Morning Hues - Margazhi Thingal!

The Thiruppavai is a set of 30 verses in veneration of Lord Vishnu during the sacred month of Margazhi which starts from around the mid of December with the Sun's ingress into the zodiac of Sagittarius or Dhanur. 

These lyrical hymns are the work of Poetess Andal, who is considered to be the only female amongst the hallowed 12 Alwars whose devotion for Vishnu knew no bounds. Thorough her inscrutable pasurams in reverence of the Lord, she expresses selfless deep love & devotion of the highest order. In the month of Margazhi, each day one of these verses are rendered to symbolize divinity, bring about a close bonding with the celestial cosmic beings and get a spiritual awakening.

The opening verse of Thiruppavai to signal the usherance of Margazhi month goes as "Mārgazhi Thingal Madi Niṛainda Naṇṇāḷāl" explaining about the auspicious full moon day in the month of Margazhi. This pasuram is chanted in honour of Lord Krishna by extolling young maidens to wake up early, get ready and put forth a vow (Nonbu) by providing service (Kainkaryam) and chanting praises in obeisance of the Lord to attain a spiritual connection.

Took a small stab at playing this masterful piece initiating the start of Margazhi month. It is based on the 36th Melakarta Ragam ChalaNaatai and the judicious use of both the Gandarams (Ga) and Naishadams (Ni) gives it a bejewelled crossover paving way towards a striking consonance for expressing different facets of devotion.

Andal also known as Godhai and Nachiyar is known for unquenching selfless devotion. May the whole universe sing and glorify this Poet's works all through the eternity of time.

Margazhi Musings - Mystical and Magical!

There is something serene about 'Margazhi' which makes it both mystical and magical. It almost feels like everything comes to life during this window of approximately about 30 days.

Lord Krishna mentions in the Bhagawad Gita "māsānāṁ mārga-śhīrṣhoham" - translating as "Of all the months I'm Margazhi". This Dhanur month is venerated towards Lord Vishnu and believed to be of steadfast spiritual significance. It is a time in which devotion reigns foremost with traditions in full force uniting and representing culture in an embellished elan. This is especially true if you're from the South of India and more so from Tamil Nadu belonging to the city of Chennai and for more pin pointed precision live in the by lanes or in and around the neck of the woods of the evergreen area of 'Mylapore'.

Margazhi month ignites with the ingress of the Sun into the sign of Sagittarius or more specifically Moola Nakshatra thus ushering the awakening of Dhanur Masa or the month of the morning dawn. Incidentally this month is not known for auspicious events such as purchasing of material acquisitions, starting new ventures, conducting marriage / engagement functions etc. This is because this month is dedicated exclusively for worship towards the divine with the focus solely being on religious activities. It makes great sense from an astrological perspective also as Sagittarius or Dhanur is the 9th sign of the Kalapurusha and denotes significations such as Religion, Faith, Blessings, Dharma, Temples, Gurus etc. It also indicates 'Father' and interestingly the other month where ceremonies like marriage are avoided happens to be Aadi Maasam equating to Sun's entry into Cancer zodiac which is the 4th sign of the Kalapurusha portraying 'Mother'. Thus both in the sign of Mother (Cancer/Aadi) and Father (Sagittarius/Dhanur), events like marriage are not considered auspicious perhaps indirectly hinting that these months are for respecting the elders and getting more closer to the divine perfectly symbolising with the statement of "Mata Pita Guru Deivam". Also another pointer one could think of is that the beginning Nakshatra of Dhanur that Sun enters into viz Moola is anything but materialistic. It is ruled by "Nirriti", the goddess of destruction embodying dissolution needed for renewal and is associated with a deep spiritual impulse. Shri Anjaneya is believed to be born in the constellation of Moola Nakshatra and everyone is aware of the Bhakti and deep devotion that he had towards Lord Rama. Also Moola aligns with the Galactic Milky way center and is said to be linked with a super massive black hole in line with its symbol of roots, creation and transformation. All these factors can perhaps be interpreted to give a solid reasoning as to why this month is anything but connected to material pursuits.

Many associate the 'Margashira' month as directly akin to 'Margazhi' which is not always correct. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala especially, the solar months are considered prominent based on the Sun's entry in to a zodiac sign whereas in other parts of India, its the Lunar calendar based on the Tithi which holds sacrosanct. In Tamil Nadu, the solar month of Sagittarius is termed as 'Margazhi' and in Kerala it is referred as 'Dhanu'. For those following the Lunar calendar, there are two traditions viz Amanta and Pournimanta with the former indicating the start of a new month at the end of Ammavasya Tithi and the latter calls the start of a new month at the end of Poornima Tithi. Thus it can be inferred that a portion of the lunar month of Margashira may be intermingled as part of Margazhi but not exclusively. 

The period which roughly runs from mid December till mid January is a phase in which the divine reigns supreme, music & dance takes centerstage, delectable delicacies get devoured, symmetrical eye gazing art in the form of Kolams get depicted invoking and inviting God. There is a a chillness in the air that is felt from underneath. Even offices provide a leeway to their employees by making this their festive time with holidays granted in the form of Xmas & New Year and additionally many companies even have the policy of Golden Week allowing their work force to enjoy that one week time of December last week all for themselves. Some events taking place may just be a minor coincidence but that festival atmosphere buzzing during the Margazhi interval is simply unmatchable. Incidentally even the NRI folks largely uses this zone of time to book their holidays to head over to Bharat Mata to soak in the brilliance that's Margazhi. It almost appears like everything congregates and comes together to make this spell of time truly special.

