The illustrious Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha gracefully entered its 124th year with an enchanting evening of devotion and classicism, as the renowned Carnatic vocal duo Ranjani and Gayatri presented ‘Ramabhajana’, a soul-stirring concert in celebration of the historic consecration at Shri Ram Janmbhoomi mandir in Ayodhya. As the melodies unfurled in the majestic Narada Gana Sabha main hall, the audience was enraptured, not just by the songs, but by the very spirit of devotion that the sisters embodied.
The concert was supported by a team of accomplished classical musicians: Charumathi Raghuraman weaving her magic on the violin, Sai Giridhar delivering rhythmic beats on the mridangam, and S. Krishna adding the elemental thrum of the ghatam. Together, they created a symphony that resonated with the collective consciousness of those gathered.
In the aim to mirror the bhakti rasa—an emotional theme that translates to devotional love—their repertoire included compositions by venerated saints and composers such as Muthuswami Dikshitar, Tyagaraja, Arunachala Kavirayar, Badrachala Ramadasar, and Papanasam Sivan. Each kriti, a gem in the Carnatic music canon, was chosen carefully to bring out the nuances of Rama bhakti.
The sanctified evening commenced with a reverent sloka, an invocation that set a devotional tone. It was the prelude to a stirring rendition of Dikshitar’s ‘Ramachandraya Janaka’ in raga Dharmavati, which concluded with a spirited swara sequence, a fine display of erudite musical improvisation that was met with thunderous applause.
Ranjani’s alapana—improvisational exposition—in raga Sriranjani paved the way for the moving ‘Maru palkagunna vemira’ (Sriranjani, Tyagaraja), a composition rich with emotive depth. The niraval—a form of improvisation on a portion of the composition—at ‘Dari nerigi santa sillinatti’ cascaded into an intricate swara presentation that underscored the note ‘Dha’ in particular. Each phrase was met with an adulation that echoed through the hall, while Charumathi’s response on the violin echoed the vocal articulation in a harmonious dialogue.
Next on the repertoire was a deeply evocative Rama Nataka keerthana by Arunachala Kavi, ‘Sharanam sharanam endrane’ in the raga Sourashtram, that transported the audience to the feet of the divine, seeking refuge in Lord Rama’s presence. Gayatri’s foretelling alapana in the grand raga Kambhoji demonstrated an impeccable control and richness, capturing the higher octaves with fervor, before channeling the emotion into the deeply touching kriti, ‘Emayya Rama’ by Badrachala Ramadas. This emotional rendition culminated in an elegant korvai, setting the stage for Sai Giridhar and S. Krishna to engage the audience in a crisp and exhilarating tani avarthanam—the percussion solos that are a hallmark of a Carnatic concert.
The Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi (RTP) commenced with Ranjani’s aesthetically rich alapana in Pantuvarali, a raga known for its introspective depth. Gayatri then took the raga to soaring heights with her high-octave explorations, culminating into a melodic tanam. The pallavi they chose was a fitting tribute to the deity of the occasion, ‘Rama bhajana lola Anjaneya bhakta phala abayya meeyya Sri,’ rendered in Chaturasra Jhampa tala and tisra nadai. The ragamalika swarakalpana—that succeeded the pallavi—was a beautiful medley of melodies, intricately interwoven in a manner that mirrored the eclectic essence of bhakti.
In a climactic blend of rhythm and melody, the duo presented the viruttham ‘Nadiya porul kai koodum’ in a Ragamalika interlude, including raga Mohanam and Mand. This served as the perfect preamble to Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Ramanai bhajithal noivinai theerum,’ a composition promising that the ailments of life dissolve in the act of singing Rama’s name. The eventful concert concluded with an abhang—a traditional Marathi devotional song—’Tujhe naam majha mukhi aso deva’, a specialty of the duo.
As the audience dispersed, the lingering vibrations of the sabha reflected the success of the night—a confluence of music, divinity, and the auspicious beginning of the Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha’s 124th year.
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