65th Heritage Music Festival at 8th Cross Ganesha Pandal
The much-awaited 65th Ganesha Music Festival of Sri Prasanna Vidya Ganapathi Mahotsava Charitable Trust (SPVGMC Trust) opened on a note of considerable musical promise at 8th Cross, V.V. Mohalla, Mysuru, on Sept. 15. This year’s festival assumes a special significance as it is dedicated to the birth centenary of the legendary flautist T.R. Mahalingam, affectionately remembered by generations of rasikas as Mali.
The festival was inaugurated by Historian R. Raja Chandra (the son-in-law of late Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar), in the presence of the Trust President Jagannath Shenoy and Vid. Ambi Subramaniam. The opening concert, entrusted to Ambi Subramaniam, proved to be a fitting prelude to the musical journey that lay ahead.
A violinist of considerable pedigree, Ambi is the son and disciple of the celebrated violin maestro Dr. L. Subramaniam. Yet, what was particularly gratifying in this recital was not merely the unmistakable imprint of his illustrious lineage, but the confidence with which he has absorbed, assimilated and articulated its finer nuances. His command over the instrument was evident from the very first phrase: the bow spoke with assurance, the gamakas were carefully measured and the transitions between languor and velocity came with remarkable ease.
He commenced with a varna in Kambodhi, set to Āṭatāḷa. The preceding Kambodhiālāpana was unhurried and meditative, allowing the raga to reveal its familiar contours without haste. The varna that followed was rendered in four speeds, with admirable precision and clarity. Ambi demonstrated that speed, in his hands, need not come at the expense of musicality; equally persuasive were his slower passages, where every phrase was given room to breathe.
A brief but evocative glimpse of Abhogi followed, leading into his father’s composition on Lord Ganesha, “Sadaa manadilvazum.” The kriti provided ample scope for Ambi to display his rhythmic imagination through kalpanaswaras. Intricate nadai patterns and passages of astonishing velocity emerged with seeming effortlessness. The sheer rapidity of execution was impressive, but more impressive still was the explicitness of every swara and the clarity with which the rhythmic architecture remained intact.
Tyagaraja’s “Shobhillu Saptaswara” in Jaganmohini brought another dimension to the recital. Ambi introduced several attractive embellishments, including a pleasing chitteswara, before embarking on an extended and imaginative kalpanaswara sequence. There was an appealing balance between fidelity to the composition and the freedom of improvisation. The mood softened considerably with the melodious “Ramanama Payasake,” whose soothing quality provided a welcome contrast to the preceding virtuosity. This was followed by Tyagaraja’s brisk “Nenarunchi Nanu” in Malavi, restoring the concert’s momentum and preparing the ground for its principal attraction.
The undisputed centrepiece of the evening was the Rāga-Tāna-Pallavi in Rāgavardhini, set to Khanda Chāputāḷa.
Rāgavardhini, the 32nd Melakarta raga, possesses a distinctive personality by virtue of its shatshrutirishabha and antaragandhara. Ambi approached the raga with sensitivity, bringing out its individual colour through well-chosen phrases, appropriate gamakas and subtle nuances. Rather than treating the raga merely as a vehicle for technical display, he allowed its character to unfold progressively.
Thetāna was vigorous and rhythmically charged, its emphatic passages providing a striking contrast to the more contemplative quality of the ālāpana. The pallavi was subsequently explored in different speeds, leading to a vibrant kalpanaswara exchange that ventured into Amritavarshini and Gānamūrti. The RTP segment was particularly revealing of Ambi’s command over the twin disciplines of melody and rhythm.
The accompanists contributed substantially to the concert’s vitality. Vid. Akshay Anand, on mridanga, displayed both enthusiasm and imagination throughout. His taniavartana was a lively exposition of rhythmic ideas, marked by youthful energy and a commendable sense of proportion.
Senior artiste Vid. Rajashekar, on morching, added another layer of colour, eliciting a fascinating variety of tonal effects from the instrument and engaging the audience with his artistry.
The post-RTP section brought “Devi Brova Samayamide,” the composition of Shyama Shastri in Chintamani, before Ambi chose to conclude the recital with his own Tillana in Kapi. It was an appropriate finale — lively, rhythmic and celebratory, bringing the evening to a close on an exuberant note.
For an opening concert, the recital offered a satisfying blend of tradition, virtuosity and youthful energy. Ambi’s playing revealed both the depth of his training and his individual musical sensibility. His ability to negotiate delicate melodic passages as comfortably as demanding high-speed swara patterns gave the recital an attractive breadth. More importantly, the concert established an auspicious musical atmosphere for the festival.
As the first notes of the 65th Ganesha Music Festival have now been sounded, this was a beginning that carried both musical substance and promise — a fitting tribute to the spirit of a festival that celebrates the enduring vitality of the classical arts.
—Dr. Rama V. Bennur
This post was published on September 23, 2026 7:30 pm