It's also the month uniting Vaishnavite & Shaivite traditions with Arudra Darshan following closely on the heels of Vaikunta Ekadashi. In fact it also blends with the Western World of Spirituality as Christmas - the day commemorating with the birth of Jesus Christ also occurring only during Margazhi. Also in present day time, January 1st is universally acknowledged to be the start of the calendar year in almost every part of the world which also inevitable falls always during Margazhi.  

Known as the Dawn of the Devas, this month is specially revered for Goddess Andal. Sri Andal - the only female saint among the 12 Alwars whose selfless devotion and love is eulogised to be unparalleled composed the 'Thiruppavai' - a set of 30 verses which are recited as hymns by devotees on each day of the month. The 18 day Kurukshetra War in Mahabharata supposedly also took place in Margazhi. Temples are said to open an hour in advance ensuring to bring the spiritual fervour vibrating all through the month.

Music Kutcheris predominantly in the form of Carnatic Music will be in full swing all through the first half of Margazhi leading upto December 31st. From January onwards its the dance season primarily in the mode of Bharatanatyam carrying the baton for the rest part. Margazhi is a month where the confluence of Music and Dance blends together in its most splendid aura. And to give it company are the canteens doling out all kinds of lip smacking foodie delicacies full of vibrancy and variety with the aroma smearing across from all directions. Speaking about Music, the grand Thyagaraja Aradhanai in honour of one of the greatest classical composers Saint Thyagaraja also at times tends to get scheduled during the Margazhi Month.

Music, Dance, Art, Food, Temples, Religion, Festivals all unite and merge together to make this month of Margazhi as truly one of a kind. When the reverberating sounds of music converges with the tingling of dance steps and geometry of morning rangolis amidst the whiff of divine air circulating and aroma of freshly cooked food, spirituality awakens and Margazhi truly comes to life. Margazhi also acts as the bridge between the end of the calendar year and beginning of the next one. Wishing everyone a blessed Margazhi month. May the divine forces help in being deeply connected and tiding us through in all our endeavours. Sharing some important dates & events to keep note for the benefit of everyone during this holy spiritual time span known as 'Margazhi'

- *Margazhi Masa Aarambam - Dec 16th 2025*
Ingress of the Sun into the sign of Dhanur and Moola Nakshatra signalling the ushering of Margazhi Month 

- *Kanchi Sri Mahaperiyava Aaradhanai - Dec 16th 2025*
In commemoration of attaining samadhi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham - Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal that took place on the day after Ekadashi Tithi in Krishna Dwadashi Tithi when Anusham (Anuradha) Nakshatra was in operation.

- *Kuchela Dinam - Dec 17th 2025*
Celebrated on the first Wednesday of Dhanur month as per Malayalam calendar. It is as an annual festival celebrated by Hindus in Kerala mainly in honour of Lord Guruvayurappan.

- *Hanuman Jayanthi - Dec 19th 2025*
This is recognised differently based on state culture. However for Tamil Nadu & Kerala, Hanuman Jayanthi occurs on Amma Vasya Tithi during Margazhi month. It also closely aligns with Anjaneyar's birth Nakshatra of Moola which is in operation from late night of 19th Dec and will be present when Amma Vasya Tithi finishes on the 20th morning

- *Shortest Day of the Year - Dec 21st 2025*
For those places belonging to the Northern Hemisphere which includes India, Dec 21st will mark as being the shortest day of the year. It also links well with the Margazhi tradition of day light occurring earlier and days being shorter in magnitude compared to nights.

- *Christmas - Dec 25th 2025*
Christian festival celebrated worldwide commemorating the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. Coincidence or otherwise, Christmas always gets bracketed in the Margazhi month

- *Vaikunta Ekadashi - Dec 30th 2025*
Ekadashi's occur two times in every solar month but the Shukla Paksha Ekadashi occurring in Margazhi month happens to be the most auspicious Vaikunta Ekadashi opening the gates to Lord Maha Vishnu's celestial abode.

- *New Year - Jan 1st 2026*
Ushering of New Year signalling the start of new calendar year 2026 worldwide

- *Arudra Darisanam - Jan 3rd 2026*
This occurs on the day Tiruvadirai (Arudra) Nakshatra transits in Margazhi month. Arudra Darisanam is celebrated in veneration of Lord Shiva's cosmic dance as Nataraja.

- *Ramana Maharishi Jayanthi - Jan 4th 2026*
This takes place when Punarpoosam (Punarvasu) Nakshatra is in operation during Margazhi month in reverence to the birth anniversary of Ramana Maharishi

- *Pushpa Abhishek - Jan 5th 2026*
Flower Bathing ceremony of Lord Krishna especially followed in traditions like Iskcon which takes place on Poosam (Pushya) Nakshatra that symbolises 'flower' when Pushya Lunar month is in operation which coincides with Margazhi month in this year

- *Agastya Jayanthi (aka) Siddha Day - Jan 6th 2026*
Agastya Jayanthi also reckoned as 'Siddha Day' is in honour of the great Sage Agasthya Maharishi who is said to be born in the month of Margazhi when Ayilyam (Ashlesha) Nakshatra was visible in the skies. Agasthya is known to have drunk the entire ocean in order to help the Devas and he is also credited with being the father of Siddha Medicine.

