Thyagaraja Aaradhan-otsavam, prominently celebrated in Visakhapatnam for about a decade now, saw a huge participation of the artistes this year at Kalabharati. Though it started with a three-day celebration about a decade ago, it has expanded year after year to its present six-day celebration. Yet, the organisers could accommodate no more than 100 artistes this year. The Thyagaraja Aaradhana Trust instituted about a decade ago for this purpose, along with Visakha Music and Dance Academy, got a Thyagaraja temple constructed on the precincts of Kalabharati in its formative days which further intensified its emotive and devotional import. This annual programme stayed remarkable for its thorough planning and execution.
This year’s inaugural session had Suma Sudheendra, member of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi as the chief guest who spoke about life and works of Thyagaraja. Later, noted vocalist Manda Sudha Rani presented a special feature on music of saint-composer Tyagaraja. In her elaborate elucidation, she dealt in detail about the diverse shades of musical craft and its excellence in the compositions of Thyagaraja. Presenting select ragas and compositions in a mode of group singing it excelled in exposition of various musical aspects and their significance in the works of Thyagaraja. Vocalists SV Subba Lakshmi, R Kusuma Kumara, Ch Ramya Kironmayi, S Srividya, Peri Lata Sankar took part in this feature, while H Ramcharan and M Sriramya on violin, K Udaya Lakshmi on veena, G Venkatrao on mridangam and M Kamesh on ghatam lent support.
Tiruveedhi, where a portrait of Thygaraja was taken out in procession in neighbourhood of the venue accompanied by a large number of artistes singing Thygaraja’s compositions, was a highlight of the festival. Another feature that stood out was ‘Pancharatna Seva’ wherein several artistes cutting across age and stature sang the Pancharatna krithis of Thyagaraja in unison.
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