Recital discipline during Tyagaraja aradhana

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I witnessed the inaugural function of the 166th Tyagaraja Aradhana at Tiruvaiyaru on 27 Jan.
A few concerts followed the inaugural session and programmes will continue till 31 jan- the Aradhana day.

However I have a few things to suggest (based on my experience in the past years and during the last couple of days).

1. Aradhana is not to showcase the artist's expertise but to pay tribute to the Saint.
2. If at all the artist feels it necessary he/she can give a sketch of the raga not exceeding 30 seconds for the kriti.
3. No niraval and kalpana swara-s, please. Only established Sangati-s need be sung.
4. No extended prayoga-s while winding up the kriti.
5.instrumentalists should not indulge in cascading sangati-s and 'applause provoking ' frills and embellishments.
6. Percussionists should not 'blast the vadyam' (It happens so commonly). The teermanams between stanzas and at the end of the kriti must be simple and humble.
7.Even for the pancharatna kriti rendering on the final day, mridangists should abstain from poruttam prayogas for the passages, thundering teermanams etc.
7. Even the greatest percussionist need not play Tani. Audience request will not be an excuse.

8. At least those devotees and artists present on the Aradhana day evening must stay back for the concluding Aanjaneya Utsavam.
(Well, I was there for this event last year and was sad to note that almost all rasikas left after the last professional slot was over leaving just a handful for the Aanjaneya utsavam)

I suggest the tips can be followed in all Tyagaraja utsavams held across the world.

[thanjavooran]

More than 55 yrs back I had an opportunity to listen to the chorus singing for the Anjaneya Utsavam. ARI and few other vidwans participated. ' Geetharthamu ' in suruti was one of the songs at the concluding sessions.
Thanjavooran
30 01 2013

[sureshvv]

You have not said anything about the dress code, particularly about the matching accessories

May I humbly suggest that you reorient your outlook a little bit & consider it a "celebration" of thyagaraja's life instead of a sombre memorial. That way the participants can be allowed a little more leeway.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I think Jayanti-s (birthdays) are 'celebrated' and Aaradhana-s (Samadhi days) 'observed'.
Well, some thought could be given to dress code too!

[karaikurichi]

You have not said anything about the dress code, particularly about the matching accessories

May I humbly suggest that you reorient your outlook a little bit & consider it a "celebration" of thyagaraja's life instead of a sombre memorial. That way the participants can be allowed a little more leeway.

[arasi]

Caught about half an hour of the ArAdhana today. In that small time frame, my impressions are:

1: The attire of the star participants wasn't too grand
2: Plenty more jasmine strands (as seen from the rear view shots)!
3: The cameras lingered on different sections of the hall (good) than mostly focusing on the stars.
4: A larger view of the hall this time (which I haven't seen before) every now and then.
5: So, haven't seen the ceiling before. Is it always as grand as this--like the dressed up stars?

Sivaramakrishnan,
The percussionists did have a blast at the end of it all

Of what little I saw, it was a notch less grandiose.
Saw a number of sibling singers: Karnatica Bros, Hyderabad Bros, Rudrapatnam bro(s), Priya sisters...

[venkatakailasam]

arasi...you said ....Caught about half an hour of the ArAdhana today...

You can view it fully here..

E SWARA-2013-166th Thirivaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhanai-2013-01-31.flv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnsXbjJQSOk

[RaviSri]

arasi, there is no hall there. It is only a temporary pandal put up for the Aradhana. It will be dismantled after a couple of days. It is open space and let it be like that. The inner Samadhi and the outer manTapam, called the Valmiki manTapam, which must be about 250sqft are the only structures there. Thankfully there is no plan to construct a hall in that space.

[kunthalavarali]

Thanks venkatakailasam for the upload. And a big thanks to Podhigai, who do it without any fanfare.

[arasi]

RaviSri,
I'm glad the open space remains that way rest of the year. Next time I'm in India, will take your tip and go to ThiruvaiyAru on a quieter panchami day.

Thanks VKailasam. Will see more of it now.

[sivakami]

I always switch on the TV to watch the fun, with no sound (mute mode) and switch on the radio, where it is sweeter to listen..
some sideline observations: was interesting to watch one small boy(maybe 7-8 years) performing abhishekam along with the elders to the deity, very sincerely.
And after the abhishekam, alankaram, once the thirai( curtains) was opened, I saw many of the sastrigals, immediately taking out their cellphones/cameras and clicking several shots, closeup and zoom, of the sannidhi.. Some of them constantly kept looking the other way( from the sannidhi) distractedly, even while chanting the mantras..

In a lighter vein, I was imagining that such a joke might appear sometime.
" ennappa chandru, kalakkitaye.. ivlo periya veedu katti irukke, lakshathipathi ayite"
" Adhuvaa, sir, thiruvaiyaarukku poi, mallipoo vithikiittu irundhen.. Adhula dhaan saar, he he he .."

[arasi]

Sivakami,

Once, thOraNams (foliage decorations) were such--now, the malligaip pU (jasmine) floral
decorations favored by our female singers vie with them!

What a neat idea of yours--muted TV for the visual with the radio on!

[sivakami]

Arasi Madam,
I was wondering whether my email reached you..

[arasi]

No, I didn't.

Mods,
The mail I sent to another member didn't reach him either. Is there a problem at the moment at our web site?

[cmlover]

We seem to have some trouble with Forum emails.
srkris is working on it. Pl be patient...

[RaviSri]

sivakami:

was interesting to watch one small boy(maybe 7-8 years) performing abhishekam along with the elders to the deity, very sincerely.

This boy is the son of Thyagaraja Sharma, a descendant of Jalppesan (Thyagaraja's elder brother). The boy is named Rama Brahmam after Thyagaraja' father. On the days he does not have school the boy comes to the Samadhi and assists his father or uncle in pujas. On panchami days when there is elaborate abhishekam, this boy does abhishekam to Thyagaraja's idol while the father/uncle do abhishekam to the Samadhi. He is only 8 years old and is very much interested in such things which he does neatly.

There is an area called Flower Bazaar, pUkkaDai in Madras in the Parrys area. Here you find several flower shops. Perhaps this Flower Bazaar had to shut down yesterday because they had to supply all the flowers to the Aradhana musicians. I don't think Thanjavur has such a big Flower Market to supply to the Aradhana musicians.

[rajeshnat]

I always switch on the TV to watch the fun, with no sound (mute mode) and switch on the radio, where it is sweeter to listen..
"

That is interesting . Few decades before ,many of us used to do this . We used to watch cricket matches in Tv, muted the commentary when it had hindi commentary , then tune the radio to listen to english/thamizh commentary.

[thanjavooran]

Any updates as regards to the Anjaneyar utsavam on the concluding day?

Thanjavooran
08 02 2013

[Rsachi]

Rajesh,
ABC FM in Australia has spectacular radio commentary on test matches. I used to listen to that and watch Channel Nine with 27 HD cameras! Bonus: no ads on radio.
Sachi R

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Well, Thanjavooran, I did stay back back for Anjaneyotsavam on 31 Jan 2013 and this time the attendance was not very thin. Anjaneyotsavam, mainly consisting of group rendering of the Surati kriti Geetarthamu was presented by the students of the Govt. Music College, Thiruvaiyaru and joined in by the members of the Utsava committee. Professsional artists other than a few in the executive committee could not be seen.
But the session was better than last year's (2012).
It was sad to note that river Kaveri was dry. Local newspapers which published special supplements on the Aradhana day carried file photos of a 'flowing river'!

[RaviSri]

Most of the days of 2012 saw a dry Cauvery because of poor monsoon in Karnataka. No water even in July, August, September etc.