- *Sri Thyagara Aaradhanai - Jan 7th 2026*
5 day Annual Carnatic music festival in respect of Saint Thyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music along with Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri. It is held on Krishna Paksha Panchami Tithi in Pushya Lunar month during which the musical Saint attained Samadhi. This time it coincides as part of the Margazhi month

- *Koodaravalli - Jan 11th 2026*
This takes place on the 27th day of the month of Margazhi in rejoice of Andal's devotion as that was the day when Lord Vishnu granted her the boon of marriage. Devotees offer a special sweet called 'Akkara Vadisal' - a form of ghee rice pudding in celebration of Kodhai. 

- *Vivekananda Jayanthi aka India's National Youth Day - Jan 12th 2026*
This is calendar date specific and takes place every year on the 12th of January which is the birth anniversary of spiritual leader Sri Vivekanand.

Note: Some of the dates may fall across 2 days but importance is given based on whether sunrise was prevalent during the event occurrence. For instance, Agastya Jayanti which is based on Nakshatra Ayilyam or Ashlesha starts around noon on 5th Jan and ends after noon on 6th Jan. Since only on 6th Jan, sunrise was prevalent, thus the latter date is given higher priority. Additionally not date specific, this holy month of 'Margazhi' is also known for 'Pavai Nonbu' and 'Thiruvempavai'. The former is a religious observation primarily undertaken by unmarried girls involving waking up early, performing rituals and singing hymns in praise to the Lord. The latter dedicated to Lord Shiva is a set of 20 hymns written by Manikavasagar and is sung daily with fast undertaken for 9 days and culminating on the 10th day of Thiruvadhirai during Arudra Darisanam.

Happy Rajinikanth to Birthday! - Kadhalin Deepam Ondru

Superstar Rajinikanth is such a phenomenon that Rajinikanth doesn't celebrate Birthdays and infact it's Birthdays that get wished as Happy Rajinikanth Day. His life and career has a lot of symmetricity interwoven that it feels like God has created Superstar just for fans to celebrate, adore and idolize him. Born on 12/12 in the year 1950, he completes 75 years of lifespan in 2025 and having begun his career with Apoorva Ragangal in 1975 he also completes 50 years of stardom in the cinefield in the year 2025. He is such an enigma that even milestones get to touch new records courtesy Superstar.

On this historic occasion of the Superstars 75th Birthday, attempted a minor portion from the song Kadhalin Deepam from the movie Thambikku Endha Ooru. It is based on the Raga of Charukesi and is such a lilting melody. The subtle nuanced gamakas add such a vintage touch. Normally this Raga is used in the devotional sense but IR garlands it by giving a romantic twang with ingenious tinges of emotional elements soaked over to make it feel like a pathos love melody.

This composition rendered by legendary SP Balasubramaniam touches the heart in all it's splendour making it an evergreen love song for the ages. Those finer elements literally come to life with his masterful overtures. The magic of the trio of Superstar, Maestro and Gaana Gandharvudu at its regal finest.

As the Sun completes 75 full rounds back to the exact mark where it was prevalent during the Superstars birth, wishing our beloved Superstar a birthday to remember and cherish for a lifetime. Happy Rajinikanth to Birthday!

Written in the stars - A Maiden Women's ODI World Cup Triumph!

Just as the clock ticked past 12, when Nadine De Klerk drove Deepti Sharma's delivery uppishly with Harmanpreet Kaur leaping backwards and taking a high held catch igniting India's victory sparking off an eruption of joy resulting in unreal celebrations, it felt like a new era in Indian women's cricket had dawned. The Indian Women bleeding blue had done the unthinkable and garnered India a famous World Cup victory on home soil. The pinpoint precision in the timing was simply profound because 78 summers ago just as the time stroked past 12 AM in the wee hours of 15th August 1947 was when our great nation India was christened Independence. The serendipity with respect to the timing couldn't have been more poetic.

Winning a World Cup stands as a monumental historic achievement for any nation. When it occurs at home with the crowds swooning and cheering for you it makes the experience all the more special. Having said that however, losing a World Cup final at home backed by billions of people wanting you to cross over the line and when you end up falling short that pain is the worst heartbreaking feeling ever. Nothing can ever beat the scar of such a defeat as it's absolutely gut wrenching especially disappointing innumerable hearts. We all cried with Rohit & Virat when the 2023 WC final slipped out of our hands. All those commanding nonchalant wins throughout the tourney counted for nothing because at the end the victory was not Team India's. It's just a game at the end of the day but there is a massive difference between winning and coming second especially in a team sport like cricket.

