Bringing cheer to music aficionados, Sangita Kalanidhi Nedunuri Krishna Murthy Memorial Carnatic Music Archives and Auditorium was opened at the Rajiv Smriti Bhavan on the Beach Road here on Tuesday. HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao unveiled the statue of the renowned musician on the occasion.
The archives and auditorium were constructed at a cost of Rs.1.5 crore sanctioned from the MP Local Area Development Fund.
Addressing a gathering, Mr. Ganta Srinivasa Rao said Visakhapatnam was turning into the cultural capital of the State. He described the Nedunuri auditorium that had thousands of kirtanas with 5,000 hours of music rendered by hundreds of musicians and composers as a gift to music lovers.
Terming it as a jewel in the crown of Vizag, he said that it was the first of the kind auditorium in the country. He lauded the endeavour of former MP Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad and the efforts of the GVMC in making the auditorium a reality in a short span.
An auditorium on the lines of Ravindra Bharati in Hyderabad would also come up in MVP Colony, the Minister added.
Rajya Sabha member T. Subbarami Reddy said that he had sanctioned from his MPLAD funds for the Rajiv Smriti Bhavan auditorium and lauded the initiative of the Minister in making the auditorium a reality. Visakhapatnam MP K Haribabu said the auditorium would be a prestigious addition to the attractions on the beach road. Mr. Lakshmi Prasad thanked Madras Music Academy secretary Pappu Venugopala Rao and L. Raghavan for donating the music and the effort of the Minister for getting the archives. MLC M.V.V.S. Murthy said the city’s status in the cultural map would be further elevated with the coming up of the auditorium.
