Smt Padma Veeraraghavan's musical feast at Singpaore Naama Special Function: Swamy NammAzhwAr special Krithis and Nava narasimhan TillAnA

From the Bhakti List Archives

• July 2, 2001


Dear BhakthAs :

I am enclosing a note form our dear Sri MadhavakkaNNan 
of Singapore regarding last weekend's  Sri VaishNavite 
Nama sathsangam there in which my sister ,
Srimathi Padma VeerarAghavan had the BhAgyam 
to particpate. We all know how the BhakthAs of 
Singapore lead the way in serving the dhivya Dampathis 
with ThrikaraNams (Manas , Vaak and SarIram ).

The highlight beyond rendering of krithis on
Srimaan NaarAyanan appears to be the arangERRam of 
the krithis of  Sri AlankAram Iyengar of Thirukkuruhoor , 
one of the greatest BhakthAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr.

Our dear Sri Rengarajan of Thirukkudanthai/Michigan 
had unearthed these rare songs during his last visit
to Thirukkurhoor from a ninety year old SanyAsi (?)
serving Swamy NammAzhwAr and AdhippirAn .I request 
Sri Rengarajan to brief us on the author and on how
he got hold of this rare manuscript. 

The other highlight seems to be  the rendering of 
the Ahobila Nava Narasimha TillAnA composed by
Sow. Padma VeerarAghavan few years ago at Srirangam
in presence of Sri Nrusimha Paadhukaa Sevaka SriVaNN 
SatakOpa Sri Vedantha Desika YathIndhra MahA Desiakn ,
the most revered  Srirangam DakshiNa  Gopura NirmAthA 
at the DasAvathAra Sannidhi .

The RathnAngi Kaimkaryam for Lord DevanAtha PerumAL 
of ThiruvahIndhra Puram has now started .The Lord 
celebrated by Deva Naayaka PanchAsath , Achyutha
Sathakam (in PrAkrutham ) , Nava MaNi Maalai,
MummaNikkOvai et al and by Kaliyan is one 
of the Mana Mohana Moorthys.The GodhA Priya 
Committe of Chennai will spearhead this effort
as before for such kaimkaryams.

Those who wish to participate in this Kaimkaryam
are welcome to let me know.

Now that my sister is back from her extended
visit overseas , adiyEn will get the SamarpaNam
of the ThridhaNDam for our dear AchArya RaamAnujA 
at His avathAra Sthalam of SriperumbhUthUr concluded. 
This samarpaNam has been delayed unfortunately due to
some rework of the ThridhaNdam by the SriperumbhUthUr
Temple authorities to suit their requirements.

Thanks to all the Naama Members of Singapore 
and in particular to Srimans Haresh BalasubramaNyan ,
Madhusoodhanans  and MadhavakkaNNan for all their
support for this event .

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa
Oppiliappan Koil Varadaachaari  SatakOpan 

>From: madhav.vasudevan@sg.abb.com
>Subject: Smt Padma Veeraraghavan's musical feast
>To: nama-singapore@yahoogroups.com
>Cc: sgopan@computer.net
>Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 16:15:28 +0800
>
>SrI:

>Dearst Srivaishnavas,

>The evening with Smt Padma Veeraraghavan was simply divine and grand. 
>It was the feast to the ears. She sang as if she cuts is the load of
>butter with a knife.. so smooth and so mellifluous. It appeared so >easy to
sing.(When one attempts, he will know). The niRaval, gamakam,
>swaraprasthApam,the melody, variety in the speed of chosen songs, were >all
indescribable in words.

>That grand thOdi (koluva maragatha) was started off so beautifully >that
made us feel the KOdhaNdapaaNi standing in front of us gracefully. The songs
(compositions) of Sri Alankaram Iyengar of AzhwAr >Thirunagari (which she
had announced that they were composed in praise of Sri Nammazhwar in AzhwAr
Thirunagari by one Sri Alankaram Iyengar in 19th century and was handed over
to her through some sources few months ago asking her to set to raag and
thaaL for making them public. He had >composed these songs only on Sri
NammazhwAr like Sri Madhurakavi >Azhwar (dhEvu maRRaRiyEn..) Those songs
were extremely divine on Sri >Satakopar. She declared that due to Bhagawath
sankalpam, the music >compositions that she did on Sri Alankaram Iyengar's
works on >NammAzhwAr are staged first time at NAMA -Singapore only on
>Saturday.

>She also sang the thillaana  (on Nava Ahobila Narasimhan), which she >had
composed then and there in front of SRimad Mukkur Azhagiya singar, >when His
Holiness had ordered her to sing a thillanna on Lord >Narasimhan. She
mentioned with moist eyes that it was all possible >because of His Holiness
Srimad Azhagiya Singar's presence.

>At the end of the concert, she said to the audience, "this is a group >of
Srivaishnavas. I would consider as Bhagawatha agnyA.. You just >instruct me
to sing any AzhwAr Pasuram that you wish; some one should >also mention a
raag in which that needs to be sung. I would do it for >His pleasure and for
yours..".

>For almost half an hour, She sang PAsurams in those raags, then and >there,
with thaaLam too. Mridangam (Sri Hari dAsan) too matched her >skills
perfectly. Thanks also to Sri Vallabhan for Ghatam. Thanks to >Sri Satakopan
mama for sending his sister Smt Padma here to Singapore. >She sang for 2-1/2
hours effortlessly. Wish you all were here with us >on Saturday.

>Smt Padma has been performing lots of kaimkaryams as you are already >aware
of. mANikka koNdai, Rathnaangi, mutthangi kaimkaryam for Lord
>Oppiliappan,TridhaNdam for Sri Ramanujacharya, and kaimkaryams for Sri
>Villiputhoor ..to name a few. She always donates all her earnings she >gets
from such concerts to perform various kaimkaryams, similar to >PeriyAzhwAr
and GodhA,(offering of Paa maalai and Poo maalai). >Naturally so, because
her sabha is also GodhAPriya kaimkarya sabha, >after all..

>Thanks to Sri Madhusudhanan and Smt Rama for arranging the event so ll
>and to Sri Haresh for organising.
>Regards
>Narayana Narayana
>adiyEn Narayana dAsan madhavakkannan




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