Popular Ramadasu Keertanas – ‘Kanti Nedu’, ‘Pahi Rama’, ‘Bhavayae’, ‘Raavayya Bhadrachala’, ‘Charanamule’, ‘Nammina Vaarini’, ‘Pavane Rama’, ‘Paluke Bangara’, ‘Rama Chandraya’, ‘Kodanda Rama’, … will rent the air on Saturday 25 November 2023 from 9am onwards at Ravindra Bharathi at a programme organised by Sri Kodandapani Sangeetha Vidya Samstha jointly with Department of Culture, Govt. of Telangana in the ‘Antha Ramamayam’, Bhakta Ramadasu Keerthanas Prachara Yagnam.
Speaking exclusively to Natyahasini, the younger of the Sangeetha sisters, M Rajyalaxmi, says that this year ‘Antha Ramamayam’, which is always held in June, was delayed due to some issues, but is happy that it is being held now and it is in its eighth year. “The Bhakta Ramadasu, a revered poet of the state, has written many poems on Lord Rama and which need to be popularised in the state,” she says. Rajyalaxmi says that on the advice of Sri K V Ramanachary (Retd. IAS), now advisor to the Telangana government, they started the ‘Antha Ramamayam’ in 2016 and held music workshops on Ramadasu keertanas in 26 districts and also held competitions and declared first prizes as high as Rs. 10,000.
“In 2017, we took the Ramadasu compositions to 31 districts on a 45-day yatra. We also travelled to Malayasia in 2018 with this project. We also achieved a great success when we conducted Ramadasu keertanas on T-Sat Channel and completed 30 episodes,” she says. Sri Kodandapani grand daughter also shares that they were on Doordarshan belting Ramadasu keertanas last year and held an event on the poet in April this year.
Rajyalaxmi says that along with her elder sister, K Sangeetha, they have been organising the Ramadasu keertanas to encourage music. “There will be 10 groups, nine solos and three dance groups performing at the Ravindra Bharati this Saturday. The teams are from eight districts,” she says and adds that as recently as November 12, they held a music workshop. The Carnatic musicians pleads to the State Government to promote the saint poet’s poems in a dedicated manner and bring together music teachers and make a group to train and promote the rich Telangana poet’s poems.
Sharing the names of participants to the event, Rajyalaxmi says, they are: Ummadi Laxman Chary, Sankeerthana Music Academy, Warangal; Chintha Shiva Adinarayana, Bharathi Kuchipudi Dance Academy, Uppal, Hyderabad; Bhimsen Dhataram, Gayaka Academy, Nagole, Hyderabad; Bandi Sangeetha, Hanmakonda; Prathima Mandal, Sagarika Sangeetha Mandali, Chandanagar, Hyderabad; G Sarada Sagari, Kesavalahari House of Music, Malkajgiri, Hyderabad; T Chinni Krishna, Swararchana Music Academy, Warangal; K Veenadhari, Swararaaga Music Institute, Hyderabad; Srilalitha Chandrasekhar, Suswara Sangeetha Vedika, Gachibowli, Hyderabad; Narayana Murthy, Sri Kodandapani Sangeetha Vidya Samstha, Ramnagar, Hyderabad; Rajyalaxmi, Radhika Music & Dance Academy, Saroornagar, Hyderabad; Vasavi Kumar Rayaprolu, Khairatabad, Hyderabad; Pakala Ramadevi, Nataraja Kuchipudi Dance Academy, Vanasthalipuram, Hyderabad.
The Carnatic musician says that V Sridhara Chary on Mridangam and Kumara Swamy on Tabla will lend support to the artists on the day, while K Bharatesh will be piecing together the event.
The Guests for the event include: Dr. S Venugopala Chary, Chairman TSIDC; Mamidi Harikrishna, Director, Dept. of Culture, Govt. of Telangana; