Signalling the beginning of the Ramanavami concerts season, the Rama Bhaktha Bhajana Sabha in Malleswaram flags off its 10-day musical performances on Ugadi (March 29). In its 111th year, it is the oldest running sabha in the city.
Fans can expect classical music, Dasa-Sahitya, Harikatha, Yakshagana and Sanskrit drama at the venue — Eshwar Seva Mandali — near Malleswaram Market on Sampige Road.
Some professional doctors who have taken to music will also be performing. This includes eye surgeon Dr. Padmanabha Rao, who has been trained by the Rudrapatnam Brothers. Dr. Niranjan Yellora will lead his Yakshagaana team ‘Karavali Yakshagana Mandali’ and present an episode from the Mahabharata showcasing an amalgam of the North and South Karnataka styles on April 5.
Kavitha Bannanje Udupa, daughter of the renowned Sanskrit scholar Bannanje Govinda Acharya. will be performing ‘14-songs’ on April 1, called the 'Chaturdasha bhajans', which were originally composed as Sanskrit couplets by various prominent disciples of Acharya Madhwa in the 11th and 12 century. "These Sanskrit songs, stored in ancient manuscripts for centuries, were brought to light by Govinda Acharya, who later introduced the system of singing these songs in the form of Sanskrit bhajans to bring back and preserve the traditional system," says Kavitha Udupa.
A 110-year-old history
The Sabha is also known for its bhajan sessions on Saturday that promote Dasa-Sahitya. The session has been running non-stop for the last 110 years.
Participants include vidwans Hanumad Vilasa Ramachar, Sosale Narayana Dasa, Bengaluru Krishna Bhagavatar and Gopinath Dasaru. “This is one reason why our Sabha was influenced by Harikatha. But we wanted to retain the musical form as one of the mainstays of our programming,” said C.V. Venkatesh, the third generation member of the family that started the Sabha. He took over the reins after the demise of his father Vasudev Rao in 1992.
“Harikatha helped the Sabha popularise Sanskrit, Kannada and the Indian scriptures and epics,” says Mr. Venkatesh. “Also, local artistes got a chance to make use of our platform.”
