BENGALURU: As many as 2,000 vainikaas (veena maestros and artists) came together at The Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru on Saturday, to give the city a taste of music that enthralled the audience at the recently-concluded World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna.
A mega stage: The artistes from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka performed at the Naadotsav organized as part of the 35th year celebrations of The Art of Living. Some of the exponents from Karnataka were Revathi Sadashivam, Anuradha Madhusudhan, Shanti Rao, and Vidwan RK Padmanabha.
"Vidvan Puddukotai Krishnamurthygaru, Vidwan Ayyagari Syamasundaram, and Vidushi 'Veena Paani' Eemani Kalayani from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; Uma Maheshwari, Karaikkudi Shanthi Mahesh and Ramani Dharamaraja from Tamil Nadu; and Professor S Balambal from Kerala played at the event," a press note said.
Among the concert featured the Mayura Veena, which can be totally dismantled and packed in a small box - a 175-year-old instrument used by Dr. Srivathsa.
While the youngest vainika was 10 years of age, the oldest was more than 80, the release said.
"To have 2,000 veenas playing together at a time like this is almost impossible, it is incredible that AOL has taken up such an incredible feat. We have been preparing to play at the event for over six months now. Such events bring in so much enthusiasm among artists and students. The concert has brought veena to the world," the statement quoted Prof S Balambal as saying.
AOL spokesperson Dinesh Ghodke said in the statement that Bengaluru replicated well the enthusiasm seen at the World Cultural Festival-Delhi which saw over 36,000 artists from all over the world. "This is in sync with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's vision of uniting people through culture," he added.
Courtesy: The Times of India
