For a period of 75 years, Sri Rama Seva Mandali has regaled Bangaloreans and music enthusiasts from all over the country by hosting one of the most celebrated annual musical events at Fort High School, Bangalore. Started by the late S.V. Narayana Swamy Rao in the year 1939, the Ramanavami Music Festival has become a cultural hallmark of Karnataka. Currently, his sons Varadaraju and Ramaprasad have been deftly shouldering the responsibility of continuing the legacy of his father. Such musical events have embellished within them the true purport of secularism, religious harmony and communal wellbeing not only here but in many parts of the country. Varadaraju shares some of his thoughts and experiences on being a part of this historical event.
What motivated your father to start such an event? Can you tell us something about the initial days of the Rama Navami festival observed by Rama Seva Mandali?
There is an interesting story to this. When my father was about 14 years old, he was a part of the Freedom Movement. During a demonstration near the current Majestic circle, a person next to him was fired at and killed. It left a deep mark on my father’s mind turning him towards spirituality. He started observing many religious festivals. Once, after the Holi festival, Kaamana Hunnime, he had about Rs. 2-3 left from what he had collected. He decided to celebrate Rama Navami with that amount. The first Rama Navami celebrations thus began on the footpath opposite to Bangalore Body Builders’ venue. Later on, for five years the event was held at Bangalore City Co-operative Bank, which had an auditorium.
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During those days my father developed contacts with musicians Chowdaiah and T.R. Mahalingam. They encouraged him to conduct the music festival on a grand scale at the City Institute opposite to the Fort high school. The then Maharaja of Mysore Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar gave the space for free and for nearly 25 years the programmes were held there. Even Rajagopalachariji would attend our events. On one such occasion he said that Rama SevaMandali should not look to establish a permanent building but always conduct the music festival in an open space and through charitable means. His prophetic words came true for Rama Seva Mandali, and to this day has no permanent space and for 50 years now we have been conducting the music festival at the Fort High School grounds.
What is your most unforgettable memory of the music fest when you were a child?
Though there are many memorable occasions, one such event was MS Subbulakshmi’s concert. During those days the concert would start at 7 p.m. and go on till 10 p.m. For her concert, people would come by 4 p.m. and on one occasion it began to rain. There were nearly 2000 people standing in the queue and they didn’t move! By the time the concert concluded we had procured nearly 10,000 folding chairs so that the audience could sit.
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You’ve seen the artists belonging to two different generations. What is your feeling of the quality of music and artists currently?
One of the chief factors of the artists from yester years was their dedication to the art. Artists these days are good in terms of their music, but they lack the dedication of their predecessors.
What are the challenges you face in organizing an event of this magnitude and scale?
I can prepare a huge list for this question! Hard as it may be to believe, for nearly six months we plan and put in our efforts day and night to pull off a show of this magnitude. Setting up the venue is indeed a very big challenge. From the days of constructing the roofing with coconut leaves, we have progressed to having different forms of roofing and soon in the coming years we are planning on having German roofing to enable more efficient arrangement. Fortunately, we have a huge support base and many philanthropists have regularly contributed to making this event a grand success.
How do you feel the audience response has been these years?
The audience response has been really good. About 10 years back, this wasn’t true. Most of the audiences then were senior citizens. However, currently many young professionals have been attending the event in large numbers. There is also a renewed interest in learning music. However, Bangalore is yet to have good facilities available for youngsters who are interested in learning music.
What do you feel is the significance of an event such as Ramanavami music concert in the present time?
To say the least, the music festival has become a heritage of Karnataka, a Parampara. Artists from all over the country, irrespective of their caste or creed, look forward to come and perform at the Ramanavami music concert. Many of our equipment are provided to us by members from various communities. This is secularism in its true spirit. Even to this day, we first sign the contract with Yesudas and then book other artists. Great stalwarts like Ustad Bismillah Khan, Begum Parveen Sultana have graced our concert and rendered their services. It is a testimony to the power of music that transcends the transient boundaries of religion, region and language.
The 76th Ramanavami Music season begins from April 8 and will conclude on May 8. The concerts will be held at the Fort High School Grounds. More information can be found at >www.templeofmusic.co.in