The entire concept of Navarathri has
never failed to intrigue me since my childhood. Whether it was me eagerly
trying to help with setting up Golu Bommais like the earnest squirrel
that added tiny pebbles to the massive rock bridge in an attempt to help; or me
tagging along with my mother to her friends’ houses simply to have my daily
fill of Sundal; or merely the entire festive atmosphere that we get
soaked in for the period of nine astounding nights.
Despite how Navarathri has become an
integral part of our lives here in my family, it is only this year that my
sister and I believe that we are making the most out of the complete
experience. This year, we will not merely be confining ourselves to the four
walls of the Golu Mandabam, but also taking one step further to perform
as part of this event.
And what’s better than experiencing it
with your own sister?
My sister and I set out to practise Navaragamalika
Varnam, one of our favourites, and Mahalakshmi, a popular kriti
by Sri Papanasam Sivan in Shankarabharanam. These were both songs we
hadn’t played in the longest time, and reviving the intricate sangathis from
the depths of memories took us a while. Given the contrasting schedules of the
pair of us, with my sister having just graduated from university and me still a
student at Raffles Girls’ School, we had to set aside our spare time to practice together and go over the details of the songs. A lot of standardizing
our technique was necessary.
With only a few days left for our
performance, we can’t wait to immerse ourselves in the festive mood that
Navarathri has to offer at SIFAS. Undeniably, this day will be a memorable
milestone in our violin journey. We thank SIFAS Alumni for this splendid
opportunity and hope our efforts pay off on Saturday!
SIFAS Alumni is proud to present an evening of music & dance this Saturday, 27th September, at the SIFAS Auditorium. Subiksha Raman and her sister Sudha Raman will be performing a Violin Duet, accompanied by Viknash Balakirshnan on the Mridangam and Thulasidas Vasudevan on the Kanjira. The event starts at 6.30PM. See you there!
