What's in a Name? The Story Behind “Janya”

When I first began shaping this initiative, I knew it needed a name that could hold both weight and warmth — something rooted in the culture and evocative of the vision.

The word Janya comes from Sanskrit, meaning "born of" or "arising from." In Carnatic music, part of the South Indian artistic tradition, janya rāgams are derived scales— variations shaped from the foundational scales (melakarta rāgams) -- but still carry their own distinct identities. It’s a beautiful metaphor for what we’re trying to build: something contemporary, but deeply connected to tradition.

Janya is not just a production or event company. It’s a space of possibility — to nurture creative work, foster conversation, and highlight artists while making an impact on the broader community. We present South Asian classical arts as living, breathing practices with the power to move, challenge, and connect.

Even the logo reflects this layered vision, as the lotus is pervasive in South Asian culture, mythology, and nature itself -- it has many meanings, from beauty to prosperity and beyond.

Layered and open, as the stem allows the flower to gently move with the waves, it represents the pulse of what Janya stands for: tradition in motion, rooted experimentation, and work that radiates outward into the world.

I created Janya because I wanted a platform that didn't just showcase performances, but created a deeper kind of engagement — one that centers on artists, values context, and expands the field for South Asian performing arts in the U.S., especially in regions like the Midwest where visibility is still growing.

Thank you for being here from the beginning. I can’t wait to see where this goes!

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