Century-plus Sri Ramanavami tradition

The finale of Sri Ramabhakta Sabha's Sri Ramanavami fest is this evening in Malleswaram.

The evening will feature a series by the Sabha's members and signal the end of the 109th edition of the celebration, one which was started by 'compounder' C V Subba Rao elsewhere and which then came to have its base in Malleswaram.

C V Venkatesh Rao, the founder's grandson now runs the Sabha, having been at its helm for about 22 years. It has hosted great artistes like Veena Seshanna, Ariyakudi Ramanuja and Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar.

This hoary history goes to enrich the histories of Bangalore's own Sri Ramanavami festival.

Sunday music in Jayanagar

The hall of Sri Jayarama Seva Mandali in Jayanagar's 8th Block is compact for a small community of rsikas to listen to music.

On Sunday evening, vocalist Amrutha Venlatesh is on stage - H M Smitha on violin and Tumkur Ravishankar on mridangam.

People visit the mandir at the street level, some make contributions at the mandali's office and then walk up to the concert space on the first floor.

For this quiet colony of the sprawling and ever-busy neighborhood, you would expect the concert attendance to be bigger. Perhaps 200 to 250 people.

The donors though are many. At this time of the year, the 'sevakarthas' support the religious as well as the arts. Their names are featured in the programme brochures and on stage.

This evening's funder is Percussive Arts Centre promoted by mridangist and engineering teacher V. Krishna.

One assumes this year's support has been good - many artistes from Chennai are featured here.

Dances in Malleswaram

Bangalore's classical arts scene is abuzz round the year now.  The Ramanavami Season may not rival the December Season of Madras but the music and dance on offer is aplenty.

We hop across to Malleswaram, wading through a Sunday traffic on Sampige Road and head to Seva Sadan on 14th Cross.

Dancer Padmini Ravi presents a 'margam' and then, neo-classicsal choreographies on Nauka Charitram with 8 young dancers -Preeti Bharadwaj, Gowri Sasgar, Adithi Sadashiva, Pruthvi, Sneha Devanan, K R Anjali, Arun Sreenivasan and Yogesh Kumar.

The music is by Ravichandra Kulur.

It is a full house. A given in Malleswaram. 

Dance seems to be getting more space in the city. Classical dance.

Aruna Sairam in full flow . . .

Aruna Sairam is in full-throated flow at the Big Tent in Chamarajpet on Sunday evening, March 29. The sides of the main and adjoining roads are packed with parked cars - police allow it since it is a Sunday.

This year, the canteen is better and bit bigger. And people having a cup of coffee also browse at the music albums stall.

Inside the tent, there must be over 4000 people. Among them are many young people, some from abroad visiting family here.

Sree Rama Seva Mandali prides itself in saying this is a national music fest. It also offers the best artistes. But in recent times, the funds crunch is hurting.

The hosts did hint that things would change if the BJP held Delhi. The latter has happened but the good news is yet to arrive. 

BJP's MP and union minister Ananth Kumar was the chief guest on Day One but there were Congressmen too as guests.

A place to be seen and heard. 

Quiet finale in Sripuram

The mandali in Sriramapuram brings its music and religious series to a quiet end on Sunday.

Homams start in the morning and the Sri Rama Pattabhishekam takes place around noontime.

The small community of this area takes part. 

This is the 86th edition of the celebrations - this year the host kept them simple to save funds for building a space for the temple priest.

The finale at Jayanagar East End

It is Sri Rama Pattabhishekam time at the mandali at Jayanagar East End.
The music concerts series closed on Friday evening and Sita Kalyanam followed.

The Association managers, all seniors and familiar faces now tell us that the audience was good for the concerts, mostly seniors.

If there was one hiccup they had to diplomatically handle it was a few plaints of the neighbors who did not seem to relish the music floating around at late evening!

Bangalore's newer neighborhoods are getting sandwiched as development continues and a community space for music and chantings seems too now impinge on the new neighbors.

Sri Ramanavami seems to bring the community together here. For none days, lunch is served to all who are ptresent and packets are also handed over to the local colony of less privileged people, the seniors tell us.

This Sunday afternoon, for the finale there is a simple and delicious lunch served on leaves. The semiya payasam tastes great.

Celebrating Anoor Anathakrishna Sharma; 50!

Today was Palm Sunday. For Christians, the start of the Holy Week. A time to reflect on the days that led to the death of Jesus and on the spiritual issues this presents.

We attended service at the magnificent St Francis Xaviers Church on Millars Road and rushed off to attend what must have been the biggest event in bangalore this Sunday.

The felicitation of guru Anoor Ananthakrishnna Sarma. Shivu to his legion of friends here and across the country.

Held at a college in Jaya Nagar this was avery warm and colorful event indeed. The who is who of the music and arts world was present. And on stage some very celebrated people, from singer SPB to TAS Mani and Suma Sudhindra and Talwalker, percussionist and Bangalore MP, H N Ananth Kumar.

50 years of life was a cause to celebrate and Shivu's disciples made a great event this Sunday. The World Cup final was forgotten and some, skipped their dates at other concerts.

Shivu and his wife were garlanded, gifted and felicitated. And the docu-film  screened made the guru smile and chuckle - it had pictures of his childhood and it had stalwarts talking about his music.

Shivu has excelled as a percusionist - filk, classical, pop, film. He has done it all.

An early celebration of his life but very timely.