Bhavayami Raghuramam - Ragamalika

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My first Encounter with Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati

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It must have been around 1993-95. I used to go to Swami Bodhi Tirtha at the Edappally Gurukulam to learn Sanskrit, along with my friends Rajeev, Rajesh, and Umesh. Once, Swami said, 'Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati' is coming. Manu, you should come with your violin.' I was thrilled. I was finally going to meet the Guru I had only read about in books! As I waited, a black Ambassador car arrived, and the Guru and his disciples got out. He was a bulky looking grandfather figure, holding a pillow. After a short rest, Swami Bodhi introduced me to him. 'This is Manu. He plays the violin very well,' he said. Then Guru asked me to play. I played 'Bandu Reethi Kolu,' a Thyagaraja kriti in the Hamsanadam raga. Guru listened to it with his eyes closed, lost in meditation. I felt his meditative state transfer into my music. After I finished playing, he spoke about the spiritual aspects of music. It opened up a new dimension in music for me. That evening, there was a discourse...
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The musical journey....

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Read in: English | മലയാളം | தமிழ் | ಕನ್ನಡ | తెలుగు | हिंदी   1982. I was 12 years old then. My interest was in literature during my school days. I won many prizes at the school level, district and state level youth festivals for story writing, versification etc. My mother wanted me to try out my talent in music. She thought some instrument would be a good choice. She very deliberately chose the violin for me because it is very handy and sweet. Summer holidays after my 7th grade started with Carnatic violin lessons with Saraswathy Ammal. She was basically a Veena player who just knew the basic finger techniques for carnatic violin. An year passed. She taught me up till the first Ganesa Geetham 'Srigananatha'. One day when my Amma came to pick me up after the class, the kind teacher told her that I had real talent and interest in music and that I should be taken to a violin teacher since she handles only Veena as her primary instrument. Amma was glad to get the positive feed ba...
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A Bond of Friendship

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Read in: English | മലയാളം | தமிழ் | ಕನ್ನಡ | తెలుగు | हिंदी   I first met Raman at the Elamakkara Dattatreya Temple during a Rama Navami concert for which I accompanied on the violin. Mercy, one of Raman's disciples, sang with him. The music was pure and unadulterated. After the concert, we exchanged phone numbers. After returning from Muscat, I got a job as a music teacher at the Isha Home School in Coimbatore. We needed another music teacher, and Raman was the first person who came to mind. I called him, and he agreed to come for an interview. He joined the school as a music teacher. We had plenty of free time after teaching. Our friendship blossomed in Isha. We would practice music together, go to the nearby tea shop, and take long walks in the forest and fields. Once, I had booked a train ticket to go home for the summer holidays. In a hurry, I forgot to take it and had already set off on my bike to Coimbatore railway station. I realized my mistake halfway and turned back, bu...
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