Literature and music have a deep connect with devotion. That is why the Isai-Urai (Music and Discourse) series, featuring Dr. Sudha Seshayyan and Vasundhara Rajagopal draws a full house. Organised by The Triplicane Cultural Academy jointly with Kasturi Srinivasan Library, it takes the audience through the places designated as Divya Desam.
Dr. Sudha Seshayyan spoke of the various facets of presiding deities, and Vasundhara Rajagopal presented the relevant song. The places covered were Srivaragunamangai, Thalaichenganam, Thirunagai (aka Nagapattinam), Kazhicheeramaga Vinnagaram (aka Seerkazhi), Thiruchenkundrur near Thirualla in Kerala and Kanchipuram.
Significant tidbits
The holy places find mention in the songs of Nammazhwar and Thirumangai Azhwar. Sudha provided interesting information such as how the tall Nagapattinam temple tower once functioned as a light house in Seerkazhi; Gnanasambandar, and Thirumangai Azhwar, wrote verses praising each other; the presence of fresco paintings in the small temple at Thiruchenkundrur, Kerala, and the coral-coloured skin of the deity in Kanchipuram.
Vasundhara presented the pasurams and compositions in a plethora of ragas expressing their various moods. Especially moving was ‘Sri Soundararajam’ (Brindavanasaranga) of Muthuswamy Diskhitar on the deity of Nagapattinam. She was accompanied by Usha Rajagopalan (violin) and Papanasam Kumar (mridagnam).
The programme also highlighted the richness of Tamil language, which had been effectively exploited by the Azhwars in their pasurams. Young musicians would do well to make these compositions popular by including them in their recitals.
