Editor's desk

Namaskaram!

Hope you all had a blissful Navarātri, celebrating the Mother Goddess through prayer, music, golu and many other activities. This issue of Kural is a celebration of her and the music that has been dedicated to her over centuries.

As Swati and Abhijit travel with Tyāgarāja, they reach Śrīraṅgam, in the ninth episode of Aavali series Nanu Pālimpa. The temple town, which literally means the Goddess's stage, fills them with awe as they slowly explore temple that is famously referred to as Bhūlōka Vaikuṇṭham - paradise on earth.

Sringeri Bharati Vidyashram has served as a prominent venue for Navarātri concerts, for many years now. This year's Sarasvatī Pūja concert was performed by Vidvān Lālguḍi GJR Krishnan and Viduṣī Lālguḍi Vijayalakshmi, which has been captured by Yadushree V., in this issue’s Kutcheri Chronicles. 

Rasika-s of Carnatic Music are spread through the globe and have digital access to music, which is increasing with time. But what about the experience of listening to concerts in-person? The geographical constraints span globally, but let us start from miniscule local troubles, with a multifold increase in difficulty of commuting from the outskirts of Chennai to the central parts, where concerts generally take place. Aarti P. B. voices her thoughts on this issue, while also narrating her experience of conducting music programmes including a recent Navarātri Saṅgīta Samarpaṇam in a part of Chennai which has limited access compared to other areas and why it is important to encourage such programs.

Dharmasamvardhini - she who nurtures righteousness, graces us all from her temple in Tiru̱vaiyāru̱. Anugrah Lakshmanan, in this issue's 'Innikku Enna Kekkalaam' section, writes about five compositions by five great composers, dedicated to this goddess residing in the confluence of five rivers.

The city of Mysūru comes to a stop, as Goddess Cāmuṇḍēśvari ascends the elephant for the famed Daśara procession. Through an E-Pilgrimage, M. S. Deepak takes us through the experience of the festivities including the concerts where the compositions of the Mysūru kings and their courts are presented.

You really have to bend your neurons this time, as Preeti Sethuraman presents a set of rhyming riddles, smoky snaps and word whirls, all referring to woman wizards of the carnatic canvas, in this issue's Brain Benders.

Happy reading!

Musically yours,

R. Aaditya Rangan