The unique appeal of Carnatic group kutcheri
Nandhita Kannan, Shakthi Muralidharan, Dhanush Anantharaman and Niranjan Dindodi ensured the basic structure of a classical concert was not compromised with. There was ample opportunity for each to showcase their individual manodharma and competence in alapanas and swaraprastaras.
Aptly commencing with 'Guruleka eduvanti' in Gowrimanohari (Khanda cChapu) by Tyagaraja, they took turns to render the kalpanaswaras. This was followed by the Kalyani alapana, led by Sakthi. The ensemble uniquely included the veena (played by C. Charulatha) instead of the usual violin accompaniment. It added to the melody. Her Kalyani raga essay was enjoyable. 'Birana varalicci brovumu' (Adi tala, tisra nadai), by Syama Sastri, was the chosen kriti. The musicians took turns to render niraval and swaras at 'Puraani madhuravaani'.
Dikshitar's rare composition, the sixth Guruguha Vibhakti kriti in Purvi raga, was a pleasure to listen to. It was followed by Papanasam Sivan's bhakti-laden kriti in raga Marga Hindolam, 'Thunai purintharul karunai madhava'.
The pièce de résistance of the concert was Tyagaraja's masterpiece 'O, rangasayi' in Kamboji. The raga alapana, led by Nandita, was a nice blend of long and short phrases. Charulatha's adherence to tradition came through in her response on the veena. She effectively conveyed the essence of the raga. The quartet's synchronised rendition drew up picture of the Bhoolaka Vaikuntam — Srirangam. Each came up with their distinct approach to the niraval and swaras.
Aduthurai Guruprasad on the mridangam and Sriman Raghu Krishnan on the ghatam showed their command over laya during the thani.
After the Virutham, the group sang Sringeri Acharya Sri Bharati Thirtha Mahaswami's 'Bhajare lokagurum' in Khamas. Thayumanavar's 'Angai lodumalar thoovi' was rendered in ragas Chenjurutti and Nadanamakriya set to a rare Chanda tala. The concert concluded with Samartha Ramadasa's Abhang.
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The Hindu
16-07-2025
- The Hindu
The unique appeal of Carnatic group kutcheri
Kedaram celebrated its 10th anniversary with a series of music concerts. The inaugural performance was by a group of four up-and-coming musicians. One felt skeptical initially about the idea of bringing together a young team belonging to different schools. However, the quartet rose up to the challenge with their well-synchronised rendition. Nandhita Kannan, Shakthi Muralidharan, Dhanush Anantharaman and Niranjan Dindodi ensured the basic structure of a classical concert was not compromised with. There was ample opportunity for each to showcase their individual manodharma and competence in alapanas and swaraprastaras. Aptly commencing with 'Guruleka eduvanti' in Gowrimanohari (Khanda cChapu) by Tyagaraja, they took turns to render the kalpanaswaras. This was followed by the Kalyani alapana, led by Sakthi. The ensemble uniquely included the veena (played by C. Charulatha) instead of the usual violin accompaniment. It added to the melody. Her Kalyani raga essay was enjoyable. 'Birana varalicci brovumu' (Adi tala, tisra nadai), by Syama Sastri, was the chosen kriti. The musicians took turns to render niraval and swaras at 'Puraani madhuravaani'. Dikshitar's rare composition, the sixth Guruguha Vibhakti kriti in Purvi raga, was a pleasure to listen to. It was followed by Papanasam Sivan's bhakti-laden kriti in raga Marga Hindolam, 'Thunai purintharul karunai madhava'. The pièce de résistance of the concert was Tyagaraja's masterpiece 'O, rangasayi' in Kamboji. The raga alapana, led by Nandita, was a nice blend of long and short phrases. Charulatha's adherence to tradition came through in her response on the veena. She effectively conveyed the essence of the raga. The quartet's synchronised rendition drew up picture of the Bhoolaka Vaikuntam — Srirangam. Each came up with their distinct approach to the niraval and swaras. Aduthurai Guruprasad on the mridangam and Sriman Raghu Krishnan on the ghatam showed their command over laya during the thani. After the Virutham, the group sang Sringeri Acharya Sri Bharati Thirtha Mahaswami's 'Bhajare lokagurum' in Khamas. Thayumanavar's 'Angai lodumalar thoovi' was rendered in ragas Chenjurutti and Nadanamakriya set to a rare Chanda tala. The concert concluded with Samartha Ramadasa's Abhang.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- The Hindu
Exploring Dikshitar's Navavarana kritis through music and painting
Sri Vidya, the luminous knowledge of the Goddess, and the Cosmic Mother, Tripura Sundari, stand as the crown jewel of Shakta Tantra. The spiritual tradition of Sri Vidya is rooted in the worship of Shakti, celebrating the divine as both creator and creation. Though popularly known as the Navavaranas, implying nine kritis, the Kamalamba series by Muthuswami Dikshitar comprises eleven compositions. Bookended by a Dhyana Kriti and a Mangala Kriti, these works are a musical pilgrimage through the sacred enclosures (Avaranas) of the Sri Chakra, with Kamalamba, the goddess, presiding at Kamalanagaram (Tiruvarur). Dikshitar's compositions methodically illuminate each Avarna, guiding the seeker from the outermost square to the innermost bindu, where the goddess herself resides. Dikshitar, an ardent Devi upasaka, meticulously crafts each kriti to reflect the geometry, deities, mantras, and esoteric qualities of each Avarana. The lyrics are dense with Sanskrit grammar, each kriti employing a different vibhakti (case), which uses all eight cases, Kamalamba, Kamalambam, and so on, culminating in Kamalaambike. Dikshitar's genius lies not just in his command of Sanskrit but in his audacious raga choices. He adheres to the Venkatamakhin sampradaya, classifying ragas into Melakarta, Upanga and Bhashanga categories. While the nine central kritis span this spectrum of Kalyani and Sankarabharanam representing the Melakarta ragas, Sahana, Bhairavi, and Anandabhairavi are Upangam ragas, and Kamboji, Punnagavarali, Ghanta, and Ahiri are Bhashangam. Each raga is chosen not just for its melodic beauty but for its symbolic resonance with the corresponding avarana. As Sumitra Nitin, Carnatic vocalist and Bharatanatyam dancer, explains, his juxtaposition of Kalyani and Sankarabharanam, the ragas that differ only by a single note, 'madhyamam' was a deliberate pedagogical move. 'He has shown you that these swaras make no sense,' she says, 'it is the prayogas that matter.' In other words, the essence of a raga lies not in its scale, but in its emotive grammar. 'Through these kritis, Dikshitar teaches us not just how to sing, but how to understand,' she adds. For Sumitra, the idea for a unique presentation of these kritis came in an unexpected moment of quiet reflection. The inspiration came from a Sri Chakra Yantra painting by Rekha Krishnan. 'I then started dreaming about this programme,' she recalls, 'where I could showcase the synergy between this ancient visual art and the profound Navavarna compositions.' Though initially unfamiliar with the kritis, Rekha's journey soon became intertwined with Sumitra's vision, leading to a collaboration bridging the sacred and the aesthetic. When Sumitra approached Rekha to collaborate on a full-sequence performance of the Kamalamba Navavarna kritis, the timing was serendipitous. Rekha had, by then, become a Sri Vidya upasaka herself. 'I'm very much into the Sri Vidya philosophy now,' she shares. Rekha created an entirely new series of paintings, each infused with her spiritual understanding of the corresponding avarana. This vision now comes to fruition in an upcoming thematic event titled 'Sri Chakra', to be held at Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha (Vani Mahal) on, July 20 at 10 a.m. Sumitra will present a lec-dem of the Kamalamba Navavarna kritis, accompanied by nine of her students from Natyasruti. As the compositions unfold, Rekha's visual interpretation of each avarana will be projected on screen. The musical ensemble includes Sivateja Mallajosyula on the violin and Abhiram Nitin on the mridangam. When asked about her interpretation of the Navavarna kritis, Sumitra was quick to clarify: 'I follow Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer's Patantaram.' She learned a couple of kritis directly from him and absorbed more through her guru T. Rukmini, also a disciple of Semmangudi. This lineage is not about rigid replication but about aesthetic refinement. Sumitra, as a teacher, took on the challenge with humility and determination. Referring to the sheer complexity of Navavaranams, she taught them 'slowly,' often just 'one line or maximum two lines per class.' Many of her students are in school, some in college. Yet, through patience and perseverance, the young ensemble rose to the occasion. One might assume that to compose such spiritually potent music, a composer might simplify his musical structure. But Dikshitar did the opposite. 'He challenged himself in his own way,' says Sumitra. From using all eight vibhaktis to composing in rare talas such as the 14-akshara cycle for the seventh avarana, Dikshitar imposed complicating conditions upon himself, only to transcend them. In doing so, he didn't just compose kritis, he expanded the very boundaries of Carnatic music. During the performance, Rekha's Sri Chakra paintings will be displayed on the stage. . 'These visuals will add a new dimension to the kritis,' adds Sumitra. .
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Time of India
Kalyani Priyadarshan's bald childhood pic with Pranav Mohanlal goes viral: 'Yes, That motta kid was me'
Actor celebrated his birthday recently, receiving heartfelt wishes from fans and celebrities alike. But it was 's post that stole the show, a nostalgic throwback photo featuring herself and Pranav as kids, along with Bollywood actor . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Captioning the picture, Kalyani wrote, 'Happy birthday to my forever friend.' The childhood bond between the two stars instantly warmed hearts — but it was Kalyani's shaved head look in the photo that sparked an avalanche of fan questions online. 'Yes, that bald kid was me,' says Kalyani As the comments rolled in wondering if the motta (bald) kid in the image was really her, Kalyani decided to address the curiosity with humour and grace. She posted a new selfie on her Instagram Stories and wrote, 'To everyone asking who that bald kid (motta) in the last post was – yes, it was me.' Kalyani Priyadarshan hits the gym with her 'Varane Avashyamund' co-star Rahul Rajasekharan (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Kalyani's upcoming films On the professional front, Kalyani Priyadarshan is gearing up for a busy slate of releases/ She will be next seen in the entertainer 'Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira' which is directed by Althaf Salim, co-starring . This marks Althaf Salim's second directorial venture and the expectations are quite high as he is teaming up with Fahadh Faasil for the first time. After that, Kalyani will be seen in 'Lokah – Chapter 1' which is a sci-fi drama where she shares screen space with Naslen, directed by Dominic Arun. Kalyani will be also seen in 'Marshal' which is a Tamil action-drama in which she stars opposite Karthi. The movie is directed by Tamizh. Meanwhile, Kalyani Priyadarshan's previous hit film was the Vineeth Sreenivasan's directorial feel-good drama movie 'Varshangalkku Shesham'. The movie alsi featured Pranav Mohanlal, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Neeraj Madhav, Aju Varghese, Asif Ali, Nivin Pauly, and many others in pivotal roles.
