Year: Nov 1975
Place: Singapore
My Grandmother Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi along with my Grandfather T Sadasivam, my mother and her sister Radha and Vijaya respectively and the team of brilliant musicians Kandadevi Sri Alagiriswamy, Guru Kaaraikudi Mani and Sri Vikku Vinayakram landed at the Paya Lebar Airport in Singapore.
As they waited for their luggage in the baggage area, in a corner someone spotted Vikku Vinayakram in tears.
His Ghatam had arrived in a broken condition due to mishandling by ground staff
Musicians fervently believe that their instruments are infused with "Jeeva" (Life) and the relationship with an instrument is more often than not deeply personal.
Added to this, was the fact that only a miracle could now ensure that Vikku Mama took the stage along with my grandmother and mother for the ensuing concert.
Unlike in present times, in those days it was next to impossible to find alternative instruments in a foreign land.
Nevertheless to the credit of the Singapore organisers they launched an immediate hunt for a Ghatam with the appropriate Sruti.
As providence would have it, just a few hours before the concert was to begin at Victoria Concert & Theatre Hall, someone mentioned that one Wilfred Douglas Anthony a Singaporean Tamil of Ceylonese Origin, a detective by profession, was a collector of Ghatams and a keen amateur Ghatam player himself !
Vikku Mama was taken to Sri Anthony's home and to the former' s delight a Ghatam with the exact Sruti was found.
With the Ghatam now firmly in his hands, a delighted Vikku Mama rushed to the concert hall.The Kutcheri was a fantastic success and the Taniavartanam brought the audience (blissfully unaware about the drama behind the scenes
) to their feet !After the concert Sri Anthony requested my Grandmother and my Grandfather and all the artists to sign on the Ghatam.
He said that as a tribute to the memory of this historic concert he would preserve this Ghatam carefully and would not use it henceforth for any other purpose.
The autographed Ghatam was respectfully placed in a glass case and carefully secured in the pooja room (altar) of Sri Anthony's home where it stayed safe and sound for many decades.
A few months before he shed his mortal coils, WIlfred Douglas Anthony handed over this precious gift to Sri Shankar Rajan, Principal of SIFAS Singapore for safekeeping in whose home it is now
safely ensconced.
PS: Prior to my daughter S.Aishwarya's concert at SIFAS Singapore on July 1st 2017, Sri Shankar Rajan told me this story and I am therefore extremely thankful to him. Further details have been corroborated by my mother Smt Radha Viswanathan.
Picture Credit : Sri Shankar Rajan.
