NEWS & NOTES
SRUTI ENTERS 30th YEAR Pattabhi Raman remembered on his 80th anniversary
ctober 2012 is a significant footing. The film had present Trustee a beautiful violin and mridanga month for Sruti, India’s of the Sruti Foundation Sukanya prelude and Roja performed with premier magazine for the Sankar talking about the plans of the elegantly understated emotions. performing arts. Not only did it enter magazine. The main challenge now is Oth th Chidambaram is also one of the its 30 year on 16 October, the 80 to get younger readership and a step 275 “paadal petra sthalam-s” that birth anniversary of its late Founder- towards that is the online version and has been praised in the songs of the Editor falls on 24 October 2012. It blog. Over the years the Sruti issues Nayanmars and Saivite devotees. It was a double celebration from 19 to featured profiles of top musicians is also a holy place for Vaishnavites. 21 October at the Bharatiya Vidya and dancers, the who’s who of the art Bharathi sang some beautiful hymns Bhavan, Chennai. It was a stormy world. Sruti’s horizon has expanded of Sambandar, as well as a melodious day with heavy rain flooding the now and also features theatre work, Tirumangai Alwar pasuram. Roja roads. The evening started with a contemporary Indian dance and performed to Gopalakrishna short, well made 13-minute film on articles on our heritage. Bharati’s Tillai Ambalatanai Sruti’s journey. It featured various Govindarajanai darisikka kondeney in Sruti covers, glimpses of significant Interesting slide show Surati raga. articles, comments by K.V. Making its premiere, the programme Ramanathan, V. Ramnarayan, and on the first evening was an outcome Chithra then elaborated on the S. Janaki, and testimonies by Aruna of Sruti’s coverage of heritage. It recorded history of the temple that Sairam, the Dhananjayans, Gowri was an interesting mix of lecture can be gleaned from the various Ramnarayan, Amritha Murali and and slide show by historian and inscriptions covering much of its Rithvik Raja. archaeologist Dr. Chithra Madhavan, walls, how the temple grew over Carnatic vocal by Bharathi the years into the massive edifice The film described how the first Ramasubban and Bharatanatyam by it is today. The temple as it stands issue of Sruti was launched by Roja Kannan. Titled as Chidambaram now is mainly of the 12th and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer in – Seen and Unseen, it focussed on 13th centuries, with later additions October 1983 with D.K. Pattammal the temple town of Chidambaram in similar style. The nritta sabha, on the cover and child prodigy (Tillai) and its deities, a place place of the dance contest between Mandolin Shrinivas. Sruti was renowned not only for dance but Nataraja and goddess Kali, is in the promoted as a not-for-profit venture music too. The pleasant backdrop form of a chariot pulled by two stone and placed under a Trust in April designed by Thomas had a string of horses. Thanks to modern renovation, 1985 when the Sruti Foundation was bilva leaves in the centre, as in the half the horse and most of the wheel established with Founder-Editor N. temple’s “Chidambara rahasyam” are masked by concrete! Chithra also Pattabhi Raman as its Managing that denotes the formlessness (space) showed us slides of the mangroves Trustee. As far back as 1998, the of the Lord. Chithra spoke about (at Pichavaram) and spoke about Sruti website was launched by the legend and history associated the foresight of the Chola kings in Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. When with the temple. Showing various maintaining the mangroves that Pattabhi Raman passed away in sculptures of Nataraja in dancing acted as protection against natural 2002, the question uppermost on pose, Chithra explained the Nataraja calamities. everyone’s mind was who would iconography in brief. Roja then take on the leadership mantle. performed to Ananda natana The recitalended with a K.V. Ramanathan became the next prakasam composed by Muthuswami Manickavasakar hymn sung as Editor-in-Chief and the magazine Dikshitar. The illustration by artist a mangalam. G. Vijayaraghavan got by the next four years till 2006, S. Rajam was beautiful. Ithu daano (mridanga) and R. Kalaiarasan when The Sanmar Group took Tillai sthalam, a composition of (violin) completed the versatile over Sruti and put it on a sound Gopalakrishna Bharati, started with music ensemble. The guests of
l SRUTI November 2012 NEWS & NOTES
honour for the evening were eminent musician R. Vedavalli and dance guru-s the Dhananjayans. On day two was the much awaited award ceremony. In his welcome speech, Editor- in-Chief V. Ramnarayan said, “Founder-editor Dr. N. Pattabhi Raman took the foolhardy step of plunging into serious performing arts journalism in October 1983, amidst many a dire prediction of its early demise. He and his devoted band of Guru Kalyanasundaram, Suguna Purushothaman and Gopalkrishna Gandhi colleagues and successors have kept it going against heavy odds for nearly three decades, without sacrificing Gopalachariar Memorial Award to Accompanied by her talented disciple the commitment to quality writing.” eminent Carnatic vocalist Suguna K. Gayatri, Suguna Purushothaman Ramnarayan saluted the many Purushothaman by Gopalkrishna presented a special programme titled personalities associated with Sruti Gandhi, Chairman, Kalakshetra ‘Nuances of the Musiri bani’ soon including Foundation. The award function after the award ceremony. Musiri P.N. Sundaresan, P.N. Venkatraman, was followed by an erudite speech Subramania Iyer’s