Senior veena exponent Geetha Ramanand presented ‘Apoorva Ragadarshini – 3’ recently, part of a bi-monthly series of lecture demonstrations on rare ragas organized by Ananya, Bangalore. The accompanying artistes were Jayashri Srinivas (veena support) and Adamya Ramanand (mridanga).
The first of the four ragas of the day, Poornalalitha, was explained as a derivative of the 19th melakarta, Jhankaradhwani, with a demonstration of its aarohana and avarohana. Believed to have originated with Thyagaraja, the raga remains enshrined in his composition ‘Kaluguna’ set to adi thala. The gist of the text, alluding to the great good fortune of Anjaneya occasioned by his proximity to Rama and Seetha, was highlighted in the brief introduction. The evocative appeal of the krithi was reflected in the sedate pace of its rendition, most notably in the gentle striking of the vivadi note, and accentuated by a few rounds of kalpana swaras.
A janya of the 15th melakarta Mayamalavagoula, Megharanjani was the next raga taken up for elucidation. It was mentioned that while a number of pieces by several composers ranging from a geetham to krithis do exist in the raga, it is perhaps best known by its inclusion in Tanjavur Sankara Iyer’s celebrated ragamalika ‘Ranjanimala’. A beautiful raga alapana that dwelt on the mandra sthayi nishada and the madhya sthayi rishabha, the slightly gamaka-oriented gandhara anchored by the madhyama and the splendid isolation of the nishada thereafter, illumined the unearthly allure of the scale. Muthuswami Deekshithar’s ‘Venkateswara Yadava Bhupathi’, which apparently has the alternative sahithya ‘Venakteswara Ettappa Bhupathi’, in rupaka thala was suffixed with a cascade of exquisitely crafted kalpana swaras.
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Bhushavali, an offshoot of the 64th melakartha Vachaspathi, was taken up for a fairly detailed elaboration, indicative of the extensive scope of the raga. A seamless blend of sweetness and weighty classicism was explicit in the dexterous exploration of the scale in all three octaves that incorporated a plethora of sancharas at the dhaivatha and the thara sthayi gandhara. The grandeur of the ensuing Muthaiah Bhagavathar krithi ‘Shambhum Katthoram’ in adi thala was further accentuated by kalpana swaras in two speeds that culminated in diminishing thala cycles landing at the dhaivatha, leading to a thani avarthana.
The source of the last raga of the presentation, Bhogadhanyasi, was traced to the 48th melakartha Divyamani. It was pointed out that the raga is a ‘granthastha’ one and that there are no extant compositions in it. A complete picture of the raga and the many shades created by its vakra nature and the vivadi attributes was sketched through the alapana that followed, bringing to life an unfamiliar scale. A compact, yet variegated thana and a lilting pallavi set to tisra triputa thala further reinforced its identity and bore testimony to the improvisational and technical expertise of the lead artiste, who was ably supported by the supporting instrumentalist and the accomplished young mridangist. On the whole the session was educative and informative without detriment to aesthetic values, and was of immense value to connoisseurs and aspirants alike.