KUZHIKARAI KSHETRAM –GANAPRIYA FOUNDATION

[CRama]

Ganapriya Foundation has organised a programme titled Kuzhikarai Khetram in the open garden of Indira Ranganathan Trust in Abiramapuram. For some of the rasikas who don’t know, Indira Ranganathan Mami was a reputed Guru of Carnatic Music in Kolkata under whom Aiswarya Sankar learnt Carnatic music till she migrated to Chennai. Later Indira Mami along with her husband came and settled in Chennai. Unfortunately, both of them passed away very soon. Their house is converted into the Trust and concert is held very frequently in the garden of the house with nice music system and congenial ambience. The lawn is made as balcony seating with adequate light and suitable chairs. It can accommodate about 60 persons. Yesterday the hall was filled more than its capacity with lot of music aspirants and rasikas.

After the Welcome address by Essel Narasimhan, connoisseur of music, Madhusudan Kalaichelvan, noted Architect, historian and a multi faceted personality explained the historical importance of the village of Kuzhikarai with the help of power point presentation. Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan, a Professor in Architecture at a reputed college in Siruseri is a young scholar in his early thirtees with in depth knowledge in Saivaite and Vaishnavite literature, music, philosophy, tamil epigraphy, and many related disciplines and his oratory skills in Tamil and English, interspersed with Sanskrit slokas and hymns made the presentation very enriching.. The many pictures of the temple, paintings, pictures to support the puranic references, others hymns etc made this very enlightening. Some of my takeaways from his presentation.

Kuzhikarai is a small village near Tiruvarur- about 7 km west of Tiruvarur. There are many interpretations for the name Kuzhikarai. One is that we, the human beings are in caught in a big pit (kuzhi) called samsaram with many forms of ajnanam. Viswanathar stands on the shore (karai) to lift us from this samsaram. This temple is famous as Deekhitasr has composed the Chaturdasa Ragamalika and Annapoorne Visalakshi on the deities of this temple. The temple is a small one where the presiding deities are Viswanathar and Visalakshi Amman. It is heard that in the ancient days, those people from the village who go to Kasi will come with a small lingam, do prathishta and worship as a temple. This temple also must have been constructed in that manner as the temple is not of very ancient days- roughly 300 years old as is revealed from the temple architecture. The temple has got beautiful sculptures and the paintings on the ceiling represent artistic representation of Sripuram. The archakar of the temple is from the same family for many generations and the sthalapuranam as told by him is that Deekshitar was affected by some skin ailment and a friend of him- Vaidyalinga Mudaliar advised him to visit this temple and do puja for 48 days by taking bath in the temple tank and using the flowers in the temple Nandavanam. After the prescribed puja, Deekshitar got cured of his disease, and Deekshitar composed his magnum opus- Sree Viswanatham bhajeham – the Chaturdasa Ragamalika. I would have left out some points too.

After this presentation, Guru Suguna Varadachary explained the musical aspects of the Ragamalika. She explained about each ragam, use of the various phrases of the ragam, how the raga swaroopa is revealed in the opening phrase itself, how the raga mudra is coined within the sahithyam etc.

After this Madhusudan explained the line by line meaning of the kriti with reference from vedams, and other authentic treatises and hymns and works of Saivaite scholars. After this, Aiswarya Sankar accompanied by Sreevaths on the Veena sang the Chaturdasa Ragamalika in a relaxed manner displaying minute nuances in the kriti.

Now, I understood that there are many versions of this Ragamalika- one immortalised by MLV, another version taught by Musiri to his students which excluded the swara portions, and yet another version in the SSP. The programme which commenced by 6.15 ended at 8.35 P.M. A well spent evening. I hope this will be uploaded in Sangeetapriya.

After this programme, a young gentleman came to me and introduced himself as Sridhar Ranga of the forum. We had some nice chat and he dropped me at Panagal Park. A nice meeting with a like minded person.

[bhakthim dehi]

That was indeed a very long speech. The singer didn't get even get a chance to sing till 8 or so (excluding certain phrases which she demonstrated with her teacher).

In a programme like this, I feel equal opportunity is to be given for everyone who participates. Though, line by line explanation of the sahityam is much pleasing to listen, we have also assembled there for a musical evening. Vocal and Veena artist waiting for 1 hour and 45 minutes without even singing a single krithi cannot be accepted. It is not a talent promotion programme for the speaker.

Also, the title was so misleading. Having said Kuzhikarai, they should have planned to sing atleast 3 or 4 krithis available on that kshetram.
Leave aside singing, they have not even mentioned those krithis. I was eagerly awaiting to listen Aishwarya singing, but unfortunately left around 8.
If they want to project the Vidvat of the speaker, they can arrange an exclusive programme, so that we will come prepared for the speech. But, announcing as a musical presentation and making us to listen only to his lecture is certainly not acceptable, atleast to people like me. Many in the audience were restless after a period.

The topic should have been 'Chathurdasha ragamalika' of Deekshithar and giving speaker a chance for an hour and to the vocalist for the next hour would have done a fair justice.

I cannot stand making the music troupe to wait for around 2 hour without singing a song.

@CRama
Did they render any other krithi?

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Nice report, CRama.
It is news to me that there are more than one version for Dikshitar's Chaturdasa ragamalika.
There was a singer by name Kulikarai Pichaiyappa. Perhaps the village had produced some musicians too.

bhakthim dehi,
Could you please list the other kritis on the Sthala?(besides Annapurne visalakshi)

[bhakthim dehi]

There are 2 krithis other than Chathurdasha ragamalika and Annapoorne, addressing Visvanathar/Visalakshi-Annapoorni in Kuzhikarai. Kashi Visweswara in Kambhoji and Viswanathena in Samantha.
Krithis Viswanatho in Kanada, Viswanatham in Natabharanam are also attributed to this kshetram. But no reference can be seen in those krithis.

[CRama]

bhaktimdehi.
The programme commenced by 6.10 or 6.15 p.m. The programme proceeded as given in the advertisement. It was never announced as a Musical Evening by Aiswarya Sankar. Aiswarya started the song at 8.15 p.m. and it concluded at 8.35 p.m.
The lecture by Madhusudhan Kalaichelvan was highly enriching. I heard him for the first time. We came to know about so many things. Perhaps many things went above our head. Absorption level varies from person to person. You may be familiar with these things. Many things would have been redundant for you. There were music students and lay rasikas like me who definitely learnt lot of things. Suguna Mami’s explanations of each raga, prayogams, how to approach various swarams in those ragams etc also must have been learning for many music students. Not many people left in between. Only 5-6 people left in between. A few people went to the toilet and came back.
The family of Aiswarya sankar is the host for this programme. Hence there is no question of keeping her waiting. Had she sat among the audience till her singing, you would not have felt this waiting.

They did not mention any song except the Chaturdasa Ragamalika and Annapurne Visalakshi. While closing, Essel announced that they wanted to include one or two more songs. But due to want of time, they are postponing for another opportunity.

It is not a talent promotion programme for the speaker.

If they want to project the Vidvat of the speaker, they can arrange an exclusive programme, so that we will come prepared for the speech.

@CRama
Did they render any other krithi?

The above remarks of you are in bad taste.

[bhakthim dehi]

I was much disappointed and hence this response.

In any collaborative efforts, equal opportunity is to be given. People like us , interested in both sahityam and sangeetham is different. A programme like this must cover both the sahityam and sangeetham aspect for people who like either of these. Both are to be treated equal.
Nowhere, I degraded any of the artists involved and I will never indulge in the same. But, when it is not planned properly, I am forced to give such review.
Only, to enrich myself more in both the aspects, I went there. It was only parially fulfilled and hence I gave this review.

Just tell me, is it nice to make the singer sing (approx) 1.45 hours after starting a programme? Giving around 1 hour 15 minutes for a speaker and 20 minutes to a singer is not a right planning. Suguna mami spoke for about 25 minutes. She herself said, they will be singing Annapurne, when she was explaining about Sama. But, that didnt happen.
If their plan is to present only about this composition, Kuzhikarai is not an ideal title.

Yes. He said many points and was very elaborative. But, as I have said, it should be kept as a separate programme without music. If music is included, they should do justice to both.

Though, line by line explanation of the sahityam is much pleasing to listen,

This was my earlier response to his lecture. So, when I praise a programme , I can also say the limitations.
And, I never gave any derogatrory comments about the lecture . I just said, it was a much extended one. That is the truth.

It was never announced as a Musical Evening by Aiswarya Sankar

It was advertised as "Kuzhikarai Ksetram - A musical experience". So, music must be highlighted according to this. I am just expecting only an equal opportunity. Is that wrong?
Also, Annapurni is seen in the invite. Unfortunately, no composition praising her was rendered.
I find difficulty in pasting the invitation. It must be online too.

I compared with the talent promotion concert as, only in those kind of programme, a single component will be highlighted. In a programme like this where all the presenters are much familiar, all their talents must be highlighted.
Sangeetham is equally important as sahityam.

You can see various other YT videos, wherein equal opportunity was given to all the participants in a programme of this genre.

[shankarank]

People have been singing for ages - with no particular increase in interest or insight as a result. All it has achieved is allowing Musicologists to protect their domain with facades like : music is what is pleasurable to people ( read: nobody else other than us should talk about music!).

So it is all the more important to talk about music and increase the narrative power. It is more important to talk about it and people hearing it than publishing books!

[kunthalavarali]

Nice report, CRama.
It is news to me that there are more than one version for Dikshitar's Chaturdasa ragamalika.
There was a singer by name Kulikarai Pichaiyappa. Perhaps the village had produced some musicians too.

bhakthim dehi,
Could you please list the other kritis on the Sthala?(besides Annapurne visalakshi)

Kuzhikkarai Pichaiyappa, a disciple of TNR, was an outstanding nadaswarm player and belonged to that galaxy of nadaswaram players of the 50s and early 60s.
Kuzhikkarai Viswalingam teamed up with Tiruvarur Sethuraman to give vocal concerts.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Thanks, Kunthalavarali, for that information.