Unique homage to Bharati
B. RAMADEVI
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A recent three-day festival at Annapoorna Kalaiarangam, Coimbatore marked Mahakavi Bharatiar's 125th birth anniversary.
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The crowd that gathered to pay homage to Mahakavi Bharatiar at Annapoorna Kalaiarangam, Coimbatore, on his 125th birth anniversary proved beyond doubt that the poet not only continues to live, but is also intensely loved.
`Bharati Utsavam' was organised by Alapana, an organisation that encourages fine arts, along with the daily, Dinamalar, the monthly magazine, Rasanai and Habasit Iakoka (an Indo-Swiss joint-venture company).
On the first day, Jayanthasree Balakrishnan spoke on `Routhiram Pazhagu' and Thamizharuvi Manian on `Oorukku Nalladhu Solven.' Jayanthasree expressed her unhappiness over our failure to give due recognition to Bharati and Manian emphasised on the need to take Bharati to the younger generation and kindle the fire burning in them.
Nostalgic trip
On the second day, N. Vijay Siva paid a musical tribute to Bharati by presenting a complete concert with the songs of the great poet. He took the audience on a trip of nostalgia as the songs he selected were sung in the same tunes that were popular a few decades ago. During the concert, he kept the audience supplied with the details regarding the original composer of the tunes and the first singer and the occasion. Instead of the traditional prayer, he sang `Paarukkulle Nalla Naadu' praising the motherland, in Valaji, originally sung by D. K. Pattammal. Then he sang `Jayamundu Bhayamillai Maname' in Khamas, in the tune composed by Pithukkuli Murugadas. After a brief and melodious alapana of Nattakkurinji, Siva sang `Bhooloka Kumari Amrutha Nari,' a song in Sanskrit. `Manathil Urudhi Vendum' followed in ragamalika. He presented `Thonru Nigazhnthathanaithum' in Bhairavi, with suitable embellishments. The swaraprastharas in the same rhythmic patterns of the song were delightful. The main item was in Mohanam, `Vetri Ettuththikkum Etta Kottu Murasey.' There was a lovely virutham in ragamalika, `Itham Tharum Manaiyin Neengi' and he followed it with the jubilant `Aaduvomey Palli Paaduvomey.'
Well-known songs
There were many other well-known songs such as `Thoondir Puzhuvinaippol,' `Om Sakthi Om Sakthi,' `Ninnai Sharan Adainthen,' `Senthamizh Naadennum Pothiniley' and `Aasai Mugam Maranthu Pochey,' most of them as per the listeners' choice.
Siva was very much at home passing humorous comments now and then. The concert came to an end with `Vaazhiya Senthamizh.' R. K. Sriram Kumar was at his usual best and Neyveli Narayanan was impressive on the mridangam. On the third day, there was a kaviarangam on `Vedikkai Manithargal' featuring M. Uma Maheshwari, Thanjai Inian and Kavianban K. R. Babu. The final and the most impressive programme was a patti mandram (`Suzhalum Sollarangam') in which `Marabin Mainthan Muthaiah' spoke impressively on the greatness of Bharati who turned out to be a social reformer in spite of the unhappy and repressive childhood that would have turned any other person into a terrorist. Parveen Sultana presented Bharati as a social reformer while K. Sumathi focused on his contribution towards the fight for freedom. Chairperson Sathyaseelan's concluding speech was imformative. The three-day festival was a unique offering to the Mahakavi who gave himself as an offering for the uplift of his motherland.
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