Sangeeta Sanmandali of Vijayawada organised a week-long Thyagaraja Aaradhana Sangeetotsavam, an annual musical treat that attracted huge crowds on all days at Laila Gangaraju Kala Vedika situated on the spacious grounds of G.V.R.Government College of Music and Dance. The Sanmandali was founded in 1995 and gradually evolved into an eagerly awaited event for both musicians and music lovers. Nearly 150 musicians including instrumentalists participate voluntarily in the event. Dr.Tamma Suryakantam, a musician and scholar inaugurated the celebrations and Pasumarthi Kameswara Sarma a reputed scholar delivered an erudite and enlightening lecture on Thayagaraja’s Bhakthi Sangeetam.
In the day-long event held in two sessions, 115 musicians participated in the concerts. The festival provided an opportunity to listen to several up-coming and also well established musicians.
The `Nagara Sankeertana’ ( unchavritti procession) organised on Pushya Bahula Panchami on which thithi Thyagaraja attained moksha, saw the participation of a large number of musicians singing Divyanama kirtanas and Utsava Sampradaya kirtanas, carrying the Panchaloha idols of Thyagaraja and Anjaneya Swamy with great devotional fervour.
The Pancharatna kirtana Brindaganam which was held on the final day was a veritable feast for music lovers.
Prominent among those who participated in the Pancharatna Ganam were Malladi Suribabu, Modumudi Sudhakar, Malladi brothers Sriram Prasad and Ravi Kumar, Popuri Gowrinath, Saraswathi Vidyarthi, Lahari, G.Janaki, M.Anjana Sudhakar, Jyothisri Devi, Gayatri Gowrinadh, veteran vidwan Annavarapu Ramaswami, B.V.Durgabhavani, Ganduri Srinivas, M.L.N.Raju, N.S.Kalyanaraman, P.S.Phalgun, B.V.S.Prasad and several others. The seven day musical treat ended with a spectacular Anjaneya Utsavam.
