A memory in B&W – Vidwan Lalgudi Jayaraman
It has been a grieving few weeks for the multitudinous fans of the maestro Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman.
While the grief phase might be somewhat on the wane, we presume many would still be reaching out somewhere for a few quick clips of the great man, or indulging in some quick minutes of a strapped life for a favorite portion of his music, or even doing a quick scan of news items to see what might have been missed out on his life.
It is sort of hard for a human to reconcile themselves to a situation on someone, who till just yesterday was such a living presence and who by some quirk turn of fate, we are now told, is no more.
While this writer has had no competency in going to the forum groups and rejoicing with the many astute Rasikas who linger there with their finer impressions of his playing, he did savor the few precious moments afforded to him as a young teen, when he could wander freely in the house armed with a somewhat effortless Kodak Brownie.
That simple contraption would yield for contemplation, half a century later, a couple of black @ white moments of frozen time (re-posted above) with the Vidwan in the company of the other giants - UKS, AR and some of “Parvathi's’ own elders held young by time. They had found themselves coming together on a particularly memorial Puja day dedicated to the Goddess Gayatri.
And then that momentary interlude, also framed in time, by the same teenager who happened to express a certain regret to the great man (having been mesmerized earlier by the violin play) that he had never been lucky in visiting the sacred Thiruvaiyyaru. He subsequently found himself gazing into two mirthful liquid pools that surprised him somewhat with their answer “Why don’t you come with me. Stay with me. I will look after you”.
Even after so many years, there never has been cause for doubt that those words were uttered by a man evolved in abject sincerity.
While the grief phase might be somewhat on the wane, we presume many would still be reaching out somewhere for a few quick clips of the great man, or indulging in some quick minutes of a strapped life for a favorite portion of his music, or even doing a quick scan of news items to see what might have been missed out on his life.
It is sort of hard for a human to reconcile themselves to a situation on someone, who till just yesterday was such a living presence and who by some quirk turn of fate, we are now told, is no more.
While this writer has had no competency in going to the forum groups and rejoicing with the many astute Rasikas who linger there with their finer impressions of his playing, he did savor the few precious moments afforded to him as a young teen, when he could wander freely in the house armed with a somewhat effortless Kodak Brownie.
That simple contraption would yield for contemplation, half a century later, a couple of black @ white moments of frozen time (re-posted above) with the Vidwan in the company of the other giants - UKS, AR and some of “Parvathi's’ own elders held young by time. They had found themselves coming together on a particularly memorial Puja day dedicated to the Goddess Gayatri.
And then that momentary interlude, also framed in time, by the same teenager who happened to express a certain regret to the great man (having been mesmerized earlier by the violin play) that he had never been lucky in visiting the sacred Thiruvaiyyaru. He subsequently found himself gazing into two mirthful liquid pools that surprised him somewhat with their answer “Why don’t you come with me. Stay with me. I will look after you”.
Even after so many years, there never has been cause for doubt that those words were uttered by a man evolved in abject sincerity.
In speaking of things “Parvathi”, ours has been a metaphor only to capture a certain era.
To some of us, the fortunate few, who were present then and who are present today amidst the newer generations, it provides for contrasts. The word ‘value’ has a certain value only when you can compare things in light of contrasts.
That such an era is passing us by, continuously, has come about more as reminders in recent times , as we have stood by in homage through these pages to a Parur M.S. Gopalkrishnan, a Vellore Ramabhadran, a beloved actor in Karnataka’s Vishnuvardhan or the V. Shantaram documentary producer winner M.V.Krishnaswamy. Also, included in this circle as a finger count have been some of Parvathi’s own members.
To some of us, the fortunate few, who were present then and who are present today amidst the newer generations, it provides for contrasts. The word ‘value’ has a certain value only when you can compare things in light of contrasts.
That such an era is passing us by, continuously, has come about more as reminders in recent times , as we have stood by in homage through these pages to a Parur M.S. Gopalkrishnan, a Vellore Ramabhadran, a beloved actor in Karnataka’s Vishnuvardhan or the V. Shantaram documentary producer winner M.V.Krishnaswamy. Also, included in this circle as a finger count have been some of Parvathi’s own members.
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The K. Puttu Rao tree – branching off into five generations
At home to the MahaSwamiji of Sringeri
