The Indian High Commission alongside the Indian Cultural Centre organized a colourful evening enriched with vibrant music and singing at the Saraswathie Hall on 17 Friday. The chief guest at the event was Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M. Swaminathan and the Deputy Indian High Commissioner, Arindam Bagchi.
Almost 100 students and practitioners of carnatic music, which is a very ancient form of music with its roots in India, took part in the aaradhana (ceremony of adoration). In carnatic music compositions are written to be sung. There were groups of students from the Jaffna University, Eastern University, Hatton, and the University of Performing Arts. They displayed their prowess in playing the violin, thavil (drum) and veena supplemented by signing the keerthanas composed by the late Thiyagarajah. This large and dedicated symphony was directed by Srimathi Arunthathi Sri Ranganathan, who later reminisced that she had attended these keerthanas as a teenager. She has been active in organizing these events in Colombo since 1990. In India, this jubilant celebration has been conducted for the past 160 years.
Thiyagarajah Swamy was born in Thanjavur and was gifted in the languages of Thelungu, Tamil and Sanskrit. He died in 1847. The keerthanas in India are held near his Samadhi by the banks of the Kavery River. I also spoke to another lady well versed in carnatic music, Nalini Baskaran a graduate of the NCOMS – North Ceylon Oriental Music Society based in Jaffna, pioneered by W.M. Coomaraswamy.
The music centres on nattai, gowlai, aarabi, varali and shri ragam. It was amazing to witness how music transcends cultural boundaries and has the power to connect people. The hall gently resonated with keerthanas and captivated the large crowd present. Music is a brilliant form of expression and will continue to be an avenue that enhances life.