Celebrating Navarathri - Subiksha Raman

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!