Dr. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam @ AnantaPadmanabhaswamy Temple

[HR]

Dharma Paripalana Sabha – Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Temple , Gandhinagar, Adyar
Wednesday – Feb 27 , 2012
Vocal – Dr. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam
Violin – Dr. M. Narmada
Mridangam – Tanjore Sri. Ramdas
Ghatam – Trichy . Sri. Murali

1. Vina Venkatesham followed by Gopalaka Pahimam – Revagupti – Misra Chapu – Swati Tirunal
2. Manaviyalakin – Nalinakanthi – Adi – Thyagaraja - R, S
3. En Palli Kondeerayya – Mohanam – Adi – Arunachala Kavi
4. Ninne Nammithi – Simmendra Madyamam – Misra Chapu – R , N , S
5. Prasanna Venkateshwaram – Vati Vasantabhairavi – Adi – M.Dikshitar
6. Intha Sowkhya – Kapi – Adi – Thyagaraja – R , S, T
7. Sloka – Shanthakaaram Bhujagasayanam (Ragamalika – Charukesi , Desh , Maduvanti) – followed by – Namo Narayana – Maduvanti – Adi - Annamacharya
8. Bhajan - Subapantuvarali
9. Sloka (on Light) / Mangalam

Concerts in temples have a certain energy to them, beyond the buzz of people, voices and religious festivities surrounding the place; and this energy makes way to a completely serene and elevating musical experience.

The concert that day was preceded by the Golden Jubilee Award Celebrations of the Anathapadmanabhaswamy temple - the present committee honored the services rendered by many in the last fifty years – in the temple operations, administration, religious activities, annual events.

- The concert started with the sloka from the Venketesha Stothram – ‘Vina Venkatesham Na Natho Na Natah…’ followed by Gopalaka Pahimam. The SolKattu and Madhyama Kaalams of this song makes it very interesting

- Energetic Nalinakanthi , followed by the Rama Nataka Kriti in Mohanam – En Pallikondeerayya

- Ninne Nammithi - Niraval and Swarams in ‘Pannagendra Sayana…’ . Very interesting swara patterns and sargams

- Rare song in Vati Vasantabhairvai – Prasanna Venkateshwaram – this song is on Lord Prasanna Venkateshwara in Tanjore

- Beautiful Kapi – true to the starting words of the songs – Intha Sowkya Mani ne. Kalpana Swarams in the Pallavi line, followed by an excellent Tani by the percussion artistes. It was such a pleasure to listen to the different variations and strokes by Tanjore Sri. Ramdas sir, during the concert

- Lovely rendition of sloka ‘Shantakaaram…’ in Ragamalika , followed by the Annamacharya Kriti – ‘Namo Narayana’

- Meera Bhajan in Shubapantuvarali , followed by a Sloka on Jyoti / Light – in Revathi – Madhyama Sruthi

[satyabalu]

* This temple I always like for the good ambience. One place I find spic &span always. No gossip you can hear in the precincts . It is also a fulfilling experience when We have chance(everyone has -in fact children enjoy doing it. couples do it together)to gently move the swing & offer chamaram to the deity(kept opposite to Navagraha Sannidhi) in the oonjal. In the main sanctum,You have dharshan of Reclining posture of perumal with Brahma (pankajasana) sprouting out of His Nabhi.One can have the view of lingam getting the abhishekam trickling down from the right hand of AnandaPadmanabha swamy. ( perhaps this is by a reciprocating gesture of what is being observed in Kashi (Benares) I have heard in the lingam they write the name of Ra Ma - I also infer the same message is reflected in the charana of kriti Inta sowkyamu -Sankara knows the nectar in Ramanama(quintessence of swara ,raga,laya) "Sankaruniku telusu".-Dr .VS selection of the kriti for the celebration concert is appropriate.
* Yein palli kondeer Iyya is again referring to the reclining posture.Yet another good selection.
* I may slightly digress again.As children We used to get fascinated by one stringed Kottankachi instrument wherein the road side vendor(pied piper like) used to play the popular Hindi movie tunes(yester years) looking temptingly easy but suddenly transforming to be impossible to produce notes except with jarring noise the moment the instrument comes to our hand even before the bridge of the instrument getting dislodged &broken ! Permit me to take this analogy to a Lec-Dem of SKA S. Rajam explaining in modest terms the Raga lakshanas of "Vakulabharanam (Vati Vasantha Bharavi in MD sampradaya) postulating that the Raga could me handled like any other raga "Nanna paadalam in his nasal voice".He will reaffirm his theory by making his disciples- Dr.V.S is the first &foremost- to sing atleast half a dozen no.on that Raga.When I notice the kriti in this Raga is taken up, my memory has gone back to the heydays of her guru.We have a consolation that We have a representative sample of the guru in the form of VS upholding the heritage.

[Rsachi]

Thank you HR, Satyabalu, I can connect fully to your thoughts...
Both the place and the musicians seem to have made a big difference.
(I owned a flat long back close to this lovely temple).

[hamirkalyani123]

Excellent review by HR. I am sure it would have been "Entho Soukhyam". First time I heard of this raga by name Vati Vasanthabhairavi. I am sure it would have been wonderful experience to listen to Dr. VS in such a wonderful ambience.

[cacm]

I am sure Dr. V.S. was superb. I feel that concerts reach great heights with the co-operation of the accompanists. In this case it would have been nice if the reviews say at least a sentence about their contributions to the success as I know that all three are perfect accompanists. VKV

[arasi]

cacm,
True. Such accompanists too!

HR,
Thanks for your review. Satyabalu too.
This is the kind of concert I wish had happened when I was in India.
VS is someone I do like to listen to if I get a chance. Didn't know vakuLAbharaNam is vAti vasanthabhairavi! Yes, VS does offer such rAgams in her concerts--thanks to her guru.
The regret grows, my also missing Narmada and Ramadas playing in this concert