GEMS of Mylapore. RR Sabha.
Mylapore, Chennai is well-known for its cultural, bhakti, historical background. Even today the one place everyone wishes to visit Mylapore for its cultural brilliance. There is that world-famous temple of Sri Karpagambal sametha Sri Kapaleeswara. Around this temple are its four Maada Veethis (streets) - East, West, South, and North Maada Veethis.
The East Maada veethi is the location for many cultural centres like Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Rasika Ranjani Sabha (RR Sabha). The RR Sabha is the oldest Sabha in the whole of Chennai, it was founded in 1929. It is located in Sundareshwarar Street at the southern end of the East Maada street near Lady Sivaswami Iyer School (more about this famous school later). Carnatic music concerts were held monthly twice then, dramas were staged, and music classes were also conducted there.
It was renovated in 1958 and Smt MS amma was the first to perform in the new auditorium. Yearly membership was just 20.00 then, and one can watch dramas by TKS brothers (Raja Raja Chozhan, Avvaiyar) It was said that TK Shanmugam broke his spine/back by constantly bending for playing the character Avvaiyar !! RS Manohar, and Cho Ramaswami were the other popular drama artistes.
Katha Kalakshebams (Story telling with music) by Sri Anantharama Dikshitar, Embar Vijayaraghava chariyar, and Balakrishna Sastrigal on "Ramayana", "Mahabharata" which used to play for 30 days or more continuously.
Carnatic Music stalwarts like GNB, MLV, MS amma, Alathur brothers were usual performers here in RR Sabha. Harikatha discourses by Madurai Vijayalakshmi was also popular. In a nutshell, almost every evening there was a cultural program / event at RR Sabha.
The sabha was closed for the past 8 or 9 years for renovation. Fifteen days ago on 16th July 2017, the Sabha was re-opened fully renovayed and refurbished. With the state-of-the-art acoustics, modern LED lighting, and scores of other advanced features and facilities, the oldest GEM is now glowing majestically like a teen-aged bride with all the beauty.
Let me wish all the best to this Rasika Ranjani Sabha in the years to come.
Rajappa
01-08-2017
Mylapore, Chennai is well-known for its cultural, bhakti, historical background. Even today the one place everyone wishes to visit Mylapore for its cultural brilliance. There is that world-famous temple of Sri Karpagambal sametha Sri Kapaleeswara. Around this temple are its four Maada Veethis (streets) - East, West, South, and North Maada Veethis.
The East Maada veethi is the location for many cultural centres like Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Rasika Ranjani Sabha (RR Sabha). The RR Sabha is the oldest Sabha in the whole of Chennai, it was founded in 1929. It is located in Sundareshwarar Street at the southern end of the East Maada street near Lady Sivaswami Iyer School (more about this famous school later). Carnatic music concerts were held monthly twice then, dramas were staged, and music classes were also conducted there.
It was renovated in 1958 and Smt MS amma was the first to perform in the new auditorium. Yearly membership was just 20.00 then, and one can watch dramas by TKS brothers (Raja Raja Chozhan, Avvaiyar) It was said that TK Shanmugam broke his spine/back by constantly bending for playing the character Avvaiyar !! RS Manohar, and Cho Ramaswami were the other popular drama artistes.
Katha Kalakshebams (Story telling with music) by Sri Anantharama Dikshitar, Embar Vijayaraghava chariyar, and Balakrishna Sastrigal on "Ramayana", "Mahabharata" which used to play for 30 days or more continuously.
Carnatic Music stalwarts like GNB, MLV, MS amma, Alathur brothers were usual performers here in RR Sabha. Harikatha discourses by Madurai Vijayalakshmi was also popular. In a nutshell, almost every evening there was a cultural program / event at RR Sabha.
The sabha was closed for the past 8 or 9 years for renovation. Fifteen days ago on 16th July 2017, the Sabha was re-opened fully renovayed and refurbished. With the state-of-the-art acoustics, modern LED lighting, and scores of other advanced features and facilities, the oldest GEM is now glowing majestically like a teen-aged bride with all the beauty.
Let me wish all the best to this Rasika Ranjani Sabha in the years to come.
Rajappa
01-08-2017
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