SARIGAMAPADHANI - STRIVING TO SERVE !
Annual Day & Award Function of SARIGAMAPADHANI FOUNDATION, Chennai 40, was celebrated at Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, P. S. Higher Secondary School Complex, Chennai 4 on the 11th January. Inaugurated by the Worshipful Mayor of Chennai, Sri M. A. Subramanian and presided by Dr. Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti, the function had its Guests of Honour, Sri A. Natarajan, former Director of Dhoordarshan and Sri A. Satish Kumar, M. D., Henkal Spic India Ltd.
There were two programmes, one a carnatic concert and another a dance number by a duo and as the function was started at 5.30 p.m., half an hour behind schedule, there seemed hastening of the activities on the stage. Nevertheless, the entire function went on as lively as was anticipated.
Ms. Mahanadhi Shobana presented the Prayer song, very piously. Perfect intonation of her graceful voice for the Invocation, introduced an ambience of divinity in toto.
In his welcome address, Sri Narayana Vishwanath, Editor-in-chief of the Foundation praised the Worshipful Mayor for his having kindly accepted the invitation and for his presence at the function; also praised the Chettiar for his magnanimous services for the promotion of the art and culture, wherever they are performed. The Editor also recalled the Chettiar’s financial assistance for various programmes, for sponsoring them and for successful conduct of all such events. He also added that without the Chettiar’s generosity, the Foundation and its monthly Tamil magazine SARIGAMAPADHANI would not have sustained growth this far. There were several lighter moments to be shared. The Editor while commending the Chettiar’s generosity, shared his view thus: `the music has seven notes in SA RI GA MA PA DHA NI and even in silk and textiles also, the very same colours only are used to make into scores of shades; when all these colours are merged into one, what comes out is white; this is why, the Chettiar always appears in lily white dress. (What a comparison, when subsequently a chance came, Maharajapuram Sri Srinivasan added that not that the Chettiar’s dress alone is white, but even his heart as well). The Chettiar’s love for the music and arts is thus linked to the seven colours/notes.
Dr. Nalli Kuppuswamy Chettiar, very amiable personality, narrated beautifully certain interesting instances during his association with the field of arts and culture.
The Editor introduced four awardees, on whom the Worshipful Mayor of Chennai conferred titles.
The four awardees were
1. Maharajapuram Sri S. Srinivasan, who is presently the Aasthaana Vidhwan for Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt in Tamilnadu and also Thumkur Vyasarayar Mutt in Karnataka state. He is a Trustee in both Maharajapuram Vishwanathar Charitable Trust and Maharajapuram Santhanam Foundation. He won meritorious award for his concert at the Music Academy in the year 2001. He had earlier received `Thaenisai Thenral’ and ‘Simmadhwani Samrat’ titles. He was referred to as the 6th generation musician in the Maharajapuram family. (But none at the function made a mention that the musician has already groomed his son Maharajapuram S. Ganesh Viswanathan, who is now an upcoming vocalist. This young singer has been giving his vocal support to his father on all the concerts. This Ganesh had his solo concerts too during this music season). Maharajapuram Srinivasan, who has also rendered several performances abroad as well, was awarded ‘NAADHA SRI’ title.
2. The second awardee was Dr. Neena Prasad, who is an exponent in all four major dance styles of South India; she learnt Bharatnatyam from Padmashri Adyar K. Laxman; Mohini Attam from Kalaa Mandalam; Kuchipudi from Padmabhushan Vembatti Chinna Sathyam and Kathakali from Vembhaiyan Appu Kuttan Pillai. A post-graduate in English Literature and a doctorate from Kokatta Ravindra Bharathi University. Earlier conferred with Rotary and Kalaa Thilagam awards, besides special award for her dance performces at the Academy in the year 2001. She is associated with several organizations of the Kerala Government in the development of the Arts. She is credited with having choreographed and staged dance dramas such as Kaavya Narthagi, Amrapali, Sakunthala. She is a multilinguist, having fluency in Tamizh, Telugu, Hindi and English, besides her mother tongue Malayalam. She is very popular among the audiences throughout the world. The Worshipful Mayor conferred on her ‘NRITYA SRI’ title at the function.
