The highest honour to any music exponent ‘Gana Vidya Varadhi’ was accorded to doyen of Carnatic music and medical doctor Sripada Pinakapani by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the State government here on Friday.
Dr. Pinakapani turned 100 today which served as an occasion to anoint him with near ‘sainthood in the field of music’.
Representatives of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, the State government and eminent vocalists from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh visited Dr. Pinakapani’s residence, a rickety building of the 60s, in Nehru Nagar here.
Tribute to Guru
A constellation of eminent vocalists among his disciples presented a never before concert at Sunayana Auditorium in honour of their Guru.
Dr. Pinakapani, who could not make it to the show due to illness, shared his joy along with his disciples who made it big in the field of music across the globe.
The disciples went nostalgic narrating the greatness of their Guru. Noted musician Nedunuri Krishna Murthy described his Guru as a man with a mission. He wished to be born again as a disciple of Sripada Pinakapani.
Among the disciples of Pinakapani who attended the function were Jayanti S. Ravi, an IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, Malladi Suribabu, K. Seshadri, P.V. Seshaiah Sastri, S. Umadevi, Neetha Chandrasekhar, Seshu Latha, Sivananda Murthy of Sivaganga Parishad and others.
Purse presented
TTD Executive Officer L.V. Subramanyam presented the purse of Rs. 10, 01, 116 and a citation honouring him as the ‘Gana Vidya Varadhi’ in recognition of his nine-decade long service to the field of Carnatic music.
Later, in the evening, the delegation of State government headed by Minister for Law and Courts E. Pratap Reddy and Collector C. Sudarshan Reddy honoured him with a golden bracelet.
Dr. Pinakapani, who usually shuns any unwanted publicity, was in high spirits when he received the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and the State government honour. Mr. Pratap Reddy said he was honoured to present the gold bracelet to the great musician on behalf of the State government.
The Minister promised to use his good offices to name a street after Dr. Pinakapani and also a block in the General Hospital.
Bed-ridden
Dr. Pinakapani, who is bed-ridden since 2004, gathered his energies to tell the music lovers that music is divine and one should serve the art with all devotion and spread highest spiritual knowledge.
Born at Priya Agrharam in Srikakulam district on August 3, 1913, he rigorously practiced music since childhood and turned into a reputed artiste by the age of 13 and became the disciple of Dwaram Venkataswami Naidu by 18. After his retirement in 1968, Dr. Pinakapani devoted most of his time to innovations in music, teaching and writing.
Volumes
He produced valuable volumes for students of music in the last four decades.