sruti layam gave S. Rajam whose paintings and by Gopalkrishna Gandhi (see her “goose bumps” and from him, columns on music have enriched following article) which drew she learnt how much gamaka to Sruti, cartoonist Sarathy, naturalist- thunderous applause. The awardees give and where. Her guru was very photographer M. Krishnan, expressed their thanks briefly. particular about maintaining the T. Sankaran, Sulochana Guru Kalyanasundaram called purity of the raga. In the Musiri Pattabhiraman, S. Krishnan, Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s speech a school, it is considered an art to V.S. Sundara Rajan, P.C. Jayaraman, beautiful margam in itself. His elder decide where to sing the niraval. It N. Ramanathan, Manna Srinivasan, brother Mahalingam Pillai had also is the nuclear point of a song, where Sunil Kothari, Leela Venkataraman, received the E. Krishna Iyer Medal. one word or line is sung in different Deepak Raja, Sriram V, K.S. Kalidas, Hailing from a family that has been ways with voice modulation. The Vamanan, Nandini Ramani, Sujatha devoted to dance for 300 years, pause is important and the way the Vijayaraghavan, Gowri Ramnarayan, Guru Kalayansundaram is an eighth Lakshmi Devnath, and Gayathri words are split or are joined should generation artist. “Bani-s may be make sense and not give the wrong Sundaresan who had contributed different but dance is the same. over the years to the high quality of meaning. Musiri was fond of rare E. Krishna Iyer made many sacrifices raga-s like Kokilavarali and was also the magazine. to put Bharatanatyam where it is a great devotee of Tyagaraja, she said. now and I am honoured to receive The award winners Suguna and Gayatri demonstrated a medal in his name.” Suguna by singing excerpts of songs like The prestigious E. Krishna Iyer Purushothaman said she started O Jagadamba, Brovavamma and Medal was presented to singing for the love of it, but to be the Swati Tirunal padam Dani 80-year-old Bharatanatyam Guru recognised for it and being bestowed samajendra. Since she was feeling K. Kalyanasundaram Pillai of Sri this prestigious award meant she unwell, she was not at her sparkling Rajarajeswari Bharatha Natya Kala must have done something right! best but her simplicity, humility Mandir, Mumbai, and the Vellore
l SRUTI November 2012 NEWS & NOTES
and deference to her guru touched musical invocation in all three ago, from about 20 families from the hearts of the audience. Guest of Chhau styles. Inspired by Ratri the villages, there are at least 200 honour K. Krishnan – representative Sukta, the famous item Ratri in families from each style which of Pattabhi Raman’s family Seraikella style based on the Vedic had now entered the performance – honoured the artists of the evening concept of celebrating forces in circuit. He promised to work for at the end of the programme. nature had Shashadhar Acharya the wider popularity of Chhau. The donning the role of Ratri, an abstract guest of honour was L. Sabaretnam, Spectacular Chhau imagery of the night playing with Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Presented in collaboration with the moon. Radha Krishna was Bhavan, Chennai. At the end of the the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New presented in Mayurbhanj as well as performance, every member of the Delhi, the final evening featured the Seraikella style. In Hamsa, we got to all-male 27-strong Chhau troupe three styles of Chhau – Seraikella, see the beautifully choreographed was presented an angavastram by Mayurbhanj and Purulia – by Guru movements of the swan in Seraikella L. Sabaretnam, Bhaskar Shashadhar Acharya and his troupe. style. The conflict in Arjuna’s mind Ramamurthy (Director, IIT Madras The programme started with a short and Krishna’s advice to him during and nephew of the late Pattabhi film on Chhau that showed the war came alive in Geeta performed Raman) and V. Ramnarayan. importance of breath control and in the Mayurbhanj style. The grand Janaki was impressive as the anchor training in martial arts central to finale wasDurga in Purulia Chhau person on all the three days. The performing Chhau. It had short clips style. The charming Ganesa, the programme was well conducted and of Chaitra Parva festival, the masks demon Mahisha in green costume, there was a good mix of dance and of Seraikella Chhau as different and the Goddess Durga – all in music. The stage décor was elegant from the masks of Purulia Chhau, elaborate headgear, were such a treat and artistic. What was disappointing the various guru-s, some really to watch with their acrobatic leaps was the poor audience turnout. What old, passing on their knowledge to and twirls. The percussion and music happened to all the Sruti subscribers, aspiring Chhau performers many were new to the Chennai audience musicians and dancers, if not the of whom are cobblers, farmers, and who could not stop clapping to show general public? hairdressers, the juxtaposition of their appreciation for a colourful everyday tasks that have inspired LALITHA VENKAT evening of dance and music. (Content editor of narthaki.com) many Chhau movements, these were a good prelude to the audience Shashadhar Acharya, a fifth Edited excerpts reproduced with permission from narthaki.com – giving information on a dance generation Chhau artist, has form and its practitioners rarely seen groomed many in the art of Chhau. His brothers and sons were part of More pictures in photo gallery on in south India. www.sruti.com the troupe. He said that 20 years The performance started with a
10 l SRUTI November 2012