3. The third awardee was Ms. Seetha Ratnagar a renowned dancer is presently the Assistant Director of Chennai Dhoordarshan, having joined it as Programme Producer in the year 1975. She started learning lat a tender age. She is a disciple of K. J. Sarasa in Bharatnatyam and of Vembhatti Chinna Sathyam in Kuchipudi. To her credit are dance dramas like Viraalimalaikuravanchi, Sthree, Manimaekalai, Saakunthalam, Raamabhakthi, Leelavathi, Nouka Charithram, Leela maadhavan, Srinivasa Kalyanam etc., which take part at the national level. She has performed abroad also, in Singapore, Malaysia, Srilanka, America and so on. It is praiseworthy that she has been a `silent’ social worker and has done yeoman services to many mentally retarded, deaf and dumb children. The Worshipful Mayor conferred on her ‘VIDYA SRI’ title at the function.
4. The fourth awardee was Harikesanallur Sri Venkatraman, from the family Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavathar (who got the very first doctorate title in the music world, was Aasthana Vidhwan of the Mysore palace and was conferred titles such as Kayaga Sigaamani and Sangeetha Kalanidhi). Sri Venkatraman is the great-grand-son of this Muthaiah Bhgavathar’s own brother. It is also to be recalled here that Sri Venkatraman’s father’s maternal uncle was T. L. Venkatrama Iyyar, who was a renowned Supreme Court Judge, besides being a reputed musicologist, Music Academy’s president and the one who popularized Sri Muthuswami Dhikshitar’s krithis. Sri Venkatraman has been an established music critic, journalist, producer of TV programmes, versatile VJ, apart from being an Astrologer. Above all, his music reviews have been regularly appearing in the tamil leading daily `Thina Thanthi’. The Worshipful Mayor conferred on her ‘GNAANA SRI’ title at the function.
The Worshipful Mayor gave certificates of merits to Ms. Keiko Watanabe, Ms. Mio Ikeda and Sri Aadith Narayan, Bharatnatyam exponents. The former two are Japanese by birth.
WITH THE KEEN INVOLVEMENT THAT ALL THESE SEVEN ARTISTS HAVE BEEN SHOWING, THEY DO DESERVE THE AWARDS, WHICH GO TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO EXCEL MORE AND MORE!
During his crisp speech, the Worshipful Mayor lauded the awardees’ milestones in their professional careers and added that he was equally proud for their bringing laurels to the Tamil culture. It is noteworthy that he had jotted down, within minutes of his arrival there, the awardees’ achievements, and delivered his speech highlighting them in it wonderfully.
In their felicitation, Sri A. Natarajan spoke on how deserving these awardees were and recollected instances from his sweet memories during his tenure with the Dhoordarshan.
Each of the awardees took just two minutes to express their gratitude for this Foundation’s gesture and for the recognition that they have received. They assured of their still more dedicated services in their respective fields.
There was music concert of Maharajapuram Sri S. Srinivasan, competently supported by his son Maharajapuram S. Ganesh Viswanathan. The concert started with SRI MAHAGANAPATHAE in Naattai ragam. Weaving artistic kalpanaswarams, the vocalists exhibited, the ample scope that is hidden in them. This was followed by Vasantha raga krithi GOWRI SUGUMARI. The vocalist took up the Saint Thyagarajar’s Kannada Gowlai krithi ORAJHOOPU.
There was Kalyani alapana that was brimmed with not-so-commonly used prayogas. The whole presentation was neat and melodious. Ghanam Krishnayyar’s krithi PAARENGU PAARTHAALUM followed.
The singer then appreciably presented THIRUKEDHEESWARA, a composition by his father (Sangeetha Kalaanidhi Maharajapuram Santhanam) in Durbari Kaanada ragam. This krithi on Lord Mahalingaswamy had all the aesthetic elements that go with the Durbari Kaanada ragam and such it was very well received by the rasigas.
In presenting Swami Dhayaanandh Saraswathi’s composition BHO SAMBHO in Revathi ragam, the musician made his concert a memorable one, as always.
VILAIYAADA IDHU NAERAMAA in Shanmugapriya followed. A krithi of Balu and popularized by the Maharajapurams, this was appealing and the audience visualized the emotions of the composer and got moved by the way this krithi was presented.
Sri M. A. Sundaresan’s support with his Violin was very vibrant. Umayalpuram Sri Mali’s Mridangam was very effective and the mridangist fulfilled the expectation in the Thani, within the limited duration available. In a concert that lasted for just 50 minutes, the artistes packed it with ingredients of raga delineation, neraval and swaraprastharams in optimum proportion.
by nagraj – 98415 99940