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Music, dance and culture
Krishna Gana Sabha — home of performing arts.
SATHGURU NATHA Gnanananda, Namasankeerthanam troupe of Nallur N.S. Venkatrama Bhagavathar and T.N. Mahadeva Bhagavathar, sing as they reach a crescendo in a nearly full Krishna Gana Sabha in T. Nagar.
Reducing the volume of the speaker carrying the music from the auditorium, 82-year-old R. Yagnaraman, Secretary of the Sabha, speaks, "Since I took over as secretary of the Sabha in 1956, we have been promoting all forms of music and dance. The stalwarts Sengalipuram Anantharama Deekshithar and Narayana Deekshithar performed here."
Harikathas and Hari Nama Sankeerthanam programmes have ever since been part of the Sabha's programmes, attracting an enthusiastic audience.
"In addition to this, the Sabha is running a Hari Nama Sankeerthanam school and there are 90 persons attending the classes twice a week. Udayalur K. Kalyanarama Bhagavathar is teaching free of cost and no charge is being made for the hall. The amount collected as voluntary donations goes to indigent artistes," Mr. Yagnaraman says, pointing out that these were the things that went into promoting the culture and tradition of the country and making people aware of who and what they were, their religion, faith and prayers.
Alarmel Valli, who has had a special relationship with the Krishna Gana Sabha for the past 25 years where she was given a chance to perform in her early teens, agrees that they have had a consistent policy of featuring not just south Indian but also north Indian styles of dances including Manipuri and Kathak. "As an artiste, the Sabha has a very special place as I grew up with it. Out of three Sabhas I perform each year, Krishna Gana Sabha finds a sure place," she adds.
"Raamayana and Mahabharatha are our ancient epics and yet they are not available for study in the modern syllabus. One way to make our youth aware of our past is through these cultural forms of communication," says Mr. Yagnaraman. And Gayathri Venkataraghavan, a young vocalist, feels so too. "As a child, when I began learning music, my father will take me for the season programmes at the Sabha. The variety of performances including Birju Maharaj and Sonal Mansingh, the innumerable concerts and lecture demonstrations gave me a ringside view of the entire Indian cultural ethos."
How about the audience response? "Well, it has been really tremendous," he says as his face brightens up. "The hall is always full with young and old, and at times it is difficult to find accommodation. Sometimes, the programme is on for three hours and even then they don't budge," Mr. Yagnaraman says.
Vocalist T.M. Krishna says that Krishna Gana Sabha was among the first to start the youth series concerts. Their dance conferences have been a very unique feature with two or three dancers giving shape and orientation. It was one of the first big sabhas to become a trendsetter with great support from many artistes who lived in and around T. Nagar and West Mambalam. Many young artistes have been promoted by the Sabha.
While agreeing that the Sabha gave importance to various activities, Narmadha M.S., a noted violinist and musicologist, says that it could recognise more youngsters and provide more opportunities for lecture demonstrations. Music is universal and hence Hindustani, Carnatic and instrumental music, which has great value on the international arena, has to be promoted through fusion, she adds.
"Our membership of around 500 has been continuing over the last three generations of grandparents, parents and children," says Mr. Yagnaraman.
It has had a reputation of providing the leading artistes of Hindustani and Carnatic music and there is a tremendous response for even the ticketed programmes. Artistes from all over the country perform Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Odyssey, Kathak, which are entirely different from others and often Jugalbandhis between Hindustani and Carnatic music are also featured. "We don't seek sponsors, but public support is there," he says speaking of the cosmopolitan nature of the Sabha audience.
Photo: K. Pichumani
From Akila Dinakar
in Chennai
Photo: K. Pichumani
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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