There is always a special atmosphere prevailing during the ten days of Thai Poosam. This year even more so as it coincided with Pournami (full moon day), a rare occurrence. According to the scriptures, it is during the Tamil month of Thai (mid-January – mid-February) when it coincides with the Poosam nakshaktra(star) that Parvathi Devi gave Lord Muruga his Sakthi Vel to restore stability in the universe.
This year, Thai Poosam in Mauritius was graced by Sivasri Skandaprasad’s three katcheris (carnatic concerts) in Goodlands, Mon Désert Alma and Britannia. This laudable initiative stems from a joint collaboration between the Mauritius Tamil Cultural Centre Trust chaired by Dr Adi Shankara Peruman and Saint André Kovil in Réunion Island. Sivasri was accompanied by her father Sri J. Skandaprasad with support from Jaidev Haridoss on mridangam, Shankar Narayanan on dolki and Shankar Raman on harmonium.
As we got off the car on that rainy 22nd January evening which equally marked the opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya adding to the sacredness of the day, an enthralling voice could be heard in the Britannia Seeva Soopramaniar Tamil Darma Sangam Kovil:
“Om namah pranavarthaya,
Suddha jnanaika moorthaye,
Nirmalaya prasanthaya,
Sri Dakshinamurthaye namah.”
We immediately knew we were in the presence of the Divine. Paying her respects to Dakshinamurthy, Sivasri started off her one-hour concert. Despite the strong rain and winds, people came over from Britannia, Tyack, Rivière des Anguilles, Souillac, Surinam to listen to Sivasri Skandaprasad, one of the most prominent carnatic singers in India.
Born in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Sivasri is also a performing Bharathanatyam artiste and a Namasankeerthanam artiste. Coming from a renowned family of musicians, her paternal grandparents, Kalaimamani late Seerkazhi R. Jayaraman was a successful musician and Smt. Shanthi Jayaraman was a popular vocal accompaniment for leading Bharatanatyam artistes. Her maternal grandfather, H H Sri Namanandagiri Swamigal was the former pontiff of the Gnananandagiri Peetha. Her father Seerkazhi Sri J. Skandaprasad is a renowned Mridangam Vidwan. In 2019, Sivasri founded Ahuti, an organisation to share her knowledge of the Arts, to inspire and empower young people by offering them the opportunity to foster artistic, professional and personal growth.
It was a special occasion for us as well since it was our daughter Akshaya’s first Thai Poosam and her first live katcheri. Ever since she was in her mother’s womb, she has been listening to Sivasri whose concert brought to mind Prof David Shulman’s eponymous lecture, ‘How to put a goddess out from musical scales?’ “It is eminently possible to sing a Goddess into being” says Shulman. Sivasri’s rendition of famous Tiruppugarzh and other Murugan bhajans brought Lord Murugan into being. Her performance differs from other carnatic singers in the sense that she involves the public in her concerts by getting them to sing along: “Vel Vel Vetri Vel, Vel Vel Vira Vel”, “Kandanukku Harogara Muruganukku Harogara”. After her sublime concerts in Goodlands and Mon Desert Alma, her last katcheri in Britannia was a bittersweet one since she had to rush to the airport just after the concert ended on a flight back to her hometown of Chennai. It is noteworthy that the katcheris were done in the rural areas hence allowing the public to be exposed to a world class Carnatic singer and musician. Just before she got on her van, we managed to convey our appreciation of her art to Sivasri, especially two songs which accompanied my wife’s pregnancy, a Thiruppugarzh entitled ‘Naadha Vindhu’ and a Kavadi Sindhu. She conversed with Akshaya in Tamil after we presented her with a copy of The Indian Tales from Mauritius (co-written with Amarnath Hosany, Atelier des Nomades, 2022) and was visibly touched by the Mauritian audience’ welcome.
On our way back home, a Paati’s words of wisdom came to mind: “Kan nou sante pou Skanda Murugan, bizin pa bouz lame brit parski dapre enn krwayans Kuzhandai Murugan vinn siz dan nou godi kan nou sant so louanz. Alor fode bouz lame brit sinon nou pou fer li dimal.” When we sing for Skanda Murugan, we should not move our hands in a brusque manner. Because there is a belief that when we sing his praise, Lord Murugan himself comes to sit on our lap in the form of a baby.” The attention given to the pronunciation of each and every word echoing the Nabokovian statement: “Caress the detail, the divine detail” coupled with the bakthi she infuses in her singing makes Sivasri’s concert magnificent. The performances given by this plethora of Carnatic maestros and the energy exhuberated during the auspicious occasion of Thai Poosam will long stay with us. Until Sivasri’s next performance on our island Republic of Mauritius, her voice and music will mingle together in our minds and our hearts. Harohara!
Kavinien KARUPUDAYYAN