As a cricketing fan, this particular win makes the heart beam with pride and swell with joy. Although not in entirety, it has definitely helped in healing to an extent and exorcising the ghosts of the past. As a young youth, watching the Indian men's team succumb to Australia in the 2003 ODI WC final in South Africa was pretty traumatising. Many would say that it was an all conquering invincible Aussie side but if ever there was a team who could upstage the Aussies it was India. After losing their initial encounter to Australia pretty badly, the team led by Saurav Ganguly played fearless cricket winning all the rest of their matches with relative ease. The Aussies although unbeatable had a few slip ups in games against NZ and Eng where they were under the cosh for much of the time. However come the final, the Aussies were simply unconquerable and showed their prowess by asserting their supremacy. I was waiting with bated breath for that 20 year pain to erase in the home ODI World Cup of 2023 but alas only for it to be accentuated much further. India who looked simply untouchable all through the tournament came a cropper right at the very final in front of a jam packed stadium. It was the most perfect way for their 2 talismans Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli to go on a high but instead ended up being a nightmare with tears in truckloads as the 2 unassuming legends were not able to take it crying profusely and uncontrollably. That was the most unbearable loss ever in the history of Indian cricket. There was however some redemption the following year with India finally claiming a T20 World Cup victory albeit not at home but in the Caribbean.

When it came to the Women's game, India did reach the finals of the ODI World Cup twice earlier in 2005 and 2017. In the 2005 edition, an inexperienced Indian side was simply blown away by the Aussies. The 2017 defeat however was hard to soak in. After overcoming the indomitable Aussies in the semifinals thanks courtesy to current captain Harmanpreet Kaurs blitz, the Indians blew away a golden opportunity to win their first ever major title. It was an inexplicable collapse of epic proportions as India bottled up the chase with not even 30 required off the last 5 overs and plenty of wickets still in hand. I remember having seen the events playing out and was simply aghast and distraught. India were literally handed the match on a silver leaved platter but they ended up spilling it by choking beyond imagination.

In 2025, with a home World Cup looming large, India's performance in the group stages was patchy to say the least. They had to do some extra heavy lifting to even reach the semifinals. Their opponent yet again was the almighty Aussies who everyone including the hardcore Indian fan knew were simply too strong to contend with and will probably be brushing aside the Indian side with consummate ease. With Aussies putting up a total of over 330 on the board, it looked like a familiar story unfolding only for the Indians to make a remarkable comeback and exercise the greatest chase ever in the history of the women's game. The celebrations after the semifinals were unparalleled. Must admit however that it felt a little overboard considering the job still had to be done with India's final holy grail still lurking. It was drawing parallels to the win over the Kiwis in the men's ODI WC semifinal of 2023 giving an impression of India already holding one hand at the trophy. 

The final had it's moments. India who were inserted to bat first on a belter ended up a wee bit short of 300 on a batting paradise of a pitch at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. It just looked par for the course with the final nerves playing foul as India looked well on course for a score close to about 350 after having laid the platform. The South Africans too were unrelenting especially with their Captain Architect Laura Wolvaardt leading from the front with a scintillating century backing up with the ton scored in the semifinals. However it felt clearly that the stars and signs were on India's side as regular breakthroughs enabled India to cap off a victory for the ages.

The players apart, it's also a beautiful story of redemption for coach Amol Mazumdar. Amol was once touted to be one of India's future cricketing stars after beginning his Ranji career in stellar fashion with a double century on debut. There is also a famous tale of him sitting with his pads on for 2 days not being able to bat with fellow Mumbaikars Vinod Kambli & Sachin Tendulkar stitching up an awe inspiring partnership of 664 runs in the Harris Shield tournament. Mazumdar like the hallowed yesteryear greats Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajinder Goel never ended up representing India and now to be a part as the coach of the World Cup winning Indian women's team speaks wonders.

It was also lovely to see Sachin Tendulkar in the stands who finally won an ODI World Cup in 2011 in his 6th attempt at his beloved Aamchi Mumbai on that historic night of 2nd April 2011. Another heartfelt moment was watching Rohit Sharma witnessing the Indian team winning the World Cup on home soil. Rohit, the captain of the men's ODI World Cup team of 2023 missed out on the opportunity of capturing a home World Cup with India's campaign coming to an end in an agonising manner with a defeat in the final on this very month 2 years prior dated 19th November 2023. Additionally seeing ex Indian women players who missed out on world cup glory such as Anjum Chopra, Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj hold aloft the trophy was truly heartwarming.

One of the greatest signs signalling an Indian victory was the performance of Shafali Varma, the player of the match. She was not even part of the initial squad but an unforeseen accidental injury to their star opener Prathika Rawal resulted in her being added to the squad. In the semifinals she had failed to get going and come the final her place was still in question. At the end, she proved to be the major difference with not only her sterling 87 but also those uncanny 2 wickets which came out of the blue. It was fantasy at it's finest. Another player who was dropped midway through the tournament - Jemimah Rodrigues was the one who played a major role with a sparkling half century to enable India beat NZ to get to the semifinals and then playing one of the greatest knocks ever in the semifinal vs Australia putting India on course to a home World Cup final. Another starlet was the much criticised Deepti Sharma who happens to be the only male or female to secure a half century and take 5 wickets in an ODI World Cup final and to boot ending up with the player of the tournament award. Smriti Mandhana's performance as an opener with crucial knocks also set the pace with her tally being the highest ever in an ODI World Cup by an Indian women. One must also not forget the catch plucked at the 3rd attempt by Amanjot bringing to an end Laura Wolvaardt's brilliant innings thus thwarting the South African crusade. The punchy knocks towards the end by wicket keeper Richa Ghosh also proved to be a key decisive factor in India's crucial victories. Another revelation was young Shree Charani who kept the scoring rate at bay along with chipping in with pivotal breakthroughs. 

