In the spirit of this joyous festival, Navratri, Hyderabad’s MLA MP Colony Cultural Centre (MMCCC) was a pure bliss, when the Paramparaa Foundation, founded by Shashikala Reddy and Dr Srinagi B Rao, hosted the child sensation and devotional music star, Sooryagayathri. One moment, she sounded ethereal, and the next, her powerful voice led us on a delightful 90-minute excursion across a universe of Carnatic ragas and bhajans, as a unique celebration of tradition and bhakti emerged, note by note.
As a recital unlike the many classical ones we see regularly, Sooryagayathri drew from tradition, while also and more importantly making it accessible for the audience. She began by noting the auspicious Siddhi Vinayaka, Gana Nayakam – invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesha and then proceeded to Om Namo Narayanaya and Sriman Narayana, delivering a beautiful, calming atmosphere of reverberating, peaceful sounds. The majestic praise to Lord Vishnu, Garuda Gamana Tava, stood out and Pahimam Sri Raja Rajeshwari, was spirit-soothing, offering an emotional prayer to the Divine Mother.
But the turning point came with Aigiri Nandini. The audience reverberated in a chorus with her calls for Goddess Durga’s fierce grace. The momentum carried through Swagatham Krishna and followed through in the refrains of Hari Narayana, Giridhari, Govinda — a moment in which performer and audience merged into a community of devotion.
Her closing sequence was a quality performance as well: Shri Ramachandra Kripalu Bhajman, Sringara Rama, Rama Namavali, and fragrant phrases in the chant Gandhamu Puyyaruga, a heartfelt salute to Krishna.
Born into a family of musicians from Kerala, she began singing as a three-year-old, and she has come to be known for soul-centre-stirring bhajans, receiving compliments for her Ram Bhajan during the recent inaugural of the Ram Mandir from Prime Minister Modi. “Because these are devotional songs, I feel very blessed while singing. For serious stages, I perform full-fledged Carnatic, but for wider audiences, I weave in lighter, emotional versions so everyone can connect. Making devotion available, without the loss of depth,” she specified.
We exist in an era in which music can be somewhat driven by trends, and she has established her own niche in the timeless. A number of her compositions appear to have gone viral on social media and drew younger audiences towards traditions that may not have been represented otherwise. “I want to bring the younger audience back to the roots. Spirituality is an important part of our culture and music is the bridge,” she explained.
As the final chant mellowed at MMCCC, the audience sat in reflective silence until everyone erupted into applause. It seemed less like a concert and more like a petition of shared prayer. As Sooryagayathri sang and Paramparaa provided the visual, the people of Hyderabad were reminded that tradition, when developed, could be both alive and enduring.