MUSICAL TREAT: Artistes performing at the Thyagaraja Aradhanai celebration organised at Bharat Kalachar in Chennai on Sunday. — PHOTO: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: The Thyagaraja Aradhanai has travelled from the sets of director Shankar's `Anniyan' to as far as Cleveland in the U.S.

Every time musicians gather to render the saint composer's pancharathna krithis, rasikas come eagerly no matter how many times they have heard them.

The celebration, organised at Bharat Kalachar here on Sunday, was no exception.

Musicians who performed included, among others, Bombay sisters, M.S. Sadasivam, Seerkazhi Jayaraman, Jayalakshmi Santhanam, Mangalam Shankar, K.R. Saranathan, G.N. Desikan, Mayavaram sisters and Radha Bhaskar.

Commencing with the customary `Chetulara...' in Bhairavi on the flute, they presented `Sriganapathi...', the Sourashtram piece, part of Thyagaraja's opera `Prahalada Bhakata Vijayam'. `Guruleka...' in raga Gowrimanohari followed. It was then time for the major five compositions in ragas nattai, gowlai, Arabhi, Varali and Sri.

Apart from the group rendition organised at Tiruvaiyaru on `Bagula Panchami' day every year (held on January 8 this year), sabhas in the city organise an aradhanai of their own, usually featuring popular artistes. And rasikas are glad they do so.

"We've been listening to these songs for years together and we can almost sing along with them," said Mangalam Natrajan, a rasika from T.Nagar.

Mrs.Y.G. Parthasarathy, chairman, Bharat Kalachar, said she was very glad that the event featured veteran musicians as well as upcoming artists. "Our youngest performer today is a 10 year old," she added.

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