DEEKSHITAR AKHANDAM- 13/3/16

[CRama]

The Deekshitar Akhandam was organised by Bharatiya Sangetha Vaibhavam Trust in the TAG Dakshinamurthy Auditorium on 13 March – Sunday from 9 AM to 9 PM. This is one unique event which all music lovers will be eagerly waiting year after year for listening to Deekshitar kritis for one full day by eminent artistes who strive to present many unheard compositions without repetitions in the entire day.
The day’s proceedings were inaugurated by Prof. R. Thiagarajan, Head - PG and Research, Dept. of Sanskrit, Presidency College Chennai. After the inaugural address (which I almost missed), Seetha Rajan Mami and four of her students from Balabrundam- Sarada, Arthi, Swati and Pavitra, presented the Deekshitar kritis on Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati. The accompanists were Embar Kannan on the Violin and Neyveli Narayanan on the Mridangam . The song list.

SONGS ON GODDESS LAKSHMI
1. Varalakshmeem bhajare – Sourashtram - Adi 2 kalai.
2. Sree Varalakhmi Namastubhyam – Sree- Roopakam
3. Hiranmayeem Lakshmim- Lalitha- Roopakam
4. Mahalakshmi Karunarasalahari- Madhavamanohari- Adi 2 kalai
5. Kamakshi Sree Varalakshmi- Bilahari- Adi 2 kalai
6. Mangaladevathaya-Dhanyasi-Roopakam
7. Hariyuvathim Hymavathi-Desi simharavam-
8. Sree Bhargavi bhadram dehi-Mangalakaisiki- Misra Ekam

SONGS ON GODDESS SARASWATI
9. Sree Saraswati Namostute-Arabhi
10. Kalavati kamalasana yuvati-Kalavati
11. Saraswatya bhagavatya-Chayagowla- Misra ekam
12. Saraavati tadavaasini- Saraavati
13. Bharati Maddikshanaa jadyaapahe- Devamanohari- Roopakam
14. Saraswati chayatarangini- Chayatarangini
15. Namo Namaste Geervani- Geervani- Khanda ekam
16. Veenapustakadharinim- Toya Vegavahini
17. Maye- Tarangini.

Year after year, Seetha Rajan Mami along with her select disciples present a thematic concert of Deekshitar kritis, most of them will be unheard in the concert platform. We should appreciate the zeal of Seetha Rajan Mami to unearth the rare compositions,teach them to her students and prepare for a solid pitch perfect presentation without any reference to note books or ipads. Whatever may be no of students singing, there will be only one voice. That speaks of the impeccable training she has given to her students. In the above list, many songs are rare and a few unheard in the concert platforms. The songs were presented in the most authentic patantharam sans any raga alapana or neraval. However, the pallavi of Bilahari kriti- Kamakshi Sree Varalakshmi was in a different patantharam from the normally heard one. It had chittaswarams also, which I have never heard before. The Kriti Kalavati Kamalasana yuvati ( popularised by S.Balachandar) is on the Saraswathi in the Sarada Peetham in Kashmir. Similarly, Saraavati tadavaasini is on the Saraswati situated on the banks of river Saraavati in the Western Ghats. It was a pleasant sight to see Roopakam talam as we see in the Alankaram ( a beat, a wave, and 1,2,3,4). Maye was presented with sudha dhaivatam in sama sruti which seems to be the authentic Tarangini- 26th melam. But it can not be denied that a few rasikas do long to hear the earlier version of Tarangini- in the madhyama sruti as popularised by MMI/SSI/MS etc. Madhyama sruti has got an innate charm and appeal. As Hamsadhwani Ramachandran Mama mentioned in his speech, Seetha Rajan Mami has prepared an army of dedicated disciples to spread the Deekshitar kritis for many years to come. There are some more kritis on Lakshmi and Saraswati, that we may be hearing in next year. An excellent programme by Seetha Rajan Mami and students.

