Bangalore Sri Ramanavami Music Concerts Schedule

Seshadripuram College Sri Ramanavami Music Festival

Sri Ramanavami Concert Series - Fort High School Grounds, Bangalore

69th Sreerama Navami Celebrations, 27-March-2007 to 03-May-2007, Govt.Junior College, Fort High School Grounds, Bangalore 18.

27-March-2007, 6:45 PM - Kadri Gopalnath, A.Kanyakumari, B.Harikumar, N.Amruth, B.Rajasekhar

28-March-2007, 6:30 PM - K.J Yesudas, Mahadeva Sharma, B.Harikumar, T.K Radhakrishnan

29-March-2007, 6:30 PM - Suma Sudhindra (Veena), Shubhendra Rao (Sitar), Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma, Ravindra Yavagal

30-March-2007, 6:30 PM - Dr.N.Ramani (Flute), Nagai Muraleedharan, K.V Prasad, N.Amruth

31-March-2007, 6:30 PM - Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Nagai Muraleedharan, Guruvayur Dorai, M.A Krishnamoorthy

01-April-2007, 9:00 AM - A.Kanyakumari (Violin), K.V Prasad, N.Amruth, B.Rajasekhar

01-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Hyderabad Brothers, Mysore Shrikanth, D.S.R Murthy, D.Mohite

02-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Vidyabhooshana, M.A Krishnaswami, K.V Jayachandra Rao, B.N Chandramouli

03-April-2007, 6:30 PM - S.Sowmya, Embar S.Kannan, H.S Sudhindra, Sukanya Ramgopal

04-April-2007, 7:15 PM - T.N.S Krishna, Jyothsna Shrikanth, M.T Rajakesari, Shrishailam

05-April-2007, 7:15 PM - Vijayalakshmi Subrahmanyam, Usha Rajagopal, M.T Rajakesari, Guruprasanna

06-April-2007, 6:30 PM - O.S Thyagarajan, T.K.V Ramanujacharulu, Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman, D.Mohite

07-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Ranjini & Gayathri, Nalina Mohan, H.S Sudhindra, Sukanya Ramgopal

08-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Gundecha Brothers (Hindustani Drupad Style Vocal)

09-April-2007, 6:30 PM - M.S Sheela, Nalina Mohan, C.Cheluvaraju, B.R Ravikumar

10-April-2007, 7:15 PM - Pantula Rama, M.S.N Murthy, C.Cheluvaraju, A.S.N Swamy

11-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Anuradha Madhusudanan (Veena), C.Cheluvaraju, D.Mohite

12-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Trichur V.Ramachandran, Mysore M.Nagaraj, Mannargudi Easwaran, M.A Krishnamoorthy

13-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Nityasree Mahadevan and Party

14-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Mysore M.Nagaraj & Mysore M.Manjunath (Violin Duet), Thiruvaroor Bhakthavalsalam, B.N Chandramouli

15-April-2007, 6:30 PM - U.Srinivas & U.Rajesh (Mandolin Duet), H.K Venkitaram, Thanjavur Govindarajan, S.V Ramani

16-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Bangalore S.Shankar, Parur M.A.Krishnanswamy, C.Cheluvaraj, M.A.Krishnamurthy

17-April-2007, 5:00 PM - Manda Sudharini, Charulatha Ramanujam, M.T Rajakesari, Krishna Prasad

17-April-2007, 7:15 PM - Sikkil Gurucharan,H. K.Venkataram, Praveen V, Sreeshailam

18-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Vijay Siva.N, R.K.ShriramKumar, Manoj Siva, B.R.Ravikumar

19-April-2007, 6:30 PM - T.V.Shankaranarayan an, Nagai Sriram, B.Harikumar, Alathur Rajaganesh

20-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Lalgudi.G.J. R.Krishnan & Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi( Violin Duet) Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, D.Mohite

21-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Priya Sisters(Shanmukhapr iya & Haripriya) & Party

22-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Kunnakudi R.Vaidyananthan( Vioiln Solo) & Party

23-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Bombay Sisters (C.Saroja & C.Lalitha), Charulatha Ramanujam, K.R Ganesh, Sukanya Ramgopal

24-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Sudha Raghunathan & Party

25-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Shashank.S (Flute), Embar S.Kannan, Sathish Kumar, N.Amruth

26-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Neyveli Santhanagopalan, V.V Ravi, Thiruvarur Bhakthavalsalam, N.Amruth

27-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Madurai T.N Sheshagopalan, S.Varadarajan, K.V Prasad, Giridhar Uduppa

28-April-2007, 6:30 PM - Mysore Manjunath (Violin) & Vishwamohan Bhat (Mohanaveena) , Sathish Kumar

29-April-2007, 5:00 PM - Malladi Brothers, Embar S.Kannan, K.V Prasad, Giridhar Uduppa

30-April-2007, 6:30 PM - N.Ravikiran (Chitraveena) , Akkarai Subbalakshmi, Thiruvaroor Bhakthavalsalam, Vaikom Gopalakrishnan

01-May-2007, 6:30 PM - Bharathanatyam By Shobhana (Film Actress) & Party

02-May-2007, 6:30 PM - Kathak & Bharathanatyam By Nirupama & Rajendra

03-May-2007, 5:00 PM - Ragavaibhavam (80 artists) lead by Kunnakudi R.Vaidyanathan

M. S. Subbulakshmi

I mentioned about the proposal of the statue of M.S. Subbulakshmi in Tirupati long time back. I happened to see it when I had recently been to Tirupati.

Click the player below to listen to her magical voice calling Devi to come fast to remove the sufferings.

ms_devibrova_chint...

Manu quotes ... (3)

From Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

The searchable online edition is available here.


1. Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

2. Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed.

3. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals.

4. Faithfulness is to the emotional life what consistency is to the life of the intellect--simply a confession of failure.

5. When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others.

6. Women defend themselves by attacking, just as they attack by sudden and strange surrenders.

7. Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.

8. When poverty creeps in at the door, love flies in through the window.

9. Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.

10. The real drawback to marriage is that it makes one unselfish.

Previous Manu quotes

1. Manu quotes … (1)

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Manu quotes ... (2)

From Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The searchable online edition is available here.


1. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

2. It is in the brain, and the brain only, that the great sins of the world take place.

3. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.

4. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.

5. Man is many things, but he is not rational.

6. The only difference between a caprice and a lifelong passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer.

7. Young men want to be faithful, and are not; old men want to be faithless, and cannot.

8. American girls are as clever at concealing their parents, as English women are at concealing their past.

9. When good Americans die they go to Paris.

10. The advantage of the emotions is that they lead us astray.

11. To get back one's youth, one has merely to repeat one's follies.


Previous Manu quotes

1. Manu quotes … (1)

Manu quotes ... (1)

From Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The searchable online edition is available here.

1. Beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins.

2. The commonest thing is delightful if one only hides it.

3. The one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties.

4. Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose.

5. Conscience and cowardice are really the same things.

6. The value of an idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it.

7. Detesting one’s relations comes from the fact that none of us can stand other people having the same faults as ourselves.

8. It is only the intellectually lost who ever argue.

9. The worst of having a romance of any kind is that it leaves one so unromantic.

10. There is no such thing as a good influence. All influence is immoral.

Divine Connection

A R Rahman, as told to Atul Sethi of The Sunday Times, writes,

Music is my means of connecting with the divine. What cannot be put into words, can be expressed through music. There are countless names of God, which we cannot utter simultaneously, but through a soulful composition, we can experience the whole power of God’s presence amidst us. When I was composing for my first film Roja, I often went into a spiritual vacuum where nothing else mattered except the music. At those times, I felt connected with a supreme power. That is why I credit whatever success has come my way to the Almighty. For artists, I believe that this manifests itself in the form of inspiration which helps you create something wonderful. I often work through the night because that is when I feel closest to the divine. As a composer, I have often felt that life’s experiences – both good and bad – have greatly added to my compositions.

My belief in Sufism has helped me emerge as a stronger person and has given me the equanimity to view life objectively. When I visit a dargah, I feel a sense of peace enveloping me. I also believe in the power of prayer. My daughter was diagnosed with a hole in her heart when she was born. However, by the time she was two, the hole vanishes without any operation. It was considered nothing short of a miracle.

The magical voice

Lakshmi Viswanathan writes in The Hindu,

A great voice is an unforgettable phenomenon of human experience. M.S. Subbulakshmi was gifted with such a voice. Millions have heard her singing and millions more will do so in the decades to come. Her voice does not merely represent Indian music at its best, but it also symbolises the truth in human endeavour.

We might all ask ourselves the question: what is our individual contribution to humanity. And we might find the answer elusive. For, perhaps, we might not have been conscious of doing something for the betterment of the world all our lives. Subbulakshmi was a perfect example of the individual who consciously contributed the one thing she knew best, to make this world a better place for all. And that was her music …

… What brought about that magic when she sang that made people forget themselves, forget even her, and reach out to that spiritual truth, however unattainable that may be to the ordinary mortal?

There is a saying in Tamil, which can be roughly translated as: Touched by the fragrance of the flower, even the chord used to string it together smells sweet. One can say that Subbulakshmi's music and personality made many lives "fragrant" by mere contact. She exuded a friendliness, humility and extraordinary strength that needed no words to elaborate.

… How does one celebrate the life of such a great artist and a greater human being? Is it enough to sing her songs or dance to them? Is it enough to speak of her in innumerable forums? Is writing about her, an adequate tribute? These questions come to my mind, when I am in deep thought.

I think it is important for thinkers and intellectuals to lead the way for making future generations realise the importance of great individuals who have shaped the cultural destiny of India.


Reference:

1. The magic in her voice – Lakshmi Viswanathan

Fear of separation

Living legend Gangubai Hangal writes,

I was then a young girl. It was the Belgaum Congress of 1924 and the Mahatma was to grace the occasion. I was thrilled that I was going to sing before Gandhiji, but also scared stiff that I would be asked to clear all the plantain leaves after lunch, as I belonged to one of the lower castes. I sang. Gandhiji came up to me and blessed me. Pandit Sawai Gandharva was impressed too. On the one hand I was overjoyed by their appreciation, but on the other, I was paralyzed by the worst fears. I quietly walked up to my teacher and asked him if I had to sit separately for lunch and clear the leaves. He held me close, and said: "Nothing of the kind, don't worry..."

They were difficult times. But I am grateful to music in more than one way. It gave me a unique identity and pushed all other identities to the background.

From The Hindu, Suvarna Karnataka special issue, 2006

Notes from Bangalore Book Festival 2006

There were heads, heads, and heads everywhere. I had to navigate my way slowly. No complaints for that. It was nice to see books, books, and books all around. In addition, if the book seller gives you many details with a smile you will know that two minds have reached each other - an invisible rope that finds two nubs on its ends.

Now for the notes -

When I entered the stall of Karnataka Sahitya Bandara I had only the name of a book in my mind. I did not know the author. Moreover, I wanted to buy the English translation of that book. I went to an old man sitting and asked,

"Sir, I am looking for a book named Shantala. I don't know either the author or the publisher."

"Shantala by K. V. Iyer? We have."

"Do you have the English version?"

"No, Sir. We have the original Kannada book. I think two versions of English translation are available. But I am not sure if they are unabridged. There is an abridged version published by Sahitya Academy."

He started telling me about G.V. Iyer's serial on Shantala with vividness that was matched only by his sharp eyes - an invisible rope was braided between two nubs.
_________________


Nadam Geetam is a book-seller from Chennai. They sell books of all major Tamil publishers. I could not enter their stall. The gap given was small. Excuse-me would lose its meaning in such places where you had entire queue moving at snail's pace. No one could have done better. They had to see books. They had to thump through it too. I moved myself close to a friendly-looking person and asked,

"Do you have Laa. Sa. Raa's ithazhkal?"

"Sir, We don't have Laa. Sa. Raa at all."

"But I remember seeing few books by him."

"No, Sir. We do not have stocks."

But I had seen Laa. Sa. Raa's paarkadal and janani few minutes back. I did not pay much attention to those books as I have them already.

Note: There is an article (in Tamil) written by my friend on Laa. Sa. Raa. It is available here.

Thanks Abi, for telling me how to incorporate this box in a post.

I was now hearing there were no books by Laa. Sa. Raa. I thought I would again stand in the queue and push myself near the place wherever I saw those two books. I saw three Laa. Sa. Raa books this time. The third book was Soundarya. I have that book too. I called the friendly-looking person and showed him those three books by Laa. Sa. Raa. He felt bad.

"What can I do, Sir? See the crowd around here. I keep forgetting. Sorry, Sir. You would like to have these?"

"No, Thanks. I have them all. I am looking for ithazhkal."

"Sorry Sir. We really do not have. Vanathi publishers have not printed that book for a long time."

"Oh, Okay. Thanks."

"Sir.."

Why his tone had become importunate? I looked at his face. His face seemed to have only request.

"Please do not tell this to the owner."

He pointed his hand towards a bald-headed man sitting at one end.

"I won't tell. I just thought I would show those books to you so that if someone else asks for Laa. Sa. Raa’s books you would not say no. That's all. I won't tell your owner about this."

His face had again become very friendly, and there was a smile. I too smiled. An invisible rope relaxed itself to release the strength from its plaits.

________________


There were two persons at Krishnamurti Foundation Books stall. One was a middle-aged man moving around the stall, and the other was a middle-aged lady sitting with Cash bill receipts. Both were amiable but the lady seemed to gauge everyone if they were potential buyers or not. If she had felt they were, she would then ask the man to show this-book, that-book, and the book-over-there. On the other hand, if she had felt they were here just to browse, she would become invisible. No magic here. What I meant is she would just become invisible. If you asked something you would get some answer after few hours. And I was just looking. My eyes went to a book that was covered by a transparent wrapper. Enough care was taken to wrap it so tightly that no one should see anything other than the front and back covers. You had to take it to see the back cover. I was just seeing the front cover by lifting my head as it was kept in the top of a rack. I was looking and looking. Only at the front cover. The front cover read One Thousand Moons: Krishnamurti at Eighty-Five. The man came closer to me and asked me if I wanted to see the book.

"I want to see the book but it is wrapped."

"I will show you the book. We have one book unwrapped."

He turned around to see the lady. The lady was busy writing the cash bill for a customer. Then he said,

"We can unwrap it and show. The book costs about Rs.800/- and you can buy the book if it interests you."

"Thanks."

He could not find the unwrapped book. He asked a boy to find out in a carton to see if it was there. The boy was searching for the book. The man lost hope of finding the unwrapped book, almost asked the boy to give him a wrapped book. By then, the lady had finished her billing and asked the man what it was. He explained. The lady looked at me. I could sense that a judging algorithm was initiated within her to see if I was a potential buyer. The algorithm said no. She said in a stronger tone that they did not have an unwrapped book. I told her,

"It's okay."

I saw the man. His countenance showed a sort of helplessness. I smiled at him, and told him, "It's okay." An invisible rope was vibrating; braiding and unbraiding. Then the lady threw a deal at me. The deal that made me laugh.

"If you buy the book, we can then show it here."

What a deal!

"If I buy that book, I would like to read it at home. Not here."

She did not say anything for few seconds, and then nodded her head in approval.

But did I see a smile in the man's face?
_______

Paul R. Halmos (1916-2006)

Prof. Paul R. Halmos died on October 2, 2006. George Pólya Award, for articles of expository excellence published in the College Mathematics Journal, was given to him in 1983 for his article The Thrills of Abstraction.

From The Thrills of Abstraction:

My wife and I were invited to a party recently, a party attended by four other couples, making a total of ten people. Some of those ten knew some of the others, and some did not, and some were polite, and some were not. As a result a certain amount of handshaking took place in an unpredictable way, subject only to two obvious conditions: no one shook his or her own hand and no husband shook his wife's hand. When it was all over, I became curious and I went around the party asking each person: " How many hands did you shake? ... And you? ... And you?" What answers could I have received? Conceivably some people could have said "None", and others could have given me any number between 1 and 8 inclusive. That's right, isn't it? Since self-handshakes and spouse-handshakes were ruled out, 8 is the maximum number of hands that any one of the party of 10 could have shaken.

I asked nine people (everybody, including my own wife), and each answer could have been any one of the nine numbers 0 to 8 inclusive. I was interested to note, and I hereby report, that the nine different people gave me nine different answers; someone said 0, someone said 1, and so on, and, finally, someone said 8. When it was all over, my curiosity was satisfied: I knew all the answers. Next morning, I told the story to my colleagues at the office, exactly as I told it now, and I challenged them, on the basis of the information just given, to tell me how many hands my wife shook.

If you try to find the answer for that question, you will find a kind of similarity, in approach, with the following problem.

C thinks of two consecutive numbers between 1 and 10. C tells one number to A, and the another to B. Now for the conversation between A and B:

A: I do not know your number
B: I do not know your number
A: I do not know your number
B: I know your number
A: I too know your number

What are those numbers?

References

1. An obituary at the website of the Mathematical Association of America
2. A brief biography: http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Biographies/Halmos.html
3. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Halmos
4. Paul R. Halmos, The Thrills of Abstraction, Two-Year Coll. Math. J. 13 (1982), 243-251.
5. Number puzzle