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| Sunday, 19 October 2003 |
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Deepavali : Indian maestro to "scatter the darkness" by Jayanthi Liyanage Deepavali, or Diwali as it is called in India, falling on October 24, is to become the first Hindu festival to be celebrated in Sri Lanka as a National Festival.
The national festivities of this Deepavali will be heightened by the arrival of the popular Chennai violinist virtuoso, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, considered a phenomenon, and in a class by himself. His performance, to be accompanied by ten more instrumentalists arriving with him, will be the focal point of the celebrations to commence at the New Kadiresan Hall at Bambalapitiya at 4 p.m. on October 23. As the different cultural floats of hindu temples of Colombo tour around the city and converge at the New Kadiresan Hall, the evening's programme will begin with the Prime Minister as the chief guest. Added to the violin concerto will be dance performances by the Hindu Ladies College, Wellawatte, and the Hindu College, Bambalapitiya. The Hindu College, Modara, will perform the fall of Narakasura on stage. Another highlight will be the oration by the Indian prelate Swami Murudhasalam Adigal. The day will also mark the issuing of a new stamp to commemorate Deepavali. On November 24, K. Vaidyanathan will perform to his Jaffna "rasika-s" (fans) at the Nallur Kandasamy Kovil. "The concert at the New Kadiresan Hall is open to the public on a first-come-first-served basis and we welcome people of all races to come and listen to this popular violinist," invites R. Perimpanayakam, Adviser to the Minister of Hindu Religious Affairs. Fans are expected to arrive from the Hill Country, Vavuniya and the Colombo suburbs. The theme of Deepavali is a shared thread which weaves through all religions. All of us, may we be Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, or of any other ethnicity, appreciate the glow of "light". The idea of light scattering the darkness of human corridors, and lighting up our lives, has been the cornerstone of all religions - Eastern or Western. Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, signifies the triumph of the good over the evil, symbolised by the slaying of Narakasura (evil yaksha) by Lord Maha Vishnu. As it celebrates the illumination of the mind through "Sat-guna" (righteousness), dispelling human darkness of "Dur-guna" (ignoble attitudes), Deepavali could also become a "shared corridor" which breaks economic, religious and language barriers bringing together people from different denominations of the country, to rejoice in their common heritage as Sri Lankans. In India, where it is celebrated more widely than in Sri Lanka, Deepavali assumes the form of a four-day festival. "Puranas" (the ancient) have it that Narakasura, which unleashed a reign of terror in the Kingdom of Kamarupa, could only be killed at the hands of his mother, Bhudevi, and Lord Krishna was helped in this task by his wife, Satyabhama, a reincarnation of Bhudevi. This could be taken as an indication that the earth will not hesitate to destroy even its own offspring which brings sorrow to its domain. "We generally observe Deepavali by dressing up in new clothes and visiting temples and relatives," says K. Dushyanthini of how she celebrates Deepavali in the metropolis. "In Sri Lanka, the celebrations are more widespread in the hill country. And this time, there should be better celebrations in Jaffna." In Thalai-Deepavali, the parents of a newly married bride observes the custom of receiving the son-in-law in the first Deepavali occurring after the marriage."Making Deepavali a national festival reminds us that we need all our cultural festivals brought closer to all creeds and races," says Dhammika, a suburban Sinhalese. "Hindus and Buddhists have many customs in common, such as worshipping Hindu Gods of Vishnu, Laxmi, Muruga (Skanda) and Ganapathy, pilgrimaging to Kataragama and breaking coconuts to dispel evil intents afflicting us." Hinduism is called a Living Idea in that it is not guided by one last Messiah, or one book, or one period of human history and this articulation of the continuity of freedom of thought gives us two Hindu principles: One, that "This World is One Family" (Vasudiava Kutumbakan) and the other, "the Universal Reality is the Same, but Different People call it by Different Names" (Ekam Sat Viprah Bahuda Vadanti). There one finds the seeds of the globalism and freedom of thought, many years before the world began to be the global village it is today. Therefore, celebrated in the national context, Deepavali could become yet another venue for promoting the principle of multi-religiosity, one of the four "M"s in the corridor of "shared social values": the other three being, multi-racialism, multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism. Needless to reiterate, that all ethnicities, who live in this island, Sri Lanka, "share the same corridor". ******* "A veritable dynamo", "What petulant and eccentric brilliance!", "adventurous and romantic impetuosity", are some of the phrases used to describe violinist, Dr. Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan who ranks among the best violinists in South India. His Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Annamalai University of Tamil Nadu reflects his profound service to the field of music.
He is said to "dwell with ease and competence at the highest and lowest octaves and his speed ranges, the envy of a Milkha Singh and a Jesse Owens. He keeps thousands of audience spellbound with his cuts, blood-curdling thrusts, incursions and strident renditions, and kite-flying in the untrammelled vastness of sound manipulation. He could dissect phases and phrases of swara, kriti or swara in a manner, measure and style totally his own and copyright." (chennaionline.com) Whether it be classic Carnatic music, light song, or film music Kunnakudi is considered a wizard. In his own words, "When there are so many changes taking place in language, art and drama, why should music alone lag behind? If they want pure classical music, I can offer them; but not on the concert stage. Let them come to my house. I will play exclusively for them." He is a holder of 266 titles and decorations in music, including Violin Award from Singapore, Akkashwani Annual Award from Delhi, Wisdom Award from Chennai, Sri Ghowdayya Award, Sangeeth Natak Academy Award and Maharajapuram Santhanam Memorial Award. Kunnakudi was born in 1935 to father, Shri Ramaswamy Sastri, an erudite scholar in Sanskrit, Tamil and Carnatic Music at Kunnakudi an important Lord Muruga Kshetram of Tamil Nadu. Debuting at the age of twelve, he went on to prove his mettle as a brilliant soloist. Joining a film orchestra with Modern Theatres, Salem, he moved onto HMV as a freelance Music Director and has made 780 records, sung by all artistes of India. Kunnakudi has been a film music director since 1968, composing for films such as "Thirumalai Thenkumari" for which he won the Best Cine Music Director from the Government of Tamil Nadu, and "Raja Raja Cholan", the first movie to be made in Cinemascope. His prowess in therapeutical playing of the Ragas has assumed legendary proportions. At the age of 15, he is said to have played the Bairavi Raga for hours by the side of his father, who was in a coma. Tears are said to have rolled down the cheeks of the father, who then lived on for a decade. During 1983-84, when Tamil Nadu had a drought, the government of Tamil Nadu arranged for a musical prayer in which Kunnakudi prayed alone in the Raga Mega Ranjini, Jalaranavanam and Amirtha Varshini. The very evening, rains came and Kunnakudi became an international news. He was appointed the President Researcher for Raga Research Centre by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha, and is currently serving his fourth term as a secretary in Shri Thyagabramha Mahotsva Sabha, Tiruvaiyaru. |
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"This decision by the Prime Minister is another step forward
towards national reconciliation, to recognise the rights of other
communities and other religions," expressed T. Maheswaran, Minister
of Hindu Religious Affairs. On this night of light, electric illuminations
are to be foregone, to make way for the traditional Hindu lamps of coconut
oil illuminating all state and public buildings. "The Ministry of
Public Administration is to advise all ministries to do so and Temple
Trees, too, will be illuminated with lamps on this night," the
Minister said.
