The tenth Bhakti Bhajanotsavam organised by Mulund Bhajana Samajam was a five-day event held at the Saraswatwadi Hall, Mulund West recently.
The event opened with namasankirtanam by Shrutilaya group, led by Geeta Vanchinathan.
‘Sarvam Brahmamayam,’ aptly described Rathnamala, a series of devotional songs rendered by P.H. Ramani of Thane. It was a melodious bouquet of compositions by the divine saints of India.
The evening programme on the third day included the vocal concert of Lakshmi Rajagopalan from New Bombay. She began with a brisk Kedaragowla varnam and followed it up with ‘Sri Maha Ganapathim’ in Atana; ‘Swaminatha Paripalaya’ in Nattai, ‘Marivere’ in Anandabhairavi and ‘Nee Daya Raadha’ in Vasanthabhairavi. She also alternated between fast and slow pace. She included ‘Alaipayudhe’ in Kaanada, ‘Muralidhara’ in Maand, Narayaneeyam slokam followed by ‘Krishna nee begane baro’ in Yamankalyani in her package.
‘Thamaraimalar’ in Desh and ‘Saranam ayyappa’ in Mukhari were soul-stirring renditions. Lucid diction and sonorous simplicity are her forte.
After a comprehensive menu of compositions on various deities she took Sankarabharanam for a detailed alapana and followed it up with ‘Chandrashekara Kripanidhe’ proving her mettle as a seasoned singer.
Lakshmi rendered many familiar slokams and viruthams. The line-up included ‘Nityanandakari’ from Annapoornashtakam, ‘Annapurne Visalakshi,’ ‘Orudaram Sharavanabhava’ followed by ‘Sharavanabhava’ in Shanmukhapriya, a sloka on Lord Ayyappa and ‘Kaanikkai kondu vanden’ in Nadanamakriya.
She concluded her concert with ‘Maitreem bhajata’ and paid her obeisance to Maha Periyava of Kanchi as it was Vaikasi Anusham, the birthday of Paramacharya. An overwhelmed Lakshmi said, “I feel blessed to dedicate three songs to Maha periyava on this day. Such a divine coincidence!”
It was sheer coincidence that just after the concert there was a sudden downpour.
Ashtapadi singing by Dr. P.S. Krishnamurthy of Thane went on from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Many of us attend the Ashtapadi classes and are very keen in singing during such congregations,” says K. Vishnupriya, a singer from the suburb.
The evening was slotted for Divyanamam, enriched by lyrical and musical innovations. P.S. Krishnamurthy, who has several compositions and albums to his credit, conducted the Radha Madhava Kalyanam the next morning.