The stars also shone brightly on India's side with coincidental similarities to the men's ODI World cup winning side of 2011 with respect to the date, city, Nakshatra in operation and Captain finishing with the final flurry towards the end. Summarising the sameness below:

- Apr 2nd 2011, Mumbai, Uthirattathi (Uttara Bhadrapada) star⭐, India win men's ODI WC at home for the first time. Captain Dhoni secures it with the winning six.

- Nov 2nd 2025, Mumbai, Uthirattathi (Uttara Bhadrapada) star⭐, India win women's ODI WC at home for the first time. Captain Harman claims it with the winning catch.

This victory coming 78 years after India's Independence in 1947, 42 years after Indian men's conquest at the ODI WC of 1983 and 14 years after India's famous ODI world cup victory at home soil in 2011 marks a seismic shift. The 1983 victory paved a revolution with the Indian men's game growing from strength to strength with India being a major cricketing powerhouse in the years that followed. This victory by our Desi girls has the potential to spark off a change of guard and herald a new rise in the women's game by providing hope to generations of youngsters. Have to wait and watch as to how things will eventually transpire but at this point tremendously grateful to these girls for providing us a night to remember in rejoicing this vicarious victory and making every Indian extremely proud with this epoch making performance for the ages.

Door to the Divine - Lord Muruga & Kanda Sashti Kavasam

It's difficult to describe what Lord Muruga means to me. His fleeting presence keeps pointing miraculous signs time and again. He is a mysterious maverick and there have been umpteen times whenever a minor thought emanates in the mind, he immediately from God knows how suddenly pops up from 'out of the blue'. The timing especially at many instances have been dumbfounding especially considering the pointed precision. The prescience he conveys always have a very deep meaning and its just my own insentience that makes it hard to catch at times only to realise things much later :). However in being connected, you can trust him blindly and be rest assured of being provided protection and guidance. He is one of a kind enigma that is simply inconceivable and beyond the realms of comprehension.

I would like to recall an interesting experience where I literally saw an event panning out in life thanks exclusively to the miracle of Muruga. After a successful tryst with CA, ACS and CMA, I decided to give a shot at a UK based Management exam called CIMA. Truth be told, my preparations were muddled and it was the first time I was writing a full fledged computerised exam and it felt weird as I've never been through such a rigour earlier. I had no freaking idea how I'd done. Anyways decided that it's going to be my one and only crack and that am done with this come what may. It was 11th Jan 2018, the day of the results, a Thurday and Vishakha Nakshatra in the skies. Around lunch time at work, I decided to stroll out for a walk. Was slightly twitchy as I was made to believe the results will pop out anytime. As I was trudging along, I saw a vehicle unfurl past me comprising of a big inscription with an image of Kumara blessing resoundingly. That particular moment was simply unshakeable and I was instantly taken aback connecting it to be some kind of seraphic invocation. Still nervous, I strutted back towards work place to open my Gmail and saw that the mail had appeared and voila as I opened got to see that magical 4 letter word "PASS". It didn't stop there as I was also made to believe much later that the score equated to an All India 8th Rank. I was bewildered and even now I have no remote idea how it all transpired or rather conspired. It was surely the Lord's Leela at play and not an iota to do with any of my efforts.

Coming to "Kanda Sashti Kavasam", the construct of the whole melange musically has always fascinated me. I have heard parts of it separately and there have been times when I couldn't really fathom that they are all part of one and the same. It's breathtaking as to how they are all so beautifully blended together. Such a wholesome garlanded Ragamalika comprising of 6 different musical portions of which a few of them keep repeating with the "Sashtiyai Nokka Saravana Bhavana" part being the fulcrum and tailpiece laying the foundation playing the perfect anchor to the rest of them. Was also tending to relate these 6 musical motifs to the 6 abodes of Murugan (Arupudai Veedu) stationed at Thiruparankundram, Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruttani and Pazhamudircholai.

I've tried to condense and play all the pieces to form a synergy within a 4 minute time frame. One point worth mentioning is that this composition touches all the 12 notes that is apart from the 7 Saptha Swaras Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni, the other Ri, Ga, Ma, Da & Ni are also interwoven.

The Ragams invoked are:
- Suddha Dhanyasi (opening hymn Kural Venba & Sashtiyai Nokka)
- Subha Panthuvarali (Rahana Bavasa)
- Kalyani (Aarumugamum)
- Thodi (Yethanai Yaalum)
- Mayamalava Gowla (End portion Meviya Vadivurum)

Synonymous with the Ragas, I tried to interlink the elements of the Panchanga where one of each is specifically identified and attributed to Karthikeya
- Vara : Tuesday
- Nakshatra : Vishakha
- Tithi : Sashti
- Karana : Bhadra
- Yoga : Siddha

Kanda Sashti Kavasam is of a masterly transitional wizardry structure and keeps traversing across in a transcendental manner. I was seriously apprehensive if I could go all out with the full monty at one shot and was pretty petrified to say the least. Here again I would like to thank Subramanya as a simple prayer to Sendhil Andavar made it possible to consecrate and stitch together all these portions continuously without a mistake or two apparently cropping up here or there.

