Guitarist Prasanna presents one of his USA-based sishyas

As the curtains went up at Bhavans in Mylapore on December 8 evening, the audience of about 100 people craned their necks - keen to identify a boy who sat beside the main artiste - guitarist R. Prasanna.

This was Prasanna's first concert of the 'season' ( the USA-based artiste who now lives in New York had skipped the last season). He had landed here, airport-hopping some 14 hours ago.

And now beside him was 12-year-old Raghav, one of his students who is based in Los Angeles. Raghav was jet-lagged but he accompanied his guru on a few songs and smiled lightly when he saw his parents, Ram and Vishnupriya in Row 1 and a fast-asleep sister!

Raghav has been learning Carnatic music for just over a year and since he decided to travel to India this December, Prasanna invited him to be on stage at Bhavans.

Bhavan's head, Ramaswamy felicitated Raghav with a ponnadai and gifted a Tirupati laddoo that had been sent to Ramaswamy by violinist Kanyakumari this 'prodosham' day.

There are more guitarists flying in to play this season. Prasanna's sishyas, all. Five in total.