DR.S.SOWMYA
Sowmya had the same accompaniments noted earlier plus Chandrasekhara Sarma on the Ghatam. She presented a scholarly lec dem concert on Panchalinga kshetra kritis of Deekshitar. Song list.
1. Chintayama kanda-Bhairavi
2. Ananda natana prakasam- Kedaram
3. Arunachalanatham-Saranga
4. Sree Kalahastheesas- Huseni (R)
5. Jambupathe- Yamunakalyani

Dr. Sowmya presented the kritis in their authentic patantharam and she highlighted the nuances embedded in the above kritis of Deekshitar- both sthoolam and sookshmam. She explained phrase by phrase meanings of the sahithyam and the hidden meanings as well for easy understanding by lay listeners. The Huseni alapana was the highlight. I have never heard such an elaborate alapana of Huseni- that too without trespassing into its neighbours like Mukhari or Manji. Absolute bliss.

SRIVIDYA VADLAMANI
Accompanists. Deepika Venkatraman- Violin, L.Subramanian- Mridangam
List of songs.
1. Ekadantam bhajeham- Bilahari
2. Sree Ramam Ravikulabdisomam-Narayanagowla
3. Vasudevam upasmahe- Malavapanchamam
4. Paradevatam brihad kujambam-Dhanyasi
5. Palayamam Paarvatheesa-Kannada

LAKSHMI RANGARAJAN
Accompanists. Dr.Hemalatha- Violin, Mannarkoil Balaji- Mridangam, K.V.Gopalakrishnan- Ganjira
List of songs.
1. Saraswati manohari- Saraswatimanohari
2. Sri soolinim sritapalinim- Sailadesakshi
3. Pahimam Rathnachalanayaka-Mukhari
4. Nagabharanam Nagajabharanam-Nagabharanam
5. Jagadeesa manohari- Eesamanohari
6. Sree Mangalambike-Kalyani
7. Mangalambayai namaste- Malavasree
8. Gowri Girirajakumari- Gowri
The above two programmes I sadly missed as I was engrossed in a very serious music discussion outside. I just got the list from my friend. Srividya is an upcoming vidushi coming from the school of Neyveli Santhanagopalan. I heard that her voice was quite good and she sang with poise and confidence. Lakshmi Rangarajan is a vidushi of considerable merit whom I have great respect and her concert will be of good standard. I have been greatly impressed by her concerts in earlier Akhandams for she picks up very rare compositions and present with considerable ease and poise. In this concert also, there are many unheard compositions and I missed an opportunity to hear them. (To be continued)

[CRama]

(Continued)
ASWATH NARAYANAN
Accompanists. B.Ananthakrishnan-Violin, R. Sankaranarayanan- Mridangam
List of songs.
1. Parvatikumaram bhavaye-Natakurinji (S)
2. Narmada kaveri teera nilaye- Namadesi
3. Gurumurthey bahu keerthey-Note
4. Brihaspathey-Athana
5. Sarasijanabhasodari-Nagagandhari
6. Hariharaputhram-Vasantha (R,S)
7. Santhatham Govindarajam- Note

Aswath, the upcoming singer and student of Padma Narayanaswamy presented a very good concert spreading an aura of KVN. His sruti aligned voice, visranti and manodharmam will keep him in good stead. The song in Namadesi is a new kriti for me.

JAYASREE AND JAYARAJ-VEENA
Accompanists. Umayalpuram Mali- Mridangam, Rajaraman- Ghatam.
List of songs.
1. Vaarahim Vaishnavim- Vegavahini (R,S)
2. Syamalangi Mathangi- Syamala (R)
3. Rangapuravihara- Brindavanasaranga(R)
4. Vamsavathi sivayuvathi-Vamsavathi
5. Sree Subramanyaya Namaste- Kambodi (R,T,S)
The Veena couple never fail to impress me with their vast repertoire and vidwath laden presentation of pure classical fare without any gimmicks. The couple had to spend 15 minutes in getting the connection for the Veena pick up. The Veena used by Jayaraj was electronic and that by Jayasree was Saraswathi Veena. In this concert also, they presented many rare kritis and the elaborate alapanas were reflective of their years of sadhakam and skill. A concert of a very high standard.