To be honest, this is seriously beyond my ken and apologies for any unintentional slip ups along the way. Dedicating this minuscule labour of Love to the inscrutable Dear Lord Skanda on this decorated Maha Kanda Sashti Soorasamharam where he successfully quelled the challenge of the Asura Soorapadman by vanquishing him and bringing glory to the Devas. All Hail our revered Tamil Kadavul and global Guru Guhan. May Saravana's grace be ever prevalent on everyone who believes in his divine celestial embodiment.

Celebrating 30 Golden Years of DDLJ!

When it comes to lovey dovey mushy romance of the 90's, it's hard to look further beyond the evergreen classic 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'. There are certain stories which live with time and one such is DDLJ. It will forever be etched as an eternal cult classic. Ever since it's foray in the silver screens, its had an everlasting impact in the hearts of love struck romeos and remembered as a much fancied movie to savour amongst both Desi and NRI audiences.

This date 20th October 2025 marks 30 years since the iconic release of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge that hit tinselville during the Diwali week on the 20th October 1995. It was a marquee blockbuster that took the box office by thunderstorm. Incidentally at the time of release of DDLJ, the protagonist SRK was just few days shy of celebrating his 30th B'day and now 30 years hence he is on the threshold of coveting the milestone figure of 60 years.

Directed by a then 24 year old in Aditya Chopra, DDLJ in essence was just a simple tailor made love story but in it's innocence lied the attraction which strung the fans into believing and falling in love with the movie. It was those fleeting unimpeachable moments that uplifted the film to all time greatness. Shahrukh's charm as a young chocolate lover boy 'Raj' was lapped up heavily by the youth of the nation. Kajol's character as the dreamy 'Simran' was easily identifiable by young maidens growing up in a patriarchal society back in the days. Their sizzling chemistry together provided the perfect synchronicity to elevate the sequences one after the other.

There is an impish charm about DDLJ that has managed to sway audiences and believe in the adage of falling in Love. In the previous Diwali summer of 1994, it was the family saga Hum Aapke Hain Koun! starring Salman Khan & Madhuri Dixit that had the cash registers ringing big time turning into an epoch making superlative smasher of a hit. In 1995, it was the NRI Love bug in the form of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge catapulting it to being the biggest phenomenon of the year. It also happens to be India's longest running film ever with the matinee show in Maratha Mandir at Mumbai as mind blowing as it may sound still continuing playing it to this very day right since inception. 

It ignited a ray of hope of true love existing and manifesting beyond boundaries. In fact the whole fantasy of experiencing a Euro Trip got implanted for many via the picturesque scenes, settings and surroundings emitted through the canvas of DDLJ. That unforgettable dialogue of "Bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hai" translated as "In Big big countries, such small small conversations keeps happening" holds universal significance to this very day. At the very climax, when an unbending father finally relents chanting "Jaa Simran jaa jeele apni zindagi jaa beta jaa that means "Go Simran go live your life, go my daughter go", it truly signalled the victory of Love over everything else. 

When it came to the music of this movie, it is remembered for containing irresistible melodies that have stood the test of time. It was tuned by the brotherly duo of Jatin-Lalit and was one of the most sought after soundtracks of the year 1995. However the movie lost out on the popular choice of Best Musical Album with the AR Rahman composed "Rangeela" bagging the honours for the soundtrack of the year at the Filmfare Awards mildly pipping DDLJ. 

There have been many movies celebrating Love themes but DDLJ takes the cake for inheriting such a universal appeal. As a tribute to this golden movie crossing the landmark of 30 years, sharing an infinitesimal rendition of a few lines of all the 6 memorable numbers from this iconic feature film. May the legend of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge aka DDLJ continue to enthral and relive memories.

Ilaiyaraaja Symphony - What was supposed to be in 1993 finally got unravelled in 2025

There is no denying the fact that Maestro Ilaiyaraaja is the most complete music director ever witnessed in the annals of Indian cinema. He caters to the locals in equal measurability as he delivers to the elites. There is an Ilaiyaraaja song for every mood & emotion and truth be told, I just cannot imagine a life without his musical existence.

There is virtually nothing that has been untouched by the Maestro. There was a point in time when his fecundity was second to a distant none churning out as many as 30-50 soundtracks in a year with the entire albums being replete with gems aplenty. There have been multiple Diwali & Pongal releases with all the musical scores scored solely by him. I'm not even coming into the Background music part of it which is another area where he reigns supreme.

Apart from the plethora of soundtracks that he has composed along with also making heads turn through his non film albums such as 'How to Name it' and 'Nothing But Wind', Ilaiyaraaja started writing a symphony as early as 1993 with it being titled as Symphony #1. He was at that time conferred the title of being the first man from Asia to compose a full fledged symphony. However strangely that particular Symphony never saw the light of the day. Till today it is shrouded in controversy and there are various conspiracy theories at play. Let's not get into that as nobody knows the exact truth as to why it has been concealed to this very day.

