An idol of Lord Ganesha
| Picture Credit score: R. Shivaji Rao
The annual Ganesh Chathurthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi, is a grand spectacle that goes past its spiritual realms and celebrates unity amongst individuals from completely different cultures and traditions. This yr, it’s celebrated on September 7. Including to the festive spirit is the musical component. Apart from devotionals and bhajans, there are innumerable kritis, composed by the vaggeyakaras, extolling Ganesha. Every one is exclusive in its personal means. The lyrical content material, ragas chosen, intricate swara patterns, melody and the tala make these compositions particular. And fairly a couple of of them are marked up as favourites within the playlist.
Rithvik Raja.
| Picture Credit score:
Okay. V. SRINIVASAN
Younger Carnatic vocalist Rithvik Raja shares his most favorite 5 kritis on the deity, composed by Muthuswami Dikshitar, and explains what makes every of them particular.
“The great thing about this choice is that Dikshitar has envisioned these compositions in various methods and with finer nuances. With nice melodic perception and lyrical magnificence, every of those compositions stand out in their very own particular means,” he says.
A Tanjore portray of lord Ganesha.
| Picture Credit score:
The Hindu Archives
Vatapi Ganapatim: This composition has grown on me over time, particularly after I learnt the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini Model. The melodic graph strikes via the raga fairly spectacularly with breathtaking Jaarus and Swaraksharas, that aren’t seen within the pop model that’s well-known immediately. It gives a completely distinctive perspective of Hamsadhwani.
Pancha Matanga Mukha Ganapatina: This composition in Malahari, is a testomony to the concept of magnificence in simplicity. Malahari receives skilled therapy and provides us new perception into the chances inside this Raga.
Hastivadanaya: This raga, like Navaroj, has a definite gait and texture. Dikshitar has chosen phrases that match this melodic texture, thereby giving us descriptive lyrics with expressions and usages that aren’t so usually heard within the context of Ganapati. However that’s what makes this composition particular, in the way in which the Sangita and Sahitya come collectively to offer us a really dynamic, but full image. The best way he has infused the raga mudhra is a particular characteristic right here.
Sri Muladhara Chakra: Dikshitar has explored Shri Raga, by which this compositions is ready to, in myriad methods to focus on its magnificence. The best way he handles the Nishadam is particularly magnificent on this composition. Whereas most Ganapati compositions are typically descriptive or literal in nature, this is among the only a few compositions that discover the philosophy of Vedanta behind the type of Mahaganapati. That is additionally the one Shri Raga exploration by Dikshitar that doesn’t interact the distinctive PDNP phrase, which makes it all of the extra curious and endearing.
Mahaganapate Palayasumam: A quaint track in raga Natanarayani, this one could be very near my coronary heart, as a result of that is the primary track that I learnt from my guru T.M. Krishna. Although the composition is brief, it gives a definite image of a raga like Natanarayani that also has its personal indivi0dual flavour, but in addition provides us a suggestion on how a lot it may be expanded.
Every of those compositions are actually a masterpiece, and provides us a novel perception into the myriad types of Mahaganapati in all his glory!
Printed – September 05, 2024 06:27 pm IST
