Thousands of years ago, the story goes, Lord Krishna declared that the month in the Tamil-Hindu calendar that runs from mid-December to mid-January was he, manifesting and belonging to the sexy blue god. Ever since, Marghazi (as it’s known in the Tamil tongue) has been synonymous with celebration in South India and especially in Chennai. Carnatic musicians, bharatanatyam dancers, and their fans descend on Tamil Nadu’s massive metropolis for performances that last from early morning into the night. But unless you have a local guide or at least a local newspaper with good listings, it’s hard to know where to begin. One obvious—and reliably excellent—place is the august Music Academy, where the music for dance is nearly always live and astounding and, unlike at many Indian venues, the performers do not pay to perform but are invited. Young promise appears onstage early in the day; the last two slots are reserved for masters and stars. Among these, look out this year for Rama Vaidyanathan, Malavika Sarukkai, Praveen Kumar, the deeply sensual Meenakshi Srinivasan, and the well-traveled Odissi ensemble Nrityagram. —Apollinaire Scherr