Sabha- the second home !

4:50 pm - 01 May 2010….  I was behind that glossy red curtain, which had been a veil between the stalwarts and the thronging rasikas of Trivandrum, who held their breath to see and listen to the scintillating performers who captured their imaginations for decades. It was not the first time I was behind that curtain... I was there innumerable times with my father, as a quirky little girl, attempting to catch a glimpse of those impeccable artists after their concerts. I was there when Semmangudi signed the first autograph in my brand new sign book.  I was there after the concert in which Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan asked for a glass of water through his violin. I was there, with my mom, to draw the “Kolam” for several Anjaneyotsavams. But this time, it was a bit different. In another ten minutes, that same curtain would unveil, and I was about to give my first concert at one of the grandest stages of all, Sree Swati Tirunal Sangeetha Sabha, my second home..!

The memories of ‘Sabha’ (we Trivandrumites love addressing this institution merely as ‘Sabha’) are quite enriching as well as haunting. They start at the portico, where my brother and myself used to sit beside Manager ‘uncle’ to issue daily tickets during the annual festivals, the giant steps downwards, the wooden partition where the name of the office bearers were written in thick white, the painting of Maharaja, the sculpture of Rani Sethu Parvathi Bai, the office room with the citations given to Gayakaratnams, the dias, and then the green rooms.. It is quite a phenomenon, and if a connoisseur has not been to the ‘Sabha’, then his musical experience is only half fulfilled.!

It would not be wrong to say that Sabha was my family’s main spot of recreation. Before the varnams started, we were there, at the second row, normally behind Dr Velayudhan. Myself being too small to have a good look at the stage, used to fold the seat and sit on top of the backrest much to the anxiety of fellow listeners that I may fall down.!I used to run around with my brother in the hall during the concerts, which eventually ended one fine evening when LCR Varma Sir forcefully made us sit beside him – that was the same night when I learned to identify Panthuvarali ragam. To ensure that we stayed glued to the concert, my father, being the visionary he is, offered us an incentive - ‘One Ruppee Per Raga Identified’ – that changed my life.

Gradually, we began absorbing the concerts, the nooks, the techniques, even the ‘khoshtis’.! We started understanding the structure, enjoyed the thanis, and the mangalams turned out to be wake up calls to the real life, which was far less enlightening. We learnt to say ‘Sabhaash’ and ‘Bhale’. The very sight of the Sabha Bulletin caused a string to our stride, as we knew some concerts were around the corner.! The musical evenings did not end with the mangalam, as we were eager to run through the side door (the words ‘No Admission’ never caught my vision – our freedom at Sabha was near to boundless) to hear what the artists had to say to each other. We witnessed the joy of an artist after a successful concert and how rasikas adored the musicians who made their life more beautiful – is their a better profession?. We accompanied them to the Secretary’s room,( Often, we stood beside Sreekumar uncle, even when he was in some important office procedures) picked up the interesting chats for hours, and it became a routine to leave the premises only when the watchman’s face turned red.

By the passage of time, we got to know how the hall looked, from the stage – thanks to the eagerly awaited competitions, devotees music segment and the pancharatnams. We started finding reasons to come to the Sabha (making my mom join Sangeetha Visharad was one of them). The ‘Kelvi Nganam’ made learning music meaningful and undemanding. If my brother knew how to place a Mridangam even before he was taught – it was because the Sabha had instilled such a passion in us to pursue this art. May this great institution continue to provide memories to cherish for many more generations to come.!

5.00 pm – 01 May 2010… The curtain unveiled at its own leisurely pace. I was greeted by a generous applause. With all these fond memories in my heart, I started ‘Paripahi Ganadhipa’ in Saveri – My first concert  at Sabha, which made a musician out of me.