In Chandigarh, a band of zealous and devoted exponents and patrons of art and culture, led by Guru Madan Lal Koser, a great exponent of Shiva Tandav, got together in 1956 to set up an autonomous body for reviving, promoting and developing the waning tradition of the country on sound and scientific lines. Thus was born the institution PRACHEEN KALA KENDRA at Chandigarh. It was registered in 1957 at Jalandhar under the Registration of Societies Act, 1860, vide No. 72 of 1957-58. Apart from the objectives already defined, it sought to provide adequate facilities for training, research and conduct of examinations in Music, Dance and Fine Arts in a systematic manner and for organising regular performances by both renowned and up-coming artistes from all over the country and abroad.
Since its inception, the Kendra is striving hard for the promotion and propagation of classical arts. It has achieved unprecedented success in all its defined goals and at present it is the leading educational institution of international repute engaged in imparting quality education and training in the subjects of Classical Music, Dance and Fine Arts (Painting).
Besides zonal offices in different cities of India, the Kendra has opened its offices overseas also including the USA, UK, Singapore, Mauritius, Canada etc. The Kendra has grown taller with every passing year.
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India has a long tradition of art and culture giving pre-eminence to classical music and dance and fine arts. Since ancient times music and dance in India have attained a high degree of excellence from both technical and aesthetic viewpoints and it has been noticed all over the world. The great sages and saints of India found in these classical arts the supreme values of Indian culture as a result of which Classical music and dance have profoundly influenced the entire gamut of human emotions and feelings. With the passage of time, these arts had, however, occasionally suffered in political and social turmoils and been denied adequate patronage. Gradually, they were relegated to the background and devalued in the eyes of Indian Society. Thus was created a perceptible void between art and the people. It affected the connoisseurs intensely, and, the necessity of establishing an independent institution for reviving and rejuvenating these ancient arts was deeply felt. 