With the 1993 Symphony being a closed chapter, Ilaiyaraaja continued his prowess in film music and he has only been growing from strength to strength exploring newer genres and also modifying his style with time. Of course, the general fandom always believes his work in the 80s is singularly the greatest period of musical excellence ever witnessed. When one thought that the Symphony was a done & dusted deal, there was an announcement that the Maestro was going to experiment with a symphony at the ripe old age of 80+ in 2025. Just the mere thought of it felt like defying gravity. Imagine sitting down and writing a full on symphony especially with his initial foray more than 30 years back ending up being a damp squib for whatever reason. There is never a question of 'never' for the Maestro.

A Symphony is an extended form of music written for an orchestra consisting of 4 movements. The first movement is said to be fast, brisk and lively setting the tone of the mood for the rest. The second movement is said to be slower and contrasting to the first. The third movement is said to be more dance-like providing the composer the opportunity to experiment and showcase his forte. The fourth and last movement is again quick like the first providing the high octane energy giving the final flurry to finish the ensemble. This is just from my layman understanding of what a symphony is meant to connote. I personally felt that Symphony music is something where you can rack your brains and play with imagery depicting beautiful things unfolding from a visual perspective. At least that's what I tried to do while listening to the pieces. The technical histrionics were a little way beyond my ken to be honest.

And voila listening to the Symphony unfolding Live was an absolutely wondrous experience. I could literally feel goosebumps as the music was playing along. There were portions where the music was running riot marching along in finesse fashion, some parts where the melody was slow but seeping through gliding movements highlighting the nuances in all its splendour. There were also dance like fast paced movements showing stamps of authority and many a time magical layers interspersed showcasing the crescendo reach it's peak and majestic tail pieces to finish in a grand flurry. It was like a motley of emotions as the music was gushing magnificently like waves across various layers. As a complete greenhorn when it comes to symphony music, all I can say is that I could both feel and sense that there was magic all around as I was absorbed and immersed in the captivating music. That was more than enough to sound a victorious thump for making my day extra special.

What astounds me about Maestro is how could someone at his well way past traditional retirement age be able to conceive and conceptualize ideas & thoughts as mesmerising as this. It just seems to defy logic on all counts. The Maestro mentioned that he had 6 major hurdles while composing the Symphony and it was all pertaining to influence which should never be coming in the way while composing the Symphony. One was his village & folk upbringing, second was his scores for film music, third being his re-recordings for film music, fourth was him being a Tamilian and ensuring that no local elements get touched in the music, fifth being Indian and nativity not being associated in the piece and sixth his influence with western & foreign music making sure that such inspiration does not seep into the writing of the symphony.

It is very easy to take inspiration especially for someone who has himself composed for over 1000 movies along with countless re-recording scores and being active in the industry for half a century. And despite that he wanted none of the influence to creep in and be absolutely unique and solidified to the true nature of a symphonic piece of art. He wrote the entire symphony in a span of 35 days with individual separate pieces for the 87 orchestra ensemble. The result was simply bewilderment at least from my lens. Even from Raaja's own lofty standards, this certainly felt like a gargantuan piece of orchestral brilliance.

The programme was not just about the symphony as we were also treated to sumptuous sweeteners in the form of old Raaja classics such as Amudhe Thamizhe (sung by the man himself), Madai Thirandhu, Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu, Senthoora Poove, Andhi Mazhai, Chinna Thai Aval, Unnai Nanechu, Oru Kili Urugudhu, Raja Kaiya Vacha, Ponvanam Paneer Thoovudhu, Kadhalin Deepam Ondru, Margao Margao, 3 note song, Kanne Kalaimaane and even an exposition on Schubert's symphony with Raaja singing Idhayam Pogudhe. For a change Raaja finished proceedings by singing Janani Janani which has traditionally always been the opening invoker. Raaja's long term allies Rajinikanth & Kamal Hassan were both at the centerstage and were beaming about their musical friends brilliance. It was also gracious of the current CM Stalin who made an appeal to the Central Government to confer Maestro with the highest honour of 'Bharat Ratna'. Raaja himself while speaking was overcome with emotion at the appreciation received and mentioned that he was scrambling for the right words. Maestro did mention that such a symphony music should reach a wider audience and get more people to hear it.

My major grouse with the show was mainly the crowd who were more interested in tinkering around with their phones and moving around aimlessly especially when the symphony music was playing along. I wonder if it was way beyond their league but it generally felt like they were more interested in just listening to the tried & tested Raaja classics than being engaged in the divine orchestral music which was simply spellbinding. Also it appeared that Nehru Indoor Stadium doesn't really have the acoustics in place for a symphony concert of this magnitude. I believe it wasn't well suited and a more closed chamber would have been ideal for listening to this kind of music in all its precision. Nevertheless for me this was a mesmerising experience and I thank my stars for having got this opportunity to attend this history making symphony concert at the last minute. The man, the master, the mystery of Maestro Ilaiyaraaja continues to enthrall and spook beyond imagination. All hail the supernal cyborg octogenarian.

#Maestro #Ilaiyaraaja #Valiant #Symphony #ilaiyaraaja50 #KamalHaasan #Rajinikanth

Nostalgic Memories of Stepping Stones in Professional Career!

