Harivarasanam Award for SPB

Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple is a universal place of worship, he says

“There is no place of worship in the whole world like Sabarimala where man [devotee] turns into God and vice-versa and here, every one is considered as representatives of God or even God

himself,’’ said noted playback singer S.P. Balasubramaniam.

Mr. Balasubramaniam was addressing a function at Sabarimala Sannidhanam after receiving the Harivarasanam Award instituted by the Kerala government from the Minister for Health and Devaswom, V.S. Sivakumar, on Saturday.

‘A model to the world’

Mr. Balasubramaniam said the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple was a universal place of worship where religion, caste, creed, poor, or rich seldom mattered, making it a model to the rest of the world. He said he was visiting the holy hillock of Sabarimala for the first time, even though he had sung a good number of Ayyappa devotional songs in different languages over the past five decades.

According to him, Kerala is far ahead in terms of culture, heritage, environment conservation, etc, and is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Music my mother tongue

Mr. Balasubramaniam said music was his mother tongue and his portly rendition of the popular number, `Sankaraaaa.. Nadaswaroopaa.. haraa…’ echoed the entire holy hillock, later.

Mr Sivakumar presented him with the award comprising a purse of Rs. 50,000, a plaque and a citation on the occasion.

Over 1000 Ayyappa songs

Addressing the function, the Minister said thousands of devotees, lured by the Ayyappa devotional songs of Mr. Balasubramaniam, were coming to Sabarimala from different parts of the country every year. He said Mr. Balasubramaniam had rendered more than 1000 Ayyappa devotional songs, raising the devotees to a sort of divine ecstasy.

Reading out the citation, the Secretary to Devaswom, K.R. Jyothilal, said Mr. Balasubramaniam was a gifted singer who could turn everything he touched into gold.

Raju Abraham, MLA, presided over the function. Anto Antony, MP; P.K. Kumaran, Travancore Devaswom Board member; C.P. Ramaraja Prasad, Devaswom Commissioner; K.C. Vijayakumar, Special Secretary;

Muralikrishnan, Chief Engineer; and V.S. Jayakumar, Sabarimala Executive Engineer, also spoke.

Offers prayers

Mr. Balasubramaniam, accompanied by Mr Sivakumar, and other officials, offered prayers at the Ayyappa Temple, earlier.