Tiruvarur will resonate with music for a week, April 28-May 3, when Mummoorthy festival takes place. “M.S. started the festival in 1952 and helmed the annual homage until 1984, when she handed it over to Mahaperiyava,” explains Geetha Rajasekhar, convenor of the festival committee. Lalgudi Jayaraman and Yagnaraman, secretary of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, coordinated with the Mutt but slowly it was given up.
The committee became defunct with the passage of time. Fresh efforts were made in 2010 and the festival, organised by the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Karnataka Sangeetha Mummoorthigal Seva Samithi was conducted in Tiruvarur.
This year vainika Geetha Rajasekhar has been made convener. Homage to Muthuswamy Dikshitar was conducted last month. The festival this year takes off with Syama Sastri's jayanti on April 28 with a puja. From 4.30 p.m., concerts will take place up to 10 p.m. Abhishek Raghuram, Rajhesh Vaidya and Ranjani-Gayathri will perform. Pancharatna kritis will be rendered at 9 a.m., on May 3, the 250th birth anniversary of Sri Tyagaraja. “Over 500 musicians are expected to participate in the choral singing,” informs Geetha. Akhandam will follow.
A curtain-raiser to the festival will take place at Vani Mahal tomorrow, (April 22), 4 p.m. The acharyas of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam are expected to grace the function. Shertalai Ranganatha Sharma will present a concert, 6.30-7.30 p.m. “The Committee has planned to spruce up the houses of the Trinity, repair the approach roads, start a museum, construct an auditorium and a Trinity Arch,” says Geetha. A music school is also on the cards. “In short, the aim is to get the status of a heritage town for Tiruvarur,” says Geetha. “Not many are even aware that the Trinity were born here. The place should regain its glory and become a pilgrim centre,” she concludes.
