HYDERABAD: It is Tyagaraja Aaradhana of a different kind. Normally we find the Pancharatna Kritis sung during Saint Tyagaraja’s Aaradhana celebrations (birth anniversary or during his Punya Thithi) –that take place in every corner of Telugu, Tamil regions and now also across the world where Carnatic music thrives. 250 years after his lifetime, Tyagaraja, the most loved music composer still lives in the hearts of many musicians and music lovers.
Classical dancers too depend heavily on his compositions to widen their repertoires. In this context, the Carnatic musician couple Shweta (singer) and Renuka Prasad (nattuvangam & mridangam) have been collaborating with Bharata Natyam dancer Pramod Kumar Reddy for the last six years, to bring out a highly enjoyable festival in Shankar Matt (Nallakunta, Hyderabad) premises every year. With deep devotion and dedication, they have been conducting “Sangeetha Nritya Aaradhanotsavam” of Tyagaraja: bringing the inseparable song and dance together to pay a unique tribute to the saint composer. This year too, in spite of the heat, people gathered in large numbers to witness the event: enjoying every moment, tapping the talam, nodding heads and singing along, it was a completely immersive experience for them. The five gems were brought alive by five devoted dancers, providing immense visual gratification to the audience.
The festival opened with an invocation by the young Bhavya Sri’s “Sree Ganapathini…” in Suarashtra Ragam.
As the huge blow-ups of the Sringeri Matt’s religious heads looked on from their frames, Tyagaraja’s five gems in the five “Ghana Ragas” unfurled. The vibrant singing by a large group of musicians reverberated in the temple premises, inspiring the dancers to give their best with devotion.
Senior Bharata Natyam exponent Kalaimamani Smt Parvathy Ravi Ghantasala took up “Jagadananda karaka” in Naata Ragam glorifying Lord Rama, the beloved of Seetha, as the giver of happiness to the world. Kuchipudi danseuse Divya Sena danced to “Duduku gala…” in Gowla, asking for Rama’s forgiveness for all the sins committed.
Mridula Anand (Bharata Natyam), upholding the “parampara” of her guru, the well-known Sudha Rani Raghupathy, depicted the greatness of Lord Rama lucidly in “Saadhinchene…”(Aarabhi). Vilasini Natyam, with its innate grace, lent itself to the mild and musical “Kana Kana Ruchiraa” in Varaali.
Purva Dhanashree further enhanced the song with her brilliant abhinaya and flowing movements eulogising the divine splendour of Rama’s innocent face. Finally the much-loved “Endaro mahanubhavulu” (Shree Ragam) was taken up by Pasumarthy Mrutyunjaya Sarma. Hailing from the traditional Kuchipudi family, the young male dancer brought exuberance to the “bhava” laden kriti. The “bhakti” filled offering, made richer by the sacred ambience was a blissful experience for both the performers and the audience.