Friday Review
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Cultural feast
G. SRINIVASAN
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This year too, the festival was celebrated with fanfare.
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Photo: M. Srinath
Enthralling: Swarnamalya
Vinayaka Chaturthi was celebrated in a grand manner for three days at Ganapathy Agraharam, where Maha Ganapathy temple is located in Thanjavur district, thanks to the efforts taken by film actress and Bharatanatyam dancer Swarnamalya. A native of th
e village, Swarnamalya has been organising cultural programmes for the festival, for the past three years.
This year also, the festival was celebrated with much fanfare. Girija Ramaswamy from Chennai performed Harikatha on September 13, sisters Nithya and Vidya gave a vocal concert and Swarnamalya a dance recital on September 14.
Great start
The sisters, Nithya and Vidya, began their concert with Mazhavai Chidambara Bharathy’s ‘Pahi Pahi Balaganapathy’ in Hamsadhwani ragam Roopaka thalam. ‘Sri Sukra Bhavantham,’ a Muthuswami Dikshitar navagraha kriti in praise of Sukran, came next, followed by ‘Sambo Mahadeva,’ a Tyagaraja kriti. Swarnamalya danced for Vinayakar Agaval’s ‘Seethakalaba Chenthamarai Poom,’ Gopalakrishna Bharati’s ‘Nandanar Charithramu’ and Bharatiar’s ‘Yaadumagi Nindrai Kali’.
It was a feast for music lovers on Saturday, when Carnatica Brothers K.N.Sasikiran and Ganesh sang. Starting with ‘Anmavana Ganapathiye,’ the brothers enthralled the audience with other songs like ‘Arulavendum Thaye,’ ‘Sevikka Vendum Chidambaram’ and ‘Alaipayude Kanna’.
According to Swarnamalya, the programmes are conducted under the aegis of her ‘Ranga Mandira Trust’ with co-sponsors Sri Krishna Sweets and Indian Oil Corporation. “We also want to promote arts in rural areas with public support. There is no dearth of talent and appreciation for art in rural areas. Ganapathy Agraharam with the famous Ganesha temple is the right place to perform. While we bring artists from Chennai to this place, we also would like to take rural artists to Chennai and make them perform. That is the motto of our trust.”
The three-day festival may be extended to more days in the coming years, provided there is public support. “We are trying to do it. Luckily, we have good public support at Ganapathy Agraharam,” she said.
Hundreds of people witnessed the cultural programmes on all the three days. Special abishekams and pujas were performed to Maha Ganapathy at the temple and the Lord was taken in procession on Chaturthi day.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
