Coverage: Amruthavarshini’s Thyagaraja Aradhana.

- By Sundar Rajan G S, Coffee With Sundar

Location: NIT Trichy
Date: 23rd and 24th Feb 2008

If you had entered the lecture hall complex, NIT Trichy on Saturday Morning… You could have felt the vibrations from the shruthi box.. There was a resonance everywhere.. To add to the beauty of music, there were school kids with innocent faces.. fully determined.. Yes! They were all eyeing the trophy which will be given to the winners of the Carnatic Music Contest conducted by Amruthavarshini – The carnatic music club of NIT Trichy.

Day 1 – 23rd Feb 2008.
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This was the first time Amruthavarshini is organizing a 2 day event.
On the first day, the school kids were divided into 2 groups – Juniors (<= 7th Standard) and Seniors (8th - 10th). They were competing for the 3 prizes in each of the vocal, percussion and non percussion categories. The turn out was very high. Students were accompanied by their school teachers and parents, who were giving tips and advise to the students.

The stiff competition created a lot of confusion in deciding the winner. The judges were none other than the members of our very own Amruthavarshini. They convinced the students and parents that it was music that was the winner at the end of the day, as they announced the winners. There was happiness, dissappointment, anger.. Everything.. The place was full of emotions.. But everyone agreed that it was a great event! All the candidates were presented with a CD which had 12 carnatic songs from the stalwarts.

Day 2 – 24th Feb 2008
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At 4:30 pm, when the curtains closed for India in India-Australia ODI, there were curtains opening else where. The winners of the contest were given the stage to show case their talent to a small and very music savvy crowd of NIT Trichy. “The students raised to the occasion” is just an understatement. They sang extremely well with the accompaniment of mridangam, violin and kangira. Finally Satyavrata, the senior member of the club, rendered a fantastic piece.

The artists from Trichy and Srirangam arrived at 5:45 in NIT Trichy bus. After a small coffee break and brief round of introduction, they all started to mean business. A thyagaraja archana was done. This was followed by the renderings of pancharathna krithis under the guidance of Sri. TKV Ramanujacharulu. Sri. Madhusudanan lead the percussion troupe. There were singers and instrumentalists from our very own nit trichy.

The grand event was concluded with the prize distribution ceremony and a very motivating speech from the director Chidambaram. Pa Badri, the president of the club was a proud man. Its now upto the juniors to keep up the tradition. The curtains were falling again as guests from srirangam were given “banana leaf” dinner. Amruthavarshini’s flagship event – Thyagaraja Aradhana was a grand success.

I enjoyed the 2 days at NIT Trichy, where I witnessed the godess of shruti and laya, Saraswati landing at NIT Trichy.
Long live Amruthavarshini!
Long live NIT Trichy’s thyagaraja aradhana.

For photos, Click here.

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