The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Yagnaraman dead

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Wednesday, Apr 04, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Yagnaraman dead

Meera Srinivasan

Under his watch Krishna Gana Sabha rose to dizzying heights

CHENNAI: Artistes and rasikas will miss a veteran administrator during the music and dance festival this December.

R. Yagnaraman, secretary of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, passed away at his residence early Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 85. He is survived by his wife Rukmini and three sons.

One of the longest serving secretaries of a city sabha, Mr.Yagnaraman was elected general secretary of the organisation in 1956. He was instrumental in organising thematic events such as the annual Natya Kala conference and the Gokulashtami festival.

The `Pongal Nagaswara festival' came as a boon to Nagaswaram and Thavil artistes at a time when the instruments were losing prominence on the concert platform. Thanks to his untiring efforts, the sabha rose from a simple, thatch-roofed set-up to an aesthetically designed, air-conditioned hall. Even a few days ago, he enthusiastically attended a committee meeting, despite his illness.

Whether an accomplished senior artiste or a budding performer, Mr. Yagnaraman greeted them with a warm smile and made it a point to attendtheir performances. He even had a speaker installed in his office room to make sure he didn't miss the concerts when he was not at the auditorium.

Often clad in off-white silk kurta and a spotless white dhoti, Mr. Yagnaraman was as an adorable grandfather figure to junior artistes. With mischievous eyes shining through his thick, shell-framed glasses, he walked in measured steps, with his wooden walking stick for support.

Senior violinist Lalgudi.G. Jayaraman said: "He made sure the sabha had something for every one. He featured music, dance, theatre, harikatha, namasankeerthanam and interesting lecture demonstrations. Besides experimenting with new pakkavadyam (accompaniment) combinations, he brought artistes of high repute from other parts of the country to give the Chennai audience a taste of other styles."

Leela Samson, director, Kalakshetra, said: "He created an environment for debate on dance, which no other sabha had done till then. He was also among the first to create space for dance during the December festival."

"Karma yogi"

Playwright Crazy Mohan described him as a "karma yogi," who was keen on promoting theatre. "We admired his punctuality. He gave us valuable feedback on our plays."

R. Ramachandran, secretary, Hamsadhwani, pointed to his ability to shuffle artistes innovatively, breaking a stereotype approach. "He had the stature, firmness and authority not to yield to unreasonable dictates."

Born on July 1, 1922, at Ranganathapuram in Thanjavur district, he had his schooling at Tirukattupalli and later in Chennai. After graduating from Loyola College, he pursued law in the Madras Law College. After 15 years of practice, he was drawn to music and dance and dedicated his life to the promotion of the arts.

He received several awards, including the `Nada Seva Ratna', `The outstanding cultural personality' and `Yugadhi Purashkar' awards.

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