Topic: A Day with My Favorite Carnatic Music Personality Congratulations on winning the lottery!! We welcome you to the Gandharva Lōka where music and magic intertwine. In this mystical realm, you have an entire day to meet your most favourite carnatic music personality (who isn't alive now). Time to pen your magical memories...

Dhak dhak! Dhak dhak!

My palms were starting to sweat and I could hear my heart beat come right up to my throat. I was nervous. The thump of my heart increased every second. Would I win the lottery? Will I take home the prize? As I hoped luck would be on my side that day, the wind blew softly and I could hear a rustle in the dry leaves. My nervousness had turned into complete attention when I focused on the man who went up the stage right at that moment. The man announced, “Hello everyone! Finally the moment you have all been awaiting has arrived! And the winner is …” Is it me? Is it me? 

“Rakshanaa Rengananth!” The crowd applauded and I was in disbelief! I had just won a lottery ticket. I quickly rushed on stage to collect my prize. The organizer congratulated me and we shook hands. They gave me an envelope and I posed for a picture. I was overjoyed. I assumed there was some kind of gift voucher or money inside that tiny package. I hopped on my bike and cycled back home, gripping that piece of paper in my hand carefully. A few minutes later, I had parked my cycle outside my house and I stormed into the living room, pushing the gate open in a vigorous manner. I could feel the echo resounding as my booming voice tore across the place.

“Ammā! Ammā! Guess what, I won the lottery!” But there was no reply. Probably my mother had gone outside to buy some groceries. I slammed open my bedroom door and landed on my mattress. I was excited to open the envelope and my hands were itching to open it and read its contents. With my trembling fingers I tore the top of the envelope and pulled out an old, frayed, brown piece of paper. It looked like an ancient scroll. I was surprised. Immediately, I curled it open and read:

“Those who wish to enter Gandharva lōka, recite this shola thrice:

Aham gandharva lōkam gantum icchāmi.”

The Ślōka was written in Sanskrit. I couldn’t understand what it meant. All I knew was that I would be transported to a different realm if I recited it thrice. Out of curiosity, I recited the Ślōka three times. At first, nothing seemed to happen and I thought I had been tricked by the lottery organiser. However, a few seconds later the world around me started spinning. My table, dresser and bed all vanished. Soon, I too was going around myself, spinning at an insane speed. My vision became blurry and I think I fainted. Many minutes passed and finally I awoke. But wait, where were my things? I was no longer in my house. I don’t think I was on earth too. Could this really be Gandharva lōka? Or were my eyes playing tricks on me? I was standing on a cloud among the skies and around me was a cool layer of mist. I looked around but I couldn’t find anyone. Suddenly, a man appeared. He didn’t give me his name but I suppose he was the guardian of that place. He asked me to follow him, before I could question where we were. I obliged and quickly treaded behind him. As we walked, walls appeared around us and he led me down a narrow pathway. As we walked, I asked him, 

“Excuse me sir, but where am I exactly?”

The man seemed to be astonished.

“My dear, don’t you know where we are? This is Gandharva lōka and we have been eagerly awaiting your presence. As you won the lottery ticket, you can spend an entire day with your favourite Carnatic musician. Quickly now choose who you want to meet!”

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard! Wow! An entire day with my idol in Carnatic music!

Definitely, I had to pick Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi. At once I let him know of my choice. I was then escorted to another corridor. There I saw a door with a board on it. It was written M. S. Subbulakshmi. Oh, I wouldn’t have believed myself, if I knew, one day I would meet this legend. I knocked on the door and heard a voice say, “Come in, kaṇṇā!”. Even her talking sounded like music! Excited and afraid at the same time, I walked into an old-fashioned, small room. There she was, sitting right in front of me. She said, 

“Sit down, dear. I have been waiting for you.”

What! M. S. Subbulakshmi was waiting for me?! 

She continued, “What would you like to do today?” 

I was still shocked that I was breathing the same air as such a revered singer. Only a moment later did it occur to me that M.S. ma’am expected a reply. Fumbling for words, I spoke in a shaky voice, “Sri Gurubhyo namaha! My Praṇām-s to you ma’am.”

I bowed down, touched her feet and sought her blessings. She raised me up. Then I said, 

“Ma’am, I would just like to be with you. We don’t need to do anything special. You can go about your daily routine as usual and I will come with you ma’am. It is a true blessing to even be standing in your presence.”

She smiled warmly and replied, “Very well then, let’s go and have breakfast.” 

I still was shocked and couldn’t believe all that was happening was real. She had breakfast with her family and I joined them. She served me Mallipū idly with some juicy chutney. It was perfect, just like everything else about her. Before this, she did her daily Pūja to the Almighty and sang the Suprabhātam. Oh my God! It was as sweet as Amṛtam to hear her sing and start the day on such a melodious note. 

Later on, we went to nearby Sabhā where she had a concert. She started with Gaṇēśa Pañcaratnam and continued with her iconic songs such as Bhaja Gōvindam, Bhāvayāmi Raghurāmam and the Śiva Pañcākṣaram. As her voice glided through the compositions, I could feel a divinity in it. It was magical and utter bliss! She ended her performance with a Bhajan. I was flabbergasted and speechless! When she finished singing, her voice lingered in my ears for longer. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined I would meet this renowned artist and listen to her live concert, sitting in the front row. Everyone clapped and ma’am got off the stage. We got back to her house and I gathered up the courage to ask her, “Ma’am, how do you sing your songs with such perfection? You don’t miss even a single note or beat!”

She chuckled and said, “It’s all about practice, kaṇṇā. I have sung all of these songs thousands of times so that I never forget or go wrong. Practice makes me perfect. Also you need to be focused and sing for God with utter devotion. You do your best and God will do the rest. Trust him.” Wow! Never in a million years would I have practised a song more than once. It was a completely new idea to me. Maybe I should practise more. I promised myself to do so. And the last part about devotion sounded so poetic that I decided to memorise it. Later in the evening, she took me to a Veṅkaṭācalapati temple, where she taught me the song Kuṟai oṉṟum illai in a Maṇḍapam. Although I had heard the song many times and was confident that I could sing it correctly, I realized the song had more to it than what met the eye. M.S. ma’am taught every intricate nuance so perfectly and slowly that even one who knew nothing about Carnatic music could sing it right, effortlessly. 

My time with her was over and I had to come back home. Though I wished I could stay for longer, I was happy that I was carrying back memories that I would never forget even in seven lifetimes. To meet and learn from the doyen of Carnatic music was something I only imagined to come true when pigs fly. The whole nine yards of my journey was a real blessing bestowed upon me by the Almighty himself. The opportunity to meet M.S. ma’am and my interactions with her are something that I would cherish forever!