DR. SRIRAM PARASURAM-Vocal
Accompanists. B.U.Ganesh Prasad-Violin, Mannarkoil Balaji- Mridangam
List of songs.
1. Veenabheri- Abheri (R)
2. Sree Sathyanarayanam-Sivapanthuvarali (R)
3. Chetasree Balakrishnam- Dwijavanthi (R)
4. Rama Rama kali kalusha-Ramakali
5. Davalangi
This is the first pure Carnatic concert of Sriram Parasuram that I heard and it was very good. The brief alapana of Abheri with sudha dhaivatam revealed a different dimension of Abheri- had shades of Natabhairavi. He presented elaborate alapanas of the two ragams mentioned above which revealed his considerable vidwath and manodharmam.

DR.VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM
Accompanists. B.U.Ganesh Prasad-Violin, Poongulam Subramaniam- Mridangam
List of songs.
1. Pamarajanapalini-Simmendramadhyamam
2. Soundararajam- Brindavani. (R) (List incomplete)

I could not sit till the end of the programme as I came at 9.45 AM and my back was pleading for rest. So I left when Sriram Parasuram was singing Dwijavanti. The list I got from a friend.

There was good number of audience since morning for the entire day except a brief lull during afternoon. There was an aura of sanctity in the entire programme. Again it was almost full in the evening. Coffee, tea, Horlicks, Boost etc were available throughout the day and also sumptuous lunch in the afternoon. Kudos to the organisers- Suresh Bopparaju and team for their untiring enthu and commitment in organising the Akhandam every year.

[Rsachi]

सङ्गीतवरेण्यं दीक्षितमहानुभावं शिरसा नमामि ।
अखण्डगाननिवेदितवतः रसिकमहात्मनः प्रणामि ॥

[thanjavooran]

Shri C Rama,
Best detailed review. Many thanx for sharing the entire proceedings.
Shri Rsachi,
Excellent touching verse.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
15 03 2016

[rshankar]

Sri C Rama - thank you! You made our day with your perfect report on the proceedings. Your back certainly deserves rest and recuperation.

I have been looking for a good recording of the sarasvatimanOhari kRti presented by Smt. Lakshmi Rangarajan ever since I heard a lec-dem by Sri RK Shriram Kumar. I believe that this and the kamalAmanOhari kRti (kanjadalAyatAkshI) are sister kRtis on kAmAkshi. Do you know if the event was recorded? I would like to listed to Smt. Seetha Rajan's presentation as well.

[CRama]

rshankar. The prog was video recorded. But I am not sure if we may get access to it. But I may be having the Saraswatimanohari kriti sung by DKP and Brindamukta. I will check the recordings and upload if you need it.

[CRama]

RSachi bahu dhanyavadah

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Though I could attend only the forenoon slots, it was enjoyable to have CRama and a couple of like-minded enthusiasts to savour the extremely valuable proceedings of the Akhandam. Prof. R. Thiagarajan, who spoke at the beginning indicated that Dikshitar kritis (Naalikera Paakam) offer a vast treasure for study /analysis from various angles. The day also happened to be the birthday of the great Vaaggeyakaara.

It could be easily noted that there are 'more than one school' of Paathaantaram often leading to a doubt which is the 'original'! Veenapustaka pallavi is one such. As CRama has noted, the kriti 'Maaye' is more enjoyable when sung in the Madhyamasruti in the SSI /MS style. Sathur AG Subramaniam also used to revel in the rendering of Maaye. This was often broadcast in the morning 'Udayageetam' of AIR Trivandrum in the sxties /seventies.

Kalaavati kamalaasanayuvati is a kriti wherein S Balachander has literally extracted the raga-sahitya bhaava to the core.

