KURAI ONDRUM ILLAI-2023

 For Saket Pranaam, senior citizens home, Hyderabad,Telangana.

Golden Words of The Seer

                                                PUJYASRI OMKARANANDA SWAMI

TAMILNADU J.JAYALALITHA MUSIC AND FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY- THE PROPOSAL (2012)

 

It's been a decade since my proposal (while holding office as Director of music colleges) to the former/late Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa for an exclusive university in Tamilnadu. The late CM graciously accepted, announced in the 2013 assembly and established Tamilnadu Music and Fine Arts University in 2013, appointing myself as its first Vice Chancellor.

Fine arts (which includes painting, sculpting, all aspects of cinema, ceramics, etc.) was an added bonus from the TN government.

Seated in the car, on my way to Secretariat, I quickly ran through the draft of proposal for university to be presented to Hon'ble CM. I worked tirelessly in gathering information of value in order to support and authenticate my proposal.

Happy at the way the draft turned out I was about to shut the file, but the name of a town in southern Tamilnadu in the concluding paragraph caught my attention. My brows knit in puzzlement. I had never mentioned this town and how on earth has it appeared in my draft?!!

I quickly ran my eyes across the paragraph that mentioned the name of the southern town, famous for its architecture.

The last paragraph ended with an earnest request to establish university in the southern town of Tamilnadu, whereas my original draft appealed for the music university to be established in Chennai, famous for its music season, cultural heritage, veteran musicians and music organisations.

Stunned, I realized that my original draft was removed and inserted in its place was another page containing the name of the southern town of TN, obviously in the last minute. I suddenly understood how it happened. I had no time to speculate or even absorb the shocking  knowledge of whodunit. The car entered Secretariat. I quickly took the pen from my handbag and striking out the name of the southern town I wrote CHENNAI in bold letters. 

That marked the beginning of my job as VC which apart from effectiveness in administration and education demanded an equal or more special talent in vigilance at all levels.

Ghantasala 100

1969- In Vijaya Garden studios, during the recording of super hit song 'Raanika nee kosam sakhi...' with Ghantasala Uncle. Music direction by my father, Sri.G.Aswathama for the telugu movie, "MAYANI MAMATHA".

(I am reposting the above as a tribute to the centenary year of the legendary Ghantasala garu).

BIRTHDAY EVE- SHREEJA

 

TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS

Posture and pressure points

 

Posture of the Veena player determines and fixes the connecting points between the player's spine and fingertips. The player's posture fixes the angle in which he is holding the Veena. The direction and angle of his left hand, as he runs his forefinger and middle finger over the Veena frets is rooted in his posture. Any shift in the player's posture means an entire realignment of the angle of his left hand and the pressure points on his forefinger and middle finger. 

Why is it important to maintain a steady and fixed posture? There are nerves connecting the fingers and spine. Pressure points created by constant abrasion of the left hand forefinger and middle finger on the Veena strings serve to establish contact between the Veena naadam (resonance) and the life-force energy within himself.  By altering the posture the pressure points of the fingertips are shifted and attempts to contact one's life-force energy is suspended midway. New pressure points by shifting angle of posture means starting one's spiritual journey from the scratch. 

By maintaining the same posture on the same Veena (same Veena because Veena comes in different sizes like width of the Veena dandi, height of the Veena, size of the kudam etc. which would again create different pressure points on the player's left hand fingertips despite player maintaining same posture) throughout one's Veena sadhana, the Veena player unites with his Veena to create his identity through the naadam of his Veena. On the spiritual side, his kundalini is awakened to progress upwards.