Daśa Vidha Rāga Navati Kusuma Manjari Performed After 83 Years

ADIBHATLA NARAYANA DAS’

DASA VIDHA RAGA NAVATI KUSUMA MANJARI

(PANCHAMUKHI & SHANMUKHI) PERFORMED AFTER 83 YEARS

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Dr. Shreekantham Nagendra Shatry, (Professor of Music, Maharani's Music College, Bengaluru) performed Srimadajjada Adibhatla Narayana Das' musical tour de force, DASA VIDHA RAGA NAVATI KUSUMA MANJARI at Sri Venkateswara Devasthanam, Brindavan Gardens, Guntur on January 21.

Dr. Shastry and his troupe presented Panchamukhi and Shanmukhi (singing a 'Kriti' to five and six talas) while singing the 'raagamaalika' comprising 90 Karnatic ragas. It was a rare and unique performance, performed nearly 83 years after Srimadajjada Adibhatla Narayana Das composed the 'Literary and Music Prabandham' and performed it in 1933.

Performing 'Shanmukhi'
Dr. Shreekantham Nagendra Shastry (Centre). From Left to Right:
Smt. Sobhana Ayalasomayajula, Kum. Ambica Shastry, Kum. Naga Deepthi Shastry, Kum. Naga Pranthi Shastry
Sri H. S. Karthikeya Sharma, Smt. Choodamani Sridhar, Sri Saiganesh Shastry & Shri Samartha V. Hegde 

At the commencement of the programme, Dr. Shastry explained in detail the musical aspects and literary values of the 'Manjari'.

A group of five noted musicians participated as observers for the rendition of each of the five/six talas.

Sri Malladi Ramprasad (famous Karnatic vocalist), Sri Bhusurapalli Venkateswarlu (famous mridangam and ghatam player), and Sri Kota Sachitananda Sastry (famous Harikatha artiste) who were among the observers spoke applauding the performance.

Connoisseurs of music were transported with delight on viewing the performance and repeatedly applauded it.

After the rendition of the 90-raga Manjari, Dr. Shastry continued with a solo music concert in which he sang a number of Adibhatla Narayana Das' 'Kritis'. These included a 'Keertana' from 'Janaki Sapatham' acclaimed as another masterpiece of literature and music as it employs 36 rare ragas.

Dr. Shastry was accompanied on the violin by Smt. Durgabhavani and on the mridangam by Sri Sadguru Charan.

Sri Kallam Haranadha Reddy, an industrialist and connoisseur of arts and literature was the Chief Guest.

The Parishat had the concert (both the performance of the Manjari and rest of Dr. Shastry's music concert) recorded on DVD which will soon be released for the public.

The grand music concert was part of the Srimadajjada Adibhatla Narayana Das' commemoration celebrations being organised by 'Srimadajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasa Katha Gana Kala Parishat', Guntur.