Having gifted to the music-world several eminent Carnatic musicians during the past seven decades, Sri Guruguha Gana Vidyalaya continues to gift Kolkata with delightfully educative presentations at regular intervals under the guidance of Guru Srividya Anatharaman. Supported by Guruguha Sangeeth Sammelan, the students’ wing of the Vidyalaya, organises such presentations.
Each of these proves that Srividya’s passion for the traditional compositions knows no bounds. She constantly explores new themes that include various facets of raga, rhythmic designs, different topics (deities, saints, holy places etc.) melodiously penned and tuned by great masters. These theme-based musicals – replete with associated rituals, dress-codes and overall décor of the venue – actually showcase the rich South Indian culture.
But this has a long history. The golden age of Carnatic music spanning hundred years (1750–1850 AD) had three eminent vaggeyakara (lyricist-cum-music composer) – Syama Sastri, Tyagaraja and Muthuswamy Dikshitar. They are the trinity of Carnatic music. It was the will of providence that they were born at the same place, Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu (then Madras Presidency). Their compositions represent the quintessence of Carnatic music, all of them spiritually charged and sung in praise of deities enshrined at various temples, mainly in South India.
Brahmashri A Ananthakrishna Iyer (1899-1959), known as Thatha, shifted base and established the Vidyalaya in Kolkata in 1943. He hailed from the shishya parampara (lineage of disciples) of Muthuswamy Dikshitar and dedicated his entire life for propagation of Dikshitar’s music along with its intrinsic philosophy. Thatha was considered an authority of Dikshitar-kritis (compositions) and published a number of books giving the meaning and notation of the kritis.
Following Thatha’s footsteps, his son Vainika Vidwan A Anantharama Iyer (Ambi Sir) and daughter Violin Vidushi A. Champakavalli (affectionately called Teacher) took on the responsibility of coaching music in three disciplines – vocal, violin and veena. They taught hundreds of students who are now spread all over the globe from London to Melbourne and from Tokyo to New Jersey.
Though most of the students have branched out, they have never forgotten their mission. In India, while the Revati-Sadasivam couple has opened up a wing at Bangalore to spread Dikshitar music through veena and vocal, the Jayanti-Jeyaraaj couple keeps the flag of the Vidyalaya flying high at Chennai as veena exponents.
Violinist Sarada Murali regales her audience in Mumbai and the Kolkata-based erudite Latha-Karthikeyan (veena-vocal) couple educates people about Dikshitar compositions through recitals and informative lecture demonstrations. The US-based Ananthakrishnan (Guru)-family organises Dikshitar Jayanti Utsavams (birth anniversaries) at New Jersey.
Ambi Sir continued imparting music lessons till his last breath (1998). Teacher assiduously followed the mission of her father and brother. She was ably assisted by her niece Srividya, a violinist. The teaching techniques of her father-guru rested in Srividya’s young subconscious mind while she honed her skills in pedagogy with Teacher continuously providing the subtle nuances. Soon, she too became an expert Guru and both kept the family tradition alive. When Teacher left for her heavenly abode in 2007, the full responsibility of Kolkata’s Vidyalaya fell on Srividya. She accepted it as an offering dedicated to her gurus.
Akka to her students, she hands down good values along with music. Her teaching methodology blends traditional and modern ideas by making students understand the need to practice Sarali, Jhanta and Alankarams; Geethams and Varnams. But to sustain young students’ interest, she teaches compositions that can be presented in informal sit-ins or stage programmes.
For her dedicated service to music Srividya Anantharaman was honoured by the then Governor of West Bengal K. R. Narayanan, under the aegis of Shankara Hall and Institute for Philosophy and Culture, in April 2011. This continuation of the noble mission of propagating Carnatic music in this part of the world is, in fact, creating a home away from home for the Southern culture-starved people.
