The aradhana conundrum - aradhana for whom ?
Topic started by balakrishnan (@ adsl-67-118-1-108.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net) on Mon Jul 7 17:14:52 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
Recently, I came across an article on Cleveland Thyagaraja Utsavam and
the roaring attendance it commands. I was immensely pleased with the
globalization of Carnatic Music.
At the same time, I was quick to notice an evolving trend among present-day
India-based musicians - How come these well-established professional musicians
(that includes percussion artists, btw) are able to accommodate a heavy-duty
December season and are able to come all the way from India to US to participate
at Cleveland and yet are unable to participate at the Thyagaraja Utsavam in
Tiruvaiyaru on a regular basis ?
Long gone are the days when musicians considered it was their duty/privilege
to pay their homage to the great Saint by participating at his Samadhi on pushya pagula panchami day. If Thyagaiyar
were around, would he still have boldly posed the "Nidhi chala sukhama" question
('Oh mind! Tell me which confers genuine happiness - Wealth or the Vision of Rama?).
Probably not.
I'm curious to know what percentage of Cleveland participants (esp. musicians who
have come all the way from India) attend the Tiruvaiyaru Utsavam .
Any informed guesses ?
Responses:
- From: Nadopasaka (@ 162.33.59.37)
on: Tue Jul 8 20:03:18 EDT 2003
You can probably calculate this from info on the respective web-sites but I think the basic answer is in your write-up. 'Professional' musicians would probably give a marriage or some such other invited well paid concert, probably also provide accompaniment to dance, even in Tiruvaiyaru, privately on aradhana day, if it were offered. Very few of these merchants should be held to the standards of the vaageyakaaraas.
- From: panchanadham (@ 12-213-130-98.client.attbi.com)
on: Thu Jul 10 23:53:37 EDT 2003
I agree with the points raised by Balakrishnan, and also with the response above.Devotion and sincerity must be there.For that matter one may say that Aradhana could be observed any where even in one's home.Does it not make a difference to participate in one being held at Thiruvayyaru?
- From: NARENDRAN SRINIVASAN (@ async37-2.nas.onetel.net.uk)
on: Sun Jul 13 05:17:27 EDT 2003
As an NRI who has chosen the 'Dollar' as the bottom line, do I have the right to sit in judgement on the musicians who do so? Jesus said, 'May the first man who has never sinned cast the first stone'. Obviously, I can't and neither can any one living in the USA.
I am not trying to be funny. But the residents of the USA can take a decision not to invite the musicians who don't participate in Thiruvaiyaru. Similarly, the traditional but unlucky musicians who don't have the marketing skills and consequently don't get invited to the USA can refuse to sing to an audience where NRIs are present.
This is the consequence of 'Globalisation'. Who is eligible to sit in judgement?
Far worse things will happen, if you want to think them 'worse'. For those of us who have accepted that the bottom line is a green back, it might even be a blessing in disguise.
Certainly, my intention is not to hurt anyone's opinion on the subject.
- From: poor-rasikan (@ dclient217-162-113-126.hispeed.ch)
on: Sun Jul 13 08:02:25 EDT 2003
Musicians also have stomach. Who would not mind being invited with airfare and a few dollars to take back home? Going to Thiruvayaaru means spending your own money!
- From: Priya (@ adsl-67-118-1-108.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net)
on: Sun Jul 13 12:59:03 EDT 2003
What does earning one's living gotta do with participation in Tiruvaiyaru's aradhana? Certainly all these musicians have a right to earn their living. No one grudges them that. But participating in the aradhana is paying homage (royalty if you will) to the saint on whose songs these musicians earn their dollars, pounds, rupees and 'pattu pudavai's. And I am talking about only those musicians who are financially able to make the trip to Tiruvaiyaru.
- From: supa (@ adsl-63-205-66-217.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net)
on: Sun Jul 13 21:24:17 EDT 2003
Balakrishnan has raised a very pertinent point. As a non NRI, I am perhaps elegible to join the person 'who throws the first stone' - though i am not inclined to.
I can only say 'entharO mahAnubhAvulu, anthariki vandhanamulu' and thayAgarAjar is the first such mahAnubhAvA to whom my salutations are due. 'God, forgive them. They know not what they do'.
- From: Sankaran (@ 12-251-30-93.client.attbi.com)
on: Tue Jul 15 00:04:35 EDT 2003
Let us not begrudge these Vidhwans the wonderful opportunity to make a few dollars in the U.S. After all, almost all of them chose Carnatic Music only as a way to make ends meet, not as a Bhakti Maargam to attain Moksha by worshipping Rama. If you are an engineer and get invited to Saudi Arabia to work on a petro-chemical project, are you going to refuse it citing some weird reasons ? Even if you do, no one is going to cast aspersions on your integrity for doing so. You decide to do what benefits you. None of these musicians claimed to be any different. Did they?
- From: Lalitha Venkat (@ 12-234-13-90.client.attbi.com)
on: Wed Oct 8 14:47:23
I totally agree with Balakrishnan's view on this. But musicians who could not participate on the Aradhana day at Thiruvaiyaru owing to preoccupations either as mentioned by Nasopasaka or due to other personal reasons, definitely pay their homage by attending the aradhana functions arranged by various local sabhas conveniently on the following Sunday. No doubt these programmes are conducted with wide publicity mentioning the musicians name in bold letters and also with a coverage of a powerful visual media. God save the music world!
- From: Lalitha Venkat (@ 12-234-13-90.client.attbi.com)
on: Wed Oct 8 14:47:33
I totally agree with Balakrishnan's view on this. But musicians who could not participate on the Aradhana day at Thiruvaiyaru owing to preoccupations either as mentioned by Nasopasaka or due to other personal reasons, definitely pay their homage by attending the aradhana functions arranged by various local sabhas conveniently on the following Sunday. No doubt these programmes are conducted with wide publicity mentioning the musicians name in bold letters and also with a coverage of a powerful visual media. God save the music world!
- From: Balakrishnan (@ adsl-67-118-13-46.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net)
on: Mon Dec 15 18:12:07
According to the Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha, Thiruvaiyaru , The Aradhana festival would be held from January 8 to 13. Doordarshan would telecast a concert by Unnikrishnan live on January 10 and All-India Radio will also broadcast it live from 10 to 10.30 p.m. This will be followed by violin duet by M. Chandrasekaran and G. Bharathi of Chennai from 10.30 to 11 p.m. On January 12, between 9 and 10 a.m. musicians will sing Pancharathna Kritis.
- From: Thanjavooran (@ )
on: Fri Jan 23 23:50:50
After the actual Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru, as pointed out by Lalitha Venkat all the local sabhas in chennai are organising the aradhana festival every saturday and sunday with insertions in Hindu and all musicians participate. shri seerazhi Jayarman mentioned in the identical aradhana at thyagaraja vidwat samajam on the same day that the function is organised at chennai for musicians [below dollar line ] who could not make out a trip to Thiruvaiyaru. The participants were s/shri TVG, PS Narayanasamy, MSAnantharaman with his disciple sons , thanjavur moorthy , Guruvayur Durai, ghatam suresh mridangam rajasekar and many more. ok. Let us wait and see who are all going to participate at Cleveland festival.
- From: Thanjavooran (@ )
on: Tue May 25 02:15:09
The participants at Thyagaraja Aradhanai at DUBAI
were Seerkazhi Jayaraman, PS Narayanasamy and Tiruvenkadu Jayaraman to mention few. The group photo was published in Newspapers.
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