This date from 18 years afar on 10th Sep 2007 evokes really significant memories as I embarked on my professional career with Price Waterhouse as an article assistant with M/s Lovelock & Lewes in accordance under the Chartered Accountants Regulations Act of 1949. It is pretty special as it was the first ever experience of working anywhere and also earning your first ever buck. I recall my first stipend received of Rs 4900/- (7000*21/30) credited to HSBC Bank, R K Salai branch with no TDS deducted as yearly salary back then was under the minimum threshold slab of Rs 1,00,000😀. I also know for a fact that I had pizza for lunch at the Pizza Corner Nungambakkam outlet with couple of fellow article-ship mates on that memorable Monday from donkeys years ago😋.

It was my only stint with Audit in life but nascent memories always stay close to your heart. PwC has moved so many offices within Chennai since then but there'll always be a soft corner for that particular space located on:
#32, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 006, Phone 044 42285000

It's pretty insane to think that 18 years has just flown like a dream. As I ended my foray with this illustrious organisation back then in 2010, I penned a limerick on my last day expressing my sincere thanks to the folks that I worked with in an "AABBA" style as follows:

As I step into the twilight,
Experiences to remember till the end of my light,
Its you the people who've made it really possible,
By making this journey of mine truly memorable,
Thanks a ton for making my light shine bright !:)

Gosh, time flies but the memories linger forever!

Damu's Heritage Dine - A unique culinary experience!

To be honest, our over all dining experience at Arunachal Pradesh was nothing much to write home about. That was until we came across Damu's heritage dining which kind of blew us apart. This indigenous dine in housed almost in the middle of nowhere nestled somewhere along the interiors of the charming Chug Valley simply won our heart's over.

This fine dining restaurant prides on artisanal Monpa cuisine which is largely cultivated in house and consists of a pastiche of items made from millet, barley, buckwheat et al. The food is served as a set course meal and for once being vegetarian didn't make you feel out of place. The food tasted fresh and felt totally organic. The ambience gave a very radiant and colourful swirl. It was a boutique style restaurant housed across 2 floors with one of the floors making you witness the fresh greenery at the outset whereas the upper floor had a better design but was within a closed frontier.

We chose the open green space and began our foray with an item termed as 'Phursingh Gombu' which is a traditional dish made from corn flour dough shaped like tartlets with a juciy black lacquer overflowing over it. The black liquid tasted a bit bizarre but felt very unique and kind of medicinal. I guess you need to get acquired to such a taste but nevertheless it was quite an experience.

Next up we devoured a delightful green soup made up of tonnes of herbs where we could literally see swoons of those greeny leaves engulfing our liquid soup. This one felt extremely soothing and comforting being so rich in taste. On the main course section we also got to try a noodles made out of buckwheat. It almost appeared like being crusty on the outset but was anything but that. It was flavourful and went well with the accompanying salad.

The 2 dishes which were outright standouts happened to be the millet based momos and the green leafy tacos submerged with kidney beans aplenty. Both these were simply lip smacking awesome and felt so nice on the palette. The spinach effect pulverised it to a notch high above everything else.

We were also served rice which appeared a little thicker than normal which went well with the kidney bean lentil gravy. We were given a similar version of the rice as a sweet laced with a touch of jaggery. Apart from this we also had a shot of millet based pancake with sweeteners dolloped on top.

More than the taste of the food, this fine dining escapade was more to do with the experience which just hit home and felt so comforting and heart warming. We were taken care of magnificently well and explained about the finer points of each and every dish along with also knowing about the history and tradition of such a cuisine. On the whole it was a delectable experience which one should not miss especially when traversing across this neck of the woods.

Mudakaratha Modakam - Birthday Greetings to the Universal Elephant God!

For some he is "Vinayak", for others he is "Ganapathy", for few he is "Ganesh", in our neck of the woods he is revered as "பிள்ளையார்" / "Pillayar" and for young children he is the defacto default "Ummachi"

They call him through 108 different names and he manifests himself in 32 different forms. He is the universal God of every Hindu household and holds a special place in everyone's heart. His presence is simply impossible to miss with his elephant head & pot belly standing out unanimously. He is always there at your beck & call physically within your framework and if not be rest assured that mentally he'll be deeply entrenched right at the core of your soul.

He is the eternal beginner for invoking any task and also the perennial finisher for completing any activity. He is also the permanent remover of obstacles along with being the provider of intelligence and granter of good luck. Beyond everything he is the supreme immortal Moksha benefactor.

In the Panchang, he is affiliated with 'Chaturthi' Tithi with his special birthday being celebrated on the 4th waxing phase of Bhadrapada Lunar month. He has a specialty with 'Buddha' Vara (Wednesday) being the harbinger of intelligence which is a predominant Mercurian trait. He has a form associated with every star but is said to be specially associated with 'Uttara Ashada (Uthiradam)' Nakshatra as it's believed to be the star of universality and linked with the symbol of elephant tusk. He is also connected with 'Garaja' Karana signifying the animal of elephant & memory power and he also governs 'Siddhi' Yoga being the divine bestower of success.

As a miniscule tribute on his special day, attempted the first stanza of Ganesh Pancharatnam hymn viz "Mudakaratha Modakkam" composed by Adi Shankaracharya set to tune in the divinely blissful Hamsadhwani Raga. This stanza describes the Lord gleefully & joyously holding the Modak (Kozhukkatai sweet) in his hand and blessing his devotees. May he cast his auspicious glance and gregarious nature on every single being on planet Earth. Happy B'day to the universal Elephant God.