Juggling profession and passion has become a trend these days and Bharathwajan is no exception. A pilot, he performs araiyar sevai at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam when he is not flying aircraft. The ease with which he delivers the hymns shows his fascination for this ancient art form.
He was just five, when he began learning the art from his father Lakshmi Narayana Araiyar and his uncle Sampath Araiyar. He would make his elder sister sit in front of him and recite the sacred verses complete with abhinaya. His maiden performance was at the age of 10 when he presented Periyazhwar’s ‘Aatrilirundhu Vilaiyaaduvongalai’ on the second day of the ‘Pagal Pathu’ utsavam at the Ranganathaswamy temple. This gave him the confidence to request for a slot to perform on the seventh day of the Brahmotsavam. But his considered him too young to do so. However, moved by his passion and devotion the archakas persuaded the senior to relent and Bharathwajan presented Periyazhwar’s ‘Thinnar Ven Sangudaiyaai’.
In 1993, as a 12-year-old, he presented Araiyar Sevai, based on Tiruvoimozhi verses, everyday through the 10-day Nammazhwar utsavam. He considers this a significant achievement. Besides the Ranganathaswamy temple, he persuaded his father to allow him to perform the sevai at other temples too. As a 15-year-old, Bharathwajan got the opportunity to present Thiruppavai and Thirupalli Ezhuchi. When he was not performing, he would practise at home. Summer vacations were invariably devoted to mastering this art.
As a teenager, he also developed an interest in automobiles. Every Sunday, he would spend a lot of time at a mechanic shop, learning to repair two wheelers and cars. Gradually his interest expanded to aeroplanes. After graduating in Computer Science from National College, he worked for a private firm in Tiruchi, before taking up a course in aviation. On completing it, he became a pilot with a chartered airline. Though he loves flying, Araiyar Sevai continues to be an integral part of his life, especially during the 21-day Prabandham festival in the month of Margazhi. He wishes to take this traditional art to more people. This year Bharathwajan completes 25 years as an Araiyar Sevai artist. For him it’s not just about memorising the verses but communicating the spirit of bhakti in these works.
