AISWARYA SANKAR IN PALLAVI DARBAR-2/7/16

[CRama]

Upcoming vidushi Aiswarya Sankar, disciple of Suguna Varadachary, presented a Dwi raga Dwi nadai pallavi in the Pallavi Darbar for the Pallavi competition and emerged WINNER of the pallavi competition. She richly deserved the prize for the imagination, hardwork and confidence in which she presented the most intricate pallavi. (Other contestants were Sunil Gargeyan, Meghana Murthy and Anahitha and Apoorva Ravindran). The pallavi was in two ragams- Saveri and Gowrimanohari and set to Khanda Triputa talam. The Poorvangam was in Khanda nadai and Utharangam in Misra nadai. Total 53 aksharams. The sahithyam of the pallavi was
Madhava Sodari Tripurasundari Saveri
Gowrimanohari Ennai aadari.

Aiswarya presented detailed alapana and tanam of both the ragams seamlessly gliding from each other which was very skilfully done. Gowrimanohari is a ragam rarely taken up for elaboration in the concert platform. Both the ragams were presented with the characteristic phrases, long akara passages, jarus and brighas in the right mix. The tanam had also nice patterns embedded in it. The pallavi was presented in all its majesty and the elaborate neraval added sheen to the pallavi. After elaborate kalpana swarams in both the ragams, Ragamalika swarams in Bhairavi, Kalyani, Kamalamanohari, Sudhasaveri, Ramamanohari and Neelambari were icing on the cake. The ragamalika swarams were crafted in such a way that they will land in the ragamudras in famous kritis in those ragams. Trikalam was done with precision. Aiswarya performed one novel and complex task. She bifurcated poorvangam and utharangam as two parts and while she sang the first part in reducing speed (4,3,2,1) she increased the speed in the second part (1,2,3,4). This was separately done for poorvangam and utharangam. This was a tight rope walking which she did with perfection. Once Pallavi exponent J.Venkatraman Sir demonstrated this. But I have never seen anybody attempting this. She later sang the pallavi in 1 kalai also and sang kalpana swarams in 1 kalai.She also performed Chatusra Khandam and Chatusra Tisram. The pallavi was very enlightening one for many like me as we learnt many new things from this pallavi. A big Sabash to Aiswarya who had packed so many intricate things in the pallavi and present it in an enjoyable manner without compromising on the aesthetics.

M.Vijay on the Violin and Kumbakonam Swaminathan on the Mridangam provided excellent support to Aiswarya in execution of this tricky pallavi. The pallavi is available in you tube.

[rajeshnat]

Congratulations Aiswarya Sankar - she has a great guru . Nice combo of saveri and gowrimanohari.

[grsastrigal]

Leave alone the artist and her excellent rendition. Your understanding of this RTP and its intricacies deserves another award.