This was Trip No.2 to Mambalam / T. Nagar.
And it was to the opening evening of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha's festival.
Driving through Pondy Bazaar we noticed that the lead stores are already gearing up for the mad, mad, mad New Year Sale - the pandals are up, the extra beam lights are fixed and the boards saying - Deepavali Sales - are coming down.
The Sabha's illumination made me wonder if it had got the Christmas spirit in - there were so many little lights all over!
We missed the grand nadaswaram recital, a must at all openings and sank into the cane chairs inside - I still think KGS has the best furniture that suits rasikas who want the music or dance to sink in! Old man Yagnaraman, the late legendary mover of this sabha used to tell me how he dealt with this small cane furniture maker in south Chennai.
Swamiji Sri Ganapati Sachidanandaswami was the chief guest - it was a first time introduction for me. And he looked cool and stayed cool when his turn for the anugrahabashyam came - calm, sensible and at peace. His one piece of advice - keep listening to music in life.
This was an evening to celebrate two dancers. Sashwati Sen, a Kathak great and Dr Ambika Kameshwar, dancer-teacher and more importantly, an artiste who has used her art to help less abled kids to enjoy music and dance by making them all engage with it.
The Nritya Choodamani and the Acharya Choodamani were given to these two artistes.
Present were Kathak great and Sen's guru, Pandit Birju Maharaj - the two have performed here many times - Padma Subrahmanyam and other guests.
Sen swung between emotion, joy and humour when it was her time to speak. Ambika though sounded more philosophical.
As it always happens at KGS' first evening, the dance community, though limited was in attendance. And the swamiji had his own set of followers.
And it was to the opening evening of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha's festival.
Driving through Pondy Bazaar we noticed that the lead stores are already gearing up for the mad, mad, mad New Year Sale - the pandals are up, the extra beam lights are fixed and the boards saying - Deepavali Sales - are coming down.
The Sabha's illumination made me wonder if it had got the Christmas spirit in - there were so many little lights all over!
We missed the grand nadaswaram recital, a must at all openings and sank into the cane chairs inside - I still think KGS has the best furniture that suits rasikas who want the music or dance to sink in! Old man Yagnaraman, the late legendary mover of this sabha used to tell me how he dealt with this small cane furniture maker in south Chennai.
Swamiji Sri Ganapati Sachidanandaswami was the chief guest - it was a first time introduction for me. And he looked cool and stayed cool when his turn for the anugrahabashyam came - calm, sensible and at peace. His one piece of advice - keep listening to music in life.
This was an evening to celebrate two dancers. Sashwati Sen, a Kathak great and Dr Ambika Kameshwar, dancer-teacher and more importantly, an artiste who has used her art to help less abled kids to enjoy music and dance by making them all engage with it.
The Nritya Choodamani and the Acharya Choodamani were given to these two artistes.
Present were Kathak great and Sen's guru, Pandit Birju Maharaj - the two have performed here many times - Padma Subrahmanyam and other guests.
Sen swung between emotion, joy and humour when it was her time to speak. Ambika though sounded more philosophical.
As it always happens at KGS' first evening, the dance community, though limited was in attendance. And the swamiji had his own set of followers.
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