam choreographed by Sri V. P. Dhananjayan circa 1968. It is in Raga Mallika, tala Mallika, and praises Ganesha, Saraswati, Vishnu, Shiva, and the Gurus in Sanskrit Slokas, each with different talas and ragas.
Natyanjali denotes to the dance festival at Chidambaram Sri Sabanayagar Temple ( Sri Natarajar temple). Before some 40 years Carnatic music concerts are conducted daily in the 1000 pillar mantap. Legends like Chidambaram S.Jayaraman, Sirkali S.Govindarajan, Sheik Chinnamoulana use to perform voluntarily every day till Thaipoosam.
Natyanjali is an annual classical Indian dance festival timed to Shiva Ratri. It was introduced at the Chidambaram temple, but nowadays it is also organized at many other temples in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Chennai, Nagapatinam, Mayavaram, Thirunallar, Thiruvanaikoil, etc. Sri Subramania Samaj, Chhedanagar, Chembur, Mumbai has been conducting Natyanjali for the past many years at their temple complex during Mahasivratri. The festival of dance continues for more than a week and dancers of all styles have been offering their art at the feet of Lord Nataraja. On Sivaratri night senior Gurus, some of them septuagenarians, have been performing year after year.