Mahashivarathri was on Feb 19th this year. 'Shivarathri' is used almost as a synonym for 'staying awake in the night'. But a true Shivarathri would be to dedicate the night in prayers to Lord Shiva. I was familiar with the விடிய விடிய (day/night) poojas on Shivarathri and also the 'Shivalaya Ottam' where people visited twelve Shiva temples on this day back in India...
May be because our temple visits were limited to those on very important days and obviously, Shivarathri not being one of them for us, I had no clue that day-night poojas were conducted here in New Jersey temples too. Luckily the next day being a holiday on account of President's day, we decided to visit the Guruvayoorappan temple in NJ. It was a nice experience - thanks to the pooja, the devotees, the bhajans, it had the very same flavor and scent of the temples in India.
Though we did not stay through the night, I felt highly motivated to spend the night creating a song video with lingashtakam. Successfully started it that night but could not stay awake even past midnight! Have finally completed it today..... here is the lingashtakam video with some information on the Pancha Bhootha Lingams and Sthalams.
Reciting the lingashtakam in a Shiva temple is considered very noble.
Hope you like it!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Nottuswaram - Vandhe Meenakshi
Influenced by western classical music, great musicians like Muthuswami Dikshithar and Muthayya Bhagavathar have composed a lot of songs in the western style where the swaras are sung as plane notes with no gamakams. They could be called 'Carnatic Volts' as Prince Rama Varma explains here. The second part has the famous 'English Note'.
Had used maestro Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan's 'Note' for an earlier post.
Here is Madurai Mani Iyer's who actually popularized the English Note.
Vandhe Meenakshi, set in Shankarabaranam is a very simple 'nottuswaram' song composed by Muthuswami Dikshithar. I was excited to learn and create a video for this as the thaalam is really easy - no wonder it is used as an exercise for beginners! I have given the swarams and the lyrics ( some words have been split to match the beat).
This is a dedication to a little friend who introduced me to this song and was looking for the swaram!
Hope you like it ...
Had used maestro Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan's 'Note' for an earlier post.
Here is Madurai Mani Iyer's who actually popularized the English Note.
Vandhe Meenakshi, set in Shankarabaranam is a very simple 'nottuswaram' song composed by Muthuswami Dikshithar. I was excited to learn and create a video for this as the thaalam is really easy - no wonder it is used as an exercise for beginners! I have given the swarams and the lyrics ( some words have been split to match the beat).
This is a dedication to a little friend who introduced me to this song and was looking for the swaram!
Hope you like it ...
Here is a certified version of the same (sung beautifully by a 13 year old) that I learnt from...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Kangal Neeye from 'Muppozhuthum Un Karpanaigal'
'Kangal Neeye' song by Thamarai for the Tamil movie 'Muppozhuthu Un Karpanaigal' has a fresh perspective to a motherhood song. When most of them talk about the sacrifices of a mother, this one is about the mother's content and her simple joy. ( We had the award winner 'Kannathil Muthamittaal' but that was more situational to the movie). The pain we go through to bear and rear them is our dues to enjoy the happiness they give us back - nothing comes free!
I have created a little movie singing this song . Hope you like it.
I was so delighted to see this line 'unnai meendum alli eduthu karuvil vaikka nianikkiraen'. I have often felt this when overwhelmed with love and admiration for the baby (of course, they do act up, test our patience and we scream at them like monsters) but have dismissed it as a non-progressive thought...I am relieved it is not a crazy thought after all. Ideally, this feeling in the marital relation should have been the origin of a child ! :)
The old saying 'Kaakkaikkum than kunju pon kunju', how every mother feels proud of her child is so eloquent through the lines 'Suvar meethu kirukkidumbothu Ravivarman nee ...naan kollum garvam nee'. The whole song is full of beautiful words and thoughts even if not highly poetic.
The first couple of times I heard without paying attention to the lyrics, had no clue it was a mother's song - may be because of its closeness to Kanaa Kaangiraen song from Anandathaandavam or the tune itself - it sounded more like a heroine's longing. But after listening to it a few times, it sounds amazing in G.V. Prakash's music. And the singer Sithara's ( must be the Apple mega star winner on Jeevan TV) heavy voice with a classical base makes this song so touching.
On the whole, a definite candidate for any collection of 'mothers' special' songs !
I have created a little movie singing this song . Hope you like it.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Paathayaathiraigal - Thai poosam - Muruga Muruga Song
Thaipoosam as the name suggests falls on the poosam (same pooyam / pushyam ) day of the Tamil month 'Thai' every year, this year on Feb 7th.
This day again is celebrated as the victory of good over evil - the day when Lord Muruga got the 'Vel' (spear) from Mother Parvathi to defeat Soorapadhman. Lord Muruga is considered the 'Tamizh Kadavul' and hence Thai poosam is a very important festival for all Tamilians even outside India. In fact, the largest celebrations take place Singapore and Malaysia - Thaipoosam day is declared as a public holiday in many states in Malaysia. This does not mean non-Tamilians do not :) actually it is celebrated in all Murugan temples in Kerala too . Just that the number of Murugan temples are comparitively lesser though steadily increasing in the form of new temples or Murugan sannidhis in the existing temples!
Two pictures that come to my mind in connection with Thaipoosam are
1. The Rice Mountain: The Murugan temples and madams do annadhaanam (referred to as 'Vadikkarathu' in our native place). All devotees offer rice and vegetables. The boiled rice is offered in front of God in a huge heap on which is perched a silver Murugan Vel. Then it is served to all the devotees for lunch.
