Ideas & Views

Uttamarseeli is a small village  located 13kms from Srirangam on the way to Kallanai ( Grand Anicut) in Tiruchirappalli district.  Daily town bus facility is available on regular intervals from Tiruvanaikoil bus stop to Kallanai. Uttamarseeli is only a few bus stops ahead of Kallanai Dam. Srirangam is known for being the island surrounded by Cauvery and Kollidam rivers - Cauvery splits into cauvery and kollidam tributaries to surround Sri Ranganathar as a garland and then rejoins into one Cauvery river again further east. Uttamarseeli is also situated in this same piece of island.  In the serene village of Uttamarseeli, surrounded by paddy fields, is a temple for Sri Venugopala Swamy. I am not aware who built this temple. But the temple has been there even before my grandfather's time period, more than 150 years ago. This temple has been our native deity (kula deivam). The main moorthy of the temple is Sridevi Boodevi samedha (on either side) Sri Venugopalan playing a fl

Ragam: AnandaBairavi     Thalam:Adi பல்லவி வேங்குழல் ஊதிடும் வேணுகோபாலா பக்தர்கள் போற்றிடும் பரமதயாளா அனு பல்லவி ஆனந்தபைரவியில் பாடி மகிழ்ந்தேன் (உன்னை) ஆனந்த ரூபனே ஆதி நாராயணா சரணம் கறவைகள் மேய்த்திடும் கோவிந்தா எங்கள் குறைகளை தீர்த்திடும் கருணாகரா அரவிந்த நாயகியின் மணவாளா உன் புகழ் பாடினோம் தாமோதரா  கண்ணா

Ragam: Surutti    Thalam: Adi பல்லவி கண்ணணுக்கே படைத்தோம் இசையமுது - மாயக் கள்வனே தான் எங்கள் கனியமுது அனு பல்லவி கார்முகில் வண்ணனாய் கோலம் கொண்டாய் அந்த கல்லணை அருகில் கோயில் கொண்டாய் சரணம் சிறுவனாய் வெண்ணையை திருடி தின்றாய் - கோ பாலனாய் கோபியர் லீலை செய்தாய் மாதவனே மதுசூதனனே எங்கள் தெய்வமாய் வேங்குழல் ஊதி நின்றாய்

Ragam: Nilambari    Thalam: Adi பல்லவி வேணு கோபாலா  கிருஷ்ணா முராரி நவநீத சோரா கிருஷ்ணா கிரிதாரி அனு பல்லவி உத்தமர்சீலியில் ஓய்யாரமாகவே கானமழை பொழிகின்றாய் கிருஷ்ணா சரணம் புல் தின்னும் மாடுகள் மேய்ந்திடும் மத்தியில் புல்லாங்குழல் கொண்ட தேவாதி தேவா கல்லுருவாய் நின்ற கருணைக்கடலே கலியுக கடவுளே கருமணியே கிருஷ்ணா

The first rhymes I composed for my daughter three years ago.  மாதவா  கேசவா ராகவா வா வா அச்சுதா அனந்தா முத்தம்  தா தா தா ஸ்ரீதரா ஸ்ரீகரா தாமோதரா ரா ரா லா ல லா விட்டலா லா ல லா ல லா ல லா ராதிகா கோபிகா க்ஷீதிகா  ககக ராதை கோதை சீதை தித்தித்தை பைஷ்மிகி ஜானகி ரெங்க நாயகி  கிகிகி ருக்மிணி மைதிலி வைதேஹி ஹி ஹி ஹி

குருகூரில் பிறந்தவனே (திரு) குரு பரம்பரையில் உயர்ந்தவனே நாரணன்  நாமம் நாட்டியவனே நான்மறை தமிழில் தந்தவனே வைகாசி விசாகத்தில் உதித்தவனே வைணவம் தழைய வாழ்ந்தவனே   மதுரகவியை ஈர்த்தவனே மதுசூதன் விஷயம் உரைத்தவனே மாதவன் புகழ் பாடியவனே - இவணை மாறன் என்று அறிவோமே

Presenting my first full kriti composition in Ragam Kamboji, dedicating to our family's native deity Sri Venugopala Swamy in Uttamarseeli village.  பல்லவி  குல தெய்வமே உன்னை கொண்டாடினேன் குழல் ஊதும் கண்ணனாய் உத்தமர்சீ லியில் கோயில் கொண்ட  அனு பல்லவி அரவிந்த நாயகியாம் தாயார் சந்நிதியில்  எழுந்து அருள் புரிகின்றாளாம்   சரணம் சிறிய வீதியும் உண்டு ஊரில் வயல்கள் சூழ்ந்திட மாடுகள் மேய்ந்திட காவிரி நதி பாய துளசி வனம் நடுவில் வேங்குழல் ஊதுவான் வேணுகோபால தாசன் பாட

In a time when much hype is built around the carnatic musician's lineage than the individual's mettle, Smt.Mangalam Shankar comes across like a pristine lotus in a pond of turbulent currents. Am I hyping Smt.Mangalam? Not at all. Look at the musicians whose hands move even during pauses in the kriti (you-know-who). Look at the ones wearing too much make-up and bright color costumes with impeccable paper jasmine! Look at the ones with big pile of music notations - both paper and laptop versions - in front of them on stage. Indeed, we end up looking at things purposely displayed on stage to demand our attention.  A  music concert is a listening event to enrich soul. Think about it. With a splendid selection of kritis for the theme "Kannanum Skandanum", Smt. Mangalam and the entire team of accompaniments has given a charming concert with her 2 disciples. No gaudy colors and hand distractions, not even closing the eyes. Please note the absence of music notes in

There is nothing comparable to meeting high school and college friends and spending time recollecting the good old times. The same goes with listening to sweet old melodies - singing them with complete strangers and making new friendship. I haven't had much of a music discussion with anybody in a long long time. Then I met this person in a wedding at NY. She had a very soothing voice and a oh-wow classic style of patantharam and kelvi gyanam. With one song, we struck the chord. We immediately quipped who had rendered that song in album and arrived at the topic Bombay Jayashri. Then we sat together and sang one song after another, enjoying between us the ragas and BJ's stamp of sangathis.  BJ's Karnatic Classical album from Sangeetha Music stands out even to this day, two decades after it was released. Her rendition of those kritis are deeply emblazoned in one's consciousness that no newer version is acceptable to the mind. We started relishing BJ's "Uyyal

I read in a trust worthy source that Mahabharata has more versions than Ramayana. Mahabharata, as weaved by the greatest author of all times - Veda Vyasa, is such a grand theme of numerous smaller grand themes. It is a wonder to find writers of today attempting their retelling of this masterpiece. The uniqueness of this book, though, are the illustrations. Illustrations do not refer to cartoon sketches depicting events, but author's analysis and description of what a certain dialogue or incident tells about life in that time period, people, their morals, values and culture. These illustrations are provided as footnote at the bottom of each page wherever they are required.  My ideas about Hinduism, its two biggest epics and its practice has changed over time with constant enquiry, reference and understanding.  Wouldn't like to elaborate it here. BUT..... I read the book more than a year ago.  "Mahabharata is a story of all illegitimate sons", said a c

There are many a reviews and even previews before the book was released, probably, to make people want to read. Such publicity announced the arrival of the new book to me, but is not what made me read it. Malcolm Gladwell has a powerful and entertaining narration with a twist in the tale of human thinking. Having raised in a middle income family and strict societal structure in India, adversity has been the best teacher. The adversity could be in any form - monetary, intellectual, emotional and physical challenges. Some of us realize it early in our teenage, and some in adult life.This book highlights some with examples from history. There was quite a ga-ga about the book. Once the author becomes popular, the readers and media build huge expectations. It is no fault of his if he does not live up. He likes writing  and he writes. I wouldn't rate this the best of his works. I like reading his works and sure enough will read another of his book too. The ideas presented in Blin

How can anyone so well versed in a system of music not compose? I am sarcastically amazed at how some veterans keeping chewing the same old kritis written in a totally different era again and again and again. Same sahityams, even same sangatis!  A perennial musician's block, just like writer's block. "பெரியவா பாடி வெச்சுட்டு போயிருக்கா, நாம புதுசா ஏதும் செய்ய போறதில்லை". Crap. Innovation has to be there at all levels, in any playing field. More so for a music field where creativity could truly take beautiful shapes. A long time musician should atleast write short and sweet poems of his own feelings, compose and sing them in regular kutcheri formats. I am bored of everyday performances by everyday artistes.

Carnatic music sahityam/lyrics has critical contributions from the Trinity - Saint Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. Their kritis are soaked in bhakti towards a specific Hindu deity (Rama, Shiva or the Lordess). apart from the Trinity, various composers like Oothakadu Venkata Kavi, PurandaraDasa, Gopala Krishna Bharati, Papanasam Sivan, et all wrote kritis expressing devotion towards a Hindu deity of their choice. Devoion or bhakti could also be expressed in various bhavas like nindha stuti and viraha bhavam. Carnatic music hence is exclusively Hindu devotional music as of now.  Bhakti movement played a great role in giving a lyrics based niche to Carntaic music rather than a Raga based. "Sangeetha gyanamu bhakti vina" ! So sang St.Tyagaraja. Why is this so? Ragas form the foundation structure for carnatic music system. Any feeling can be expressed very beautifully in this system. Any content matter in lyrics can be brought to beauty. Why are there not compos

Carnatic music is  a  highly evolved art form with careful, diligent and scholarly contributions by many geniuses. By itself it is an equivalent of Hinduism, a way of life. It has a strong foundation and a wonderful structure. More importantly, it throws open infinite possibilities for manodharma, imagination and creativity. There is a widely prevalent notion that Carnatic music is too structured and very elitist. I have heard so from many who did not have much idea what it is all about. It is the lyrics that make one feel alienated from carnatic music and not the music itself. Can music ever be constrained within the realm of lyrics? What about instrumental music?  Carnatic music has a significant percentage of contribution from the Trinity. Religious flavor, deriving from all the Bhakti movements of the past, runs high in its veins. Bhakti is not the only emotion that we feel all the times of the day. We all necessarily don't worship Rama the same way we worship Shiva. Also, ma

The farewell is over and here I stand in the middle of nowhere Or is it the beginning of a road I am not fully aware of. I have no concrete plans, No passion, no dreams,  Few ideas and vague thoughts, None too clear and calling. My mind is still and my slate is blank.

A farewell poem ..... To hear the morning birds sing, To smell the sweet roses, To watch the green grass grow, To bask in the mid noon sun, To smile at a stranger and mean it, To watch the children play, To see a flower blossom, To feel the rain on my face, To whistle at the humming of bees, To dance a jig, To read the position of sun, To gaze at stars all through the night, To play a game of run and catch, To meet old friends and have hearty laughs, To make a funny face and soothe a  crying baby, To wander away in woods, To turn off all gadgets, To stop and drop all thoughts, To pause and feel life, If not now, when else, For life is only once.