[Rajani]

CRama Sir,
Thank you very much for the detailed notes on this wonderful event. We all will be greatly indebted if you can get the concerts uploaded for us to listen (again), because these rare ragas need multiple listenings to really appreciate and understand.

Just to add some small details:
The song Sri. Sriram Parasuram sang was in Dhavalangam was "Shrngaradi navarasangi". He also sang a rare "Stavarajadi" in Stavaraja before the Hindolam.

Dr Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam's complete list:
1. Pamarajanapalini-Sumadyuti -S
2. Svaminathena - Brindavani - R
3. Mangalambike - Ghanta
4. Mahalingeshvaram - Paras
5. Kumbheshvaraya - Kalyani - R,N, S, Tani)
6. Mangaladevate - Margadesi
7. Kancheesham - Nottuswaram
8. Maye tvam - Tarangini ( same version as Vid. Seetha Rajan's group in the morning)

[rshankar]

But I may be having the Saraswatimanohari kriti sung by DKP and Brindamukta. I will check the recordings and upload if you need it.

Yes, please!! TIA.

[Rajani]

The Veenas played by Sri Jeyaraj and Smt. Jaysri are both Saraswathi Veenas. I confirmed with them just now.

[Rajani]

Ravi : you can get the versions CRama sir has mentioned, at
http://sangeethapriya.org/tributes/diks ... ithis.html
It may also save him the trouble of searching through his collection.

[rshankar]

Oh..thank you.

[pattamaa]

i was happy to be part of it, though i sadly missed trip to ettayapuram a day before... may be next year.

quick observations

1. need to watch out for mayee... very different, should be with suddha dhaivatham... a different pathantaram.
2. happy to hear Smt Laksmi & Ashwath - brilliant ones, kept me engaged even though it was afternoon...very traditional and chaste concerts
3. Dr sowmya - brilliant effort - thought this is often beaten to death, but she had new life infused to renderings and her post song annectodes and lecture.. Particularly on yamuna kalyani... she could hardly control her tears after her rendering... i checked with her on what is her source on these, she said she read multiple philosophy books and learnt. It is work making a visit to her home and learn more... any takers ? CRama ?
4. JJ - I missed out first two songs, as i took a snacks break.... brilliant throughout, hearing them after long gap... looking forward to hear...
5. Sriram Parasuram - he choose all hindustani based compositions, loved his hindolam alapana and neerajakshi.... well presented...

missed vijayalakshmi ...

Young vidya sang very well, i heard her only last 5 minutes, but that's enough (oru paani sottrukku oru soru padam...)

the event was video recorded, hope it comes out commercially or otherwise

thanks to organizers... looking for more such events throughout year, not just once...

[pattamaa]

I can post details on what sowmya spoke on each of keerthanas or on Prof Thyagarajan speech if there is interest (and if at all i find time

[Rsachi]

Pattamaa,
Please share Dr Sowmya's comments and elucidations. Thank you.

[HarishankarK]

I can post details on what sowmya spoke on each of keerthanas or on Prof Thyagarajan speech if there is interest (and if at all i find time

Oh yes, kindly do post the details.

[CRama]

Rajani. Thanks a lot for completing the list and for all other valuable inputs. I along with other members in this forum do request Suresh Bopparaju to upload the concerts in you tube or make it available commercially. This will benefit the music lovers at large. Even last yer we made such a request. But nothing happened. Let us hope that something will materialise this year.

In Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam concerts, you have mentioned Mahalingeswaram in Paras. I presume it is Chinthaye Mahalingamurthim in Paras. Or is there a different song. Pl clarify. Also, Maye in Tarangini- a couple of years back, I heard VS singing this with sudha dhaivatam as per the original Tarangini but in Madhyama sruti- an amlagam of both Taranginis. This time whether she sang in Madhyama sruti or sama sruti. Pl clarify..

Thanks for clarifying that both the Veenas played were Saraswathi Veena. The Veena played by Jayaraj was not very sharp. Hence I thought it is electronic.

pattamaa, Thanks for the additional inputs. Pl post the elucidations of Dr.Sowmya. It will benefit a lot of music lovers. I could not take down all those.

[vilomachapu]

Three have written about madhyama sruti rendition of 'mAyE'. Whether madhyama sruti or not the rendtions of MMI/SSI/MS are all wrong because they sing the song as a janya of the 28th mELA. The original tarangiNi is the 26th mELA according to Venkatamaksh tradition (chArukEshi according to the so-caled sampUrNa mELa paddhatti). And that was what was sung in the Akhandam. The so called madhyama sruti version sounds more pleasing because that is how we have heard it for decades. This applies for various other kritis which have been changed either out of ajnAnam or deliberately. When we hear the original we naturally feel uncomfortable like the shaDSvidsamArguiNi song, 'jAnamosagarAdA'. which was changed to pUrvikalyANi. We as rasikas should encourage musicians who sing the original versions and reject the duplicates.

[kvchellappa]

"Beauty and not tradition is the touchstone of all style. And what may be beauty in style during the eighteenth century is not necessarily that in the twentieth. I have no respect for that much abused word "tradition” the sense in which it is largely used. If respect for tradition were carried to its logical conclusion we should still be living in the Stone Age, doing as our forefathers had done before us. Tradition in music, as in all else, is the antithesis of progress, it is the letter which kills the living spirit. The truth of one age is bound to be modified by the events of another, for truth is progressive. The aesthetic truth of one period "the interpretative truth of one generation" may be accounted a falsehood by the tenets of the next. For each age sets its own standards, forms its own judgments."
from
'Violin Playing as I teach it' by Leopold Auer

[bhakthim dehi]

Not only the word tradition is much abused, it is also much interpreted.
Tradition - is a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past - Wikipedia.
Simply it is the way of doing things which has been given to us by your predecessors. To cite an example, we celebrate many functions in a year. The day in which these functions to be celebrated is not common always for everyone. Festivals like Krishna jayanthi, Upakarma fall under this category. We decide the day only according to our family practises, though the function per say is common. This can very well be compared to our music. Manodharma sangeetham is definitely based on the tradition, we imbibe only from our guru by learning or being with them or observing them. But the Kalpita sangeetham must not differ (unfortunately it is not so).
Respect has to be given for the composer whic gave us these treasures; they know much more than what we know. If we are going to give much importance to esthetics than the versions to kaplita sangeetham, there is no need to assign any ragam or taalam to our compositions. I might feel chintaye mahalinga murthim to be more esthetic when sung in kalyani; for another in begada.
Now forumites can imagine.

[Rajani]

CRama sir - to answer your queries:
- The Paras kriti was "Mahalingeshwaram Madhyarjuna", not starting with Cintaye
- Maaye was sung in Sama shruti. My friend's mother, a long-time rasika, said Dr VS sang the same version 2 years back
- Interestingly I found some of the earlier Akhandam concerts on youtube, uploaded by Parivadini or the concerned artistes

Pattamma - Please do post Dr Soumya's explanations.

[vsarmaiitm]

Thank you Sri CRama and Pattama for encouraging words about Kum. Srividya, my daughter. Srividya is entering into 10th grade at KV IIT Madras and is disciple of Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan sir. She is learning veena from her mother Smt Sujana. I could not attend this program as we had Thyagaraja aradhana on the same day in IIT Madras campus and being one of the organiszer had to be here !
Srividya and Sri. L. Subramanian (the very talented mridangam artist who accompanied Srividya in the above program and undergraduate student of IIT Madras ) are blessed to have participated in both the Saint Tyagaraja and Muthuswamy Deekahistar akhandams on the same day !
The violinist is Kum. Deepika Venkataraman, another very promising youngster and disciple of Kum. A. Kanyakumari.
I hope Sri. Sureshkumar will upload the recordings of the some of the concerts atleast !

[Sivaramakrishnan]

bhakthim dehi,

Your points well taken.
However ,
Let us give an 'one-time amnesty' for the 'popular' versions (like Maaye, nagumo) BUT ensure that there occurs no aberrations in future.
This may help render / listen to concerts without any 'sense of guilt'!

[kvchellappa]

This has been discussed elsewhere. How many ragas have remained the same say in the last 100 years?
language, art, rivers change course.

[bhakthim dehi]

They continue to change till people give importance to esthetics; not willing to appreciate the real raga svaroopam.

[CRama]

bhaktim dehi, If your point is accepted, who in the present scenario will be qualified to teach all the musicians the raga swaroopam that existed 100 years ago?

[bhakthim dehi]

very difficult question to answer. But, I feel the following suggestions can be considered:
1. not eschewing the old phrases (which is alive in certain schools) just because they dont confirm with the present avarohana avarohana of a ragam.
2. not eliminating the phrases {in the name of innovation or by giving more importance to arohana avarohana scheme (eg) ndns, srgr in anandhabhairavi} present in the original raga lakshnam
3. having some basic knowledge about our old treatises.
4. trying to include some phrases mentioned in those treatises (atleast in the manodharma sangeetham).

[kvchellappa]

Art evolves and lays aside prescriptions. All changes will not survive, and those that survive have shown their vitality.
Swaroopam is a tricky concept. We know that a living thing changes its swaroopam, but retains a certain identity.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Workshops on the subject will help a lot.

[satyabalu]

C Rama !it was Astika Samajam ( Tiruvanmiyur) Narasimhan who spoke on Vid.Seetha Rajan's presentation.
PS High school ,I feel is a preferred place for such events for the ambience ,thanks to AC auditorium.
I missed the "Lakshmi " part of Vid Sita Rajan presentation.All presented in unison as told by C Rama.
Dr Sowmya has kindled the interest to unravel what are Panchalinga Kshetra Kritis.Her explanations on each Kshetra and common features in all those Kritis in prayoga,reiterating the same words in All the Kritis "Charanaravindam" were simply out of the world.Sri Vidya had presented with confidence with her Dhanyasi to be rated best.
Lakshmi Rangarajan came out with Kritis on rare ragas.( To be continued).

[Sivaramakrishnan]

A CD on Panchabhuta kritis sung by Bombay JaiShree with a unique 'celestial' orchestration by (late) L Vaidyanathan (of the violin trio) some 15 years ago was a monumental one. It contained vedic chanting (prefixed for each song by vaidikas) and instruments used were traditional (except violin) & the sound effects for the 5 elements were incorporated beautifully.
Whenever I hear of Panchabhuta kritis, this comes to my mind. When I met LV at a function where he was awarded the 'Naadakkanal' title, I expressed my humble appreciation for the album. A wry smile was his reply. Perhaps the album was not marketed well.
( I think the songs in the album are available in youtube now.)

[MaheshS]

A CD on Panchabhuta kritis sung by Bombay JaiShree with a unique 'celestial' orchestration by (late) L Vaidyanathan (of the violin trio) some 15 years ago was a monumental one. It contained vedic chanting (prefixed for each song by vaidikas) and instruments used were traditional (except violin) & the sound effects for the 5 elements were incorporated beautifully.
( I think the songs in the album are available in youtube now.)

Do you have the Youtube link by any chance? I can't find it ... thanks!

[Sivaramakrishnan]

MaheshS,
Well, I too find that many links are unavailable now in youtube.
However I could locate only one: the Kedaram song if you type Ananda Natana Prakasam Bombay Jayashree.
But the vedic chants are not there.

[CRama]

Reg Rajani post at 22, I clarify that Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam sang Maaye in Madhyma Sruti only as confirmed by one of my musician friends. Two years back also, she sang in Madhyama sruti only- it is available in you tube.

[Rajani]

Thanks for the clarification sir.

[vsarmaiitm]

The audio of the concert of Kum. Srividya at the following link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mjvIZ-8yJg