DR SHAMSHAD BEGUM FULL

Though it is considered to be a festival of the Hindu community, Holy takes everyone to a Jolly mood, regardless of the religious connotation.

DR SHAMSHAD BEGUM FULL

Though Shamshad Begum has sung more than one song in the film, what impressed me most was вЂHoli Aayi re kanhaвЂ™, set to music in the Hindustani raga, Maru Behaug by Noushad Ali, one of the then luminaries as a music directorвЂ¦.Incidentally, Holi is a Spring Festival of India or as per Indian terminology, a вЂVasanthothsavaвЂ™, celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March). Dr.Balamuralikrishna along with others, as a devotional song-offering to Lord Sreerama of Bhadrachala, from the following link. We can hear the above kriti sung with absolute devotion and melody by our Karnatic music exponent, singer and scholar. The legend is that after about 12 years imprisonment, feeling pity on his devotee, Sreeramana and Lakshmana appeared before the Sultan in his dream and paying off the dues, released him from the prisonвЂ¦.Thus Gopanna became Ramdass of Bhadrachala! Ramdas had written very many beautiful kritis, the most popular being, вЂPahi Rama PrabhoвЂ™ in Madhyamavathi raga, вЂO rama Nee Namam Entha RucheвЂ™ in Poorvi Kalyani, вЂTaraka MantramuвЂ™ in Dhanyasi,вЂ™ Paluke Bangara MayenaвЂ™ in Ananda Bhairavi etc.

Gopanna, implored Rama from the Jail through many emotional songs.

He was dismissed from service for misusing government revenue and was imprisoned with orders that he be released only after the exchequer received the taxes collected. Soon after the reconstruction, his miseries started.

Gopanna finished reconstruction of the temple with six lakhs rupees collected from land revenues, without the permission of the Sultan. After he emptied his coffers and could raise no more money, the villagers appealed him to spend his revenue collections for the reconstruction and promised to repay the amount after harvesting crops. Gopanna started to raise funds for the renovation and reconstruction of the temple. Bhadrachalam was significant to devotees of Rama for the reason that Lord Rama is said to have stayed near the Parnasala there with Sita and Laksmana during his said Vanavasa. One day, he visited the Sreerama Temple of Bhadrachalam and was disturbed by the dilapidated state of the same. As an official, he did his duties earnestly and collected revenues due to the Sultan. In this episode, I would like to talk you about a great devotee of Lord Sreerama, Bhadrachala Ramdas, who loved his Lord, more than himself and his kith and kin and got himself into serious trouble of going to jail and remained there for almost the same period his own Lord had to undergo вЂVanavasaвЂ™, much to the grief of his father, King Dasaradha to fulfill a promise to his second wife, Kaikeyi for saving the King once when he was in distress! How that would have happened, is a matter of surprise, isnвЂ™t it? Well, Gopanna, before he became our great Ramadas, got an appointment as a Tahasildar (Revenue collector) by the recommendation of his uncle, who was a big official in the court of Sultan Quitab Shah of the then Hyderabad State. Shall we hear now вЂSree Ranga Pura ViharaвЂ™ of Mutuswami deekshitar, by M S Subbalakshmii, who in my humble opinion has rendered it very well, giving due respect to the nuances of the language, SanskritвЂ¦. I have already introduced this to you in Episode11. had been in the possession of music lovers like me for decades and it is difficult to say how many times I have heard itвЂ¦! The third one was beautifully sung by K.S.Chitra in the film вЂSwatitirunalвЂ™.with due care to the Bhojpuri lyrics in which it was composed. The cassette with вЂBhavayami RaghuramamвЂ™ on the one side and вЂSreeranga Pura ViharaвЂ™ on the other side sung by M.S. The second one was sung and made too famous by M.S.Subbalakshmi Amma. The first one was sung by Malladi Brothers, but doubts were expressed by Karnatic Pundits whether it was really the composition of Tyagaraja. ThagarajaвЂ™s вЂ Sree kamalaptha kulaвЂ™, DeekshitarвЂ™s вЂSree Ranga Pura ViharaвЂ™ and SwatitirunalвЂ™s вЂChaliye Kunjan MoвЂ™ are three notable kritis composed in this raga.

Of course, there is difference between the two and this is evident from their Avarohana SwarasвЂ¦ Today, it seems to me, that it is more popular and has better appreciation in Karnatic than in Hindustani musicвЂ¦! But, the question is who would have brought it to Karnatic Music? Tyagaraja, Mutuswami Dikshitar or Swati Tirunal? All the three were contemporaries and all three have composed kritis in this Raga. As far as Karnatic Music is concerned, вЂBrindavana SarangaвЂ™ has no deep root in it, because, it is raga that is said to have been adopted from Hindustani Music.

Dr shamshad begum