Thyagaraja Aradhana begins

By Our Staff Reporter

THANJAVUR JAN. 10. The 154th annual Aradhana of the saint composer, Sri Thyagaraja, began at the saint's samadhi on the banks of the Cauvery at Thiruvaiyaru, near here, today.

Inaugurating the Aradhana, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ms. Sushma Swaraj, said it was one of the most prestigious music festivals and it represented the oneness of the nation.

Sri Thyagaraja rendered his compositions in Telugu, but they were celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu. This was proof that music did not recognise barriers, Ms. Swaraj said. Describing Sri Thyagaraja as a great composer, a great musician and above all a great human being, she said no Carnatic music concert ended without the rendition of the compositions of Sri Thyagaraja.

The kritis were a mixture of raga and bhava. ``I have heard Sri Thyagaraja through great musicians like M.S. Subbulakshmi. Emotions come naturally to Sri Thyagaraja'', the Minister said.

His kritis were rich in proverbs and this was why he was compared to great composers like Purandaradasa.

The compositions of Sri Thyagaraja were varied from Divyanama to Sripathi and from Pancharathna to Noukacharitamau. He was a staunch Rama bhaktha. Melody was the soul of music and Sri Thyagaraja was the soul of melody, the Minister added. In the hustle and bustle of politics, participating in festivals such as the Aradhana helped her to relax, she said.

The Tamil Maanila Congress president and president of Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha, Mr. G.Karuppaiah Moopanar, the MPs, Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan, Mr. N.Siva and Mr.Cho. S. Ramaswamy, the general secretaries of the State BJP, Mr. L.Ganesan and Mr. H.Raja, and the District Revenue Officer, Mr. C. Kamaraj, participated in the function. Mr.Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, secretary of the Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha, welcomed the gathering.

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