Thyagaraja Aradhanai in Chennai

[thanjavooran]

Thyagaraja Aradhanai at Chennai. [ Mylapore ]



Under the auspices of NGS and Karthik Fine Arts Aradhanai of St T took place at NGS main hall on 5th Feb.

The function started exactly at 10 00 Hrs. A big list of Vidwans and Vidushis [ Hindu ] was the high light.
Rendering started with usual Sowrashtra and Gowri Manohari kritis. PSN headed the Chorus. It appeared that half of the audiance was in the platform offering homage to St. T. PSN wanted one of the mirudhangam players to come to the front sothat vocalists can align with the thalam. As musicians were arranged in two rows facing each other, could not identify the indivicual patcipants. As per the list Tiruchur and OST should have attended. The rendering of P R Kritis went on well. Definitely 10% of the gathering should have participated at Maha Aradhanai at Thiruvaiyaru. It appeared as a prelude to the ensuing T Festival at Cleveland. After the Sriragam kriti Arathi was taken. The function came to an end at 11 30 hrs. Immediately after this I found a formation of a big queue behind the hall and came to know it is for the samaradhanai in buffet style after Guru vandhanam. It reminded me of the Shradhanjali performed at St's house at Thiruvaiyaru on the pushya bagula Panjami after the homage by musicians at his samadhi.

Thanjavooran 08 02 2012

[rajeshnat]

I was there, could not see all the artists but I did spot Raji G, viji subra, k GAyathri, mambalam sisters with Dr hemalatha. In the other side I spotted PSN, SRJ leading along with Flute vidwan shankaran. There was enough artists and there was a definite shradha , if I could say a no sense of any one man/woman upmanship.

In the mrudangam I did see Tanj murugabhoopathy, JV , manakkAl sriram(nice to meet him and say hello to him ). I think i also spotted KVG , Suryaprakash, and Mudhra and Mrs bhaskar too.

But I think overall the sound system needs a big overhaul in NGS , I think musicians could have had more mikes with only 2 mikes for mrudangist and 5 or 6 mikes for vocal it was see saw battle to hear pancharatnas .

Also I think our vocalist musicians are needlessly shy , they always keep the 6 or 7 mikes between each of the artists and eventually we hear very faintly . I guess just the opposite is a situation of tiruvayAru where few mikes are bunched with few artists . If they could rotate between adjacent artists and keep the mikes fully that would make sense. Also a little more lighting in the first 25 rows would have been better , at times I felt I was sitting in the usual 10 AM to 11 AM powercut room of my house .

But as such putting the sound system aside(which is a perennial problem that NGS needs to correct), I did not find much of offnote singing at all(that too considering the violin was not heard still the shruti adherance was quite good), there was overall good balance and definitely the musicians indeed gave a shraddhaiyAna anjali, certainly a great tribute to ST.

I was especially very happy to see SRJ and PSN leading the show singing intensely.kana kana ruchi rA was a ganeer varAli , that did not ebb.

Thanjoovaran or any one else,
May I know who was the mrudangist who was seated next to JV , well built with a kudumi , I have not seen him playing at all , but I liked his play.

[thanjavooran]

Shri Rajeshnat Avl,
Glad you were there to share views. The mirudanga Vidwan in traditional style is Kalakkadu R. Srinivasan.
May be from the family of Kalakkadu Ramanathan [ Vocalist ]

Thanjavooran 08 02 2012

[rajeshnat]

Thanjoovaran or anyone else,
Who was the elderly vocalist (viviudhi pattai)seated in the first row , seated between PSN and tanjore murugabhoopathy. Tx for kalakkadu srinivasan I just googled in the images and he is indeed him.

[Rajani]

As a part of the Aradhana, that evening Shri VP Dhananjayan and his disciples presented a beautiful dance-drama "Tyagarajan Yoga Vaibhavam" based on the life of Saint Tyagaraja. Shri Dhananjayan played the role of Saint Tyagaraja and his disciples enacted episodes that are referred to the kritis, as was as played his brother, the king's men etc. The entire programme underscored the Bhakti Bhavam that pervaded the music of the great composer.

The Kritis sung and danced to , were ( the order may have been be slightly different)

Sri Ganapatini - Sowrashtram ( Tyagaraja enters, singing this)
Tulasidala - Mayamalava Gowla ( His pooja)
Bala Kanaka Maya Chela - Atana ( his outburst after Rama knocks his door, gives him His darshan and disappears)
Nagumomu - Abheri ( he yearns to see the smiling face of Rama)
Evarikai Avatara - Devamanohari ( he ponders on Rama's avatara)
Venugana - Kedara Gaula ( he meditates on Krishna, dancing with the Gopikas)
Nidhi Chala Sukhama ( he responds, when the king's men bring gifts and an invitation to visit and sing about the king, and they go away)
(his enraged brother picks up the idol Tyagaraja worships and throws it into the Kaveri)
Meluko vaiya - Bowli ( the next day Tyagaraja comes to wake up his beloved Rama)
(discovers with shock that the idol is missing)
Nenendu vetukudura - karnataka behag ( he grieves and wonders where to search)
Kanukontini - bilahari ( exults in finding his Rama in the river)
Rara ma intikidaka - asaveri ( welcomes him back home)
Nannu vidachi - reeti gowla ( begs Rama never to leave him again)
Seetha kalyana vaibhogame ( visualises the wedding of Seetha and Rama)
Pavamana - Sowrashtram

[rshankar]

Rajani, it must have been lovely! Thanks for reporting!

[thanjavooran]

Thanx Rajani Avl for the detailed report on Dhananjayan's performance.
Thanjavooran 12 02 2012

[Rajani]

Thanks, Ravi and Thanjavooran! The crisp intro ( and nattuvangam) by Smt Shanta and superb singing by ( name eludes now, will update) must be mentioned.

[sivakami]

While reading this post, I was recalling the unique experience we had recently, when we had gone to attend the “379th Bh. Ramadasu Jayanthi Utsavam” at Bhadrachalam. Just wanted to share, although it may not be directly relevant to this thread; also that the other thread is closed, I think.. In connection with Bh. Ramadasu Jayanthi celebrations on the Magha Masam Poorva Bhadhra Nakshatram day, the utsavam was held on 27 & 28th jan 2012 at the Chitrakoota Mandapam situated at a lower level below the Srirama temple. After the goshti ganam rendition of the Bh. Ramadasu navaratna kritis on the 27th jan, Friday, there were short duration concerts by various small and big artistes. In the night, at the end of that day’s events, the organizers announced that everyone was requested to assemble early in the morning the next day at 5 AM, as there will be Saint Thyagaraja’s Pancharatna Kirtanas-goshti ganam. It was a pleasant surprise to everyone . Some of us who had planned to take a holy dip in Godavari (as the programme was originally scheduled to start at 8 AM or so), postponed that idea to a later date, as this was a rare opportunity for us. We all got ready from our respective rooms and gathered at the Chitrakoota mandapam, the following morning by 5 AM or so. Lead by the Malladi Bros, after the ganesha stuthi, the pancharatna kritis were rendered in chaste telugu with the appropriate pauses, and a couple of changes in the rendition, filled with bhakti and shraddha. It was feeling wonderful to sing/listen at that prabhatha vela, fresh and clean, that too one divine composer’s specials at another similarly-devoted composer’s Abode. What other befitting tribute can one think of, to those divine vaggeyakaras. ‘Sriguru guha tarayasu mam’ of Dikshitar and ‘Sankari sankuru chandramukh’i of Syama Sastri were also rendered, perhaps to fulfil the threesome- completeness of the Trinity. It appeared as if everyone was with ‘madi and acharam’, as there were no TV-style make-up and other beautifications (there was no time!). Also it felt nice, as everyone had gathered with empty stomach (not even a coffee!) at that early hour; otherwise I am sure people anywhere( be it Tiruvaiyaru or other places) normally would have gulped ‘n’ number of coffees/teas and breakfast(s) of masala dosai, idli with vengaya(onion) sambhar, chutney and what not, before assembling.. After the kriti renditions, they also chanted the abridged version of Valmiki Ramayanam, the ‘Sankshikpta Valmiki Ramayanam’ and mangalam.

[thanjavooran]

Sivakami Avl,
Excellent ! Many thanx for sharing such valuable information. Really happy to know about this Aradhanai.
' Entharo Mahanubhavulu Anthariki Vandhanam '
Thanjavooran 17 02 2012

[duff777]

Exquisite rendition.