Soorya Krishnamoorthy, the Indian artist and founder of the Soorya Festival, died on September 23, 2026, at the age of 78. His death was confirmed by associates familiar with his work in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Krishnamoorthy, also known as Nataraja Krishnamoorthy, left a mark on India’s cultural landscape through his long-standing involvement with the arts.
He founded the Soorya Festival in 1977, a major annual event that has become a fixture for performing arts in Kerala. He established the festival after joining the Indian Space Research Organisation as a scientist and engineer in the 1970s.