2. Kuthiyottam: The most Thaipoosam celebrations I have been to were at the Subramanaya Swamy temple on the banks of Karamana river in Trivandrum (Kerala). I was always struck in awe and a bit of fear watching the hundreds of devotees that come in a procession to the temple (as a pledge made to God) with spears pierced through their bodies, cheeks and so on. Most of them are in a trance and give out vibhoothi prasaadhams to the people on their way. In Tamilnadu, its called velkavadi.
Another important venduthal or naercha (an offering / activity pledged to God) done around our native place is the paadhayaathirai (more often referred to as nadakkirathu), the promise to undertake a journey by foot to the Murugan temple in Palani. People form groups and start from a central location typically a week before Thaipoosam. They walk during the cooler times of the day and take rest in the night.
I have never done this but have visited people who walked to vaitheeswaran Kovil ( a similar paathayathirai but since it is during summer they walk during the nights) when they take their breaks and sleep like jet-lagged people in the viduthis ( the inns generally associated with a temple) and then resume their journey. I am sure it is pretty tiring but what they say makes it easy is the company and the songs they sing (called vazhinadai paadal) . They are typically the bhajanai songs which are simple group songs. For most of them, the charanams are sung by the lead singer and the repeating pallavi is sung by the whole group as a chorus.
Here is one - Muruga Muruga Vel Muruga that I learnt from my cousin sisters who themselves learnt and sang when they walked to Vaitheeswaran Kovil.
This day again is celebrated as the victory of good over evil - the day when Lord Muruga got the 'Vel' (spear) from Mother Parvathi to defeat Soorapadhman. Lord Muruga is considered the 'Tamizh Kadavul' and hence Thai poosam is a very important festival for all Tamilians even outside India. In fact, the largest celebrations take place Singapore and Malaysia - Thaipoosam day is declared as a public holiday in many states in Malaysia. This does not mean non-Tamilians do not :) actually it is celebrated in all Murugan temples in Kerala too . Just that the number of Murugan temples are comparitively lesser though steadily increasing in the form of new temples or Murugan sannidhis in the existing temples!
Two pictures that come to my mind in connection with Thaipoosam are
1. The Rice Mountain: The Murugan temples and madams do annadhaanam (referred to as 'Vadikkarathu' in our native place). All devotees offer rice and vegetables. The boiled rice is offered in front of God in a huge heap on which is perched a silver Murugan Vel. Then it is served to all the devotees for lunch.
2. Kuthiyottam: The most Thaipoosam celebrations I have been to were at the Subramanaya Swamy temple on the banks of Karamana river in Trivandrum (Kerala). I was always struck in awe and a bit of fear watching the hundreds of devotees that come in a procession to the temple (as a pledge made to God) with spears pierced through their bodies, cheeks and so on. Most of them are in a trance and give out vibhoothi prasaadhams to the people on their way. In Tamilnadu, its called velkavadi.
Another important venduthal or naercha (an offering / activity pledged to God) done around our native place is the paadhayaathirai (more often referred to as nadakkirathu), the promise to undertake a journey by foot to the Murugan temple in Palani. People form groups and start from a central location typically a week before Thaipoosam. They walk during the cooler times of the day and take rest in the night.
I have never done this but have visited people who walked to vaitheeswaran Kovil ( a similar paathayathirai but since it is during summer they walk during the nights) when they take their breaks and sleep like jet-lagged people in the viduthis ( the inns generally associated with a temple) and then resume their journey. I am sure it is pretty tiring but what they say makes it easy is the company and the songs they sing (called vazhinadai paadal) . They are typically the bhajanai songs which are simple group songs. For most of them, the charanams are sung by the lead singer and the repeating pallavi is sung by the whole group as a chorus.
Here is one - Muruga Muruga Vel Muruga that I learnt from my cousin sisters who themselves learnt and sang when they walked to Vaitheeswaran Kovil.
Hope you like it and Happy Thaipoosam!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Manathil Uruthi Vendum - Bharathiyar Song
A friend of mine who teaches Tamil to small kids including mine was preparing them to sing 'Manathil Uruthi Vendum' and looking for a simple tune. I had come up with this (must have gotten into my head from some nursery rhyme! ) but was worried that all lines did not fit into the tune. However, the teacher and the kids both managed it perfectly. So thought of sharing the youtube video with lyrics in Tamil and English.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Yesudas's Harivarasanam
Jan 15 - Makarajyothi day 2012
Harivarasanam, the urakkupattu or the aduthajama song sung by Yesudas is the most divine song I have ever heard. I would like to call this Yesudas's Harivarasanam eventhough it was written by Kambankudi Kulathunka Iyer and tuned by G.Devarajan because it is his voice that echoes when the Shabarimala door closes each night. It is as though Lord Ayyappa blessed him with this golden, sonorous voice so He could enjoy this lullaby and we could experience the Supreme being.
Posting 'my singing with lyrics' in malayalam and English on this special Day as a dedication to the millions of Ayyappa devotees.
Enjoy listening to the same song - a faster bhajan version by Yesudas.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Face Book Pravesham
Stepping into the world of Facebook
Probably because I never felt the need to have a facebook account, I never created one even with the people around me so much into facebook and urging me to join and not be cut off. But seeing them I was also afraid that it would be too much of a distraction and too much of a decision making on whether or not to comment and then self judging if the comment was right or wrong! Also, in general facebook seemed an expression of excitement and was wondering if it will be too much pressure and time-consuming to produce and acknowledge the same.
Anyways, that has already become the past. So far, it never occured - I have only looked at pictures occassionally on my husbad's FB but, yesterday I casually searched for a classmate, I found and then the whole nine yards - friends and friends of friends mostly with information and photos that was public searchable...did not realize that 3 hours had just passed by!
It was a revelation that friends I thought were long lost were just a login away and was sweetly surprised and happy to see the wonderful pictures of them with one or two kids. And could not resist myself signing in so eager to meet them online.
So here I am 'connected' !
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