Carnatic Vocal By Vasundhara Rajagopalan: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR CARNATIC VOCAL BY VASUNDHARA...

Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Swamy Seva Samithi (SLNSSS) is organising a musical festival from 28th May to 1st June, at the Keyes Girls High School. Carnatic vocal concerts by Dr. Mangalampalli Bala Murali Krishna, Gayatri Sankaran, Gayatri Venkataraghavan and Vasundhara Rajagopalan, and a violin trio concert by Dr. M S Anantharaman and group, form part of the 5-day bonanza. Today, the 4th day, renowned vocalist Vasundhara Rajagopalan will present a Carnatic vocal recital.

Vasundhara Rajagopalan, a native of Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli district, Tamilnadu, commenced her musical training from Gana Ratna N Gopala Iyer, a descendant of the illustrious composer Koteeswara Iyer. Within a short span of five years, she matured into a performing artiste.

In 1974 she left the Indian shores for Canada where she lived for over two decades. While at Canada she continued to nuture her interest in Carnatic music by giving a number of concerts and by training a number of youngsters, some of whom have blossomed into concert artistes.

Rajagopalan has been performing in all the leading sabhas of Chennai, like Music Academy, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Narada Gana Sabha, Mylapore Fine Parthasarathy Swami Sabha and Brahma Gana Sabha, the Indian Fine Arts Society, Sri Kapali Fine Arts, Hamsadhwani, Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam, Music Circle and Sri Krishna Fine Arts. She completed a tour of the USA and Canada in early 2002 with 15 concerts in many of the major cities. She also performed at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, April 2002.

SLNSSS was formed in 2000, aiming to reconstruct the centuries-old temple of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, which is in a dilapidated and neglected state, at Nala Bazaar, R P Road, Secunderabad. The uniqueness of this temple is that Lord Narasimha Swamy is in a standing posture with the Aahwana Mudra Hastam here, giving an appearance of inviting devotees for blessings.

The skeletal work of the temple has been done by the Samithi, with the help of donations from devotees. Further construction activities on the sanctum sanctorum, upa sannidhis, dwajasthambam, gopuram and sthapati are being started to enable the reinstallation of deities in the Maha Aalayam.

To fulfill these activities, the samithi intends to organise fund-raising cultural activities, and the music fest from 23rd to 27th May is a part of this. The donations and contributions made to the samithi will be utilised only for the construction of the Lord's temple.

The entry is free. For further details, please contact A S Mohan at 98481-47344 or N T Seshadri at 93470-67467 or Sounderajan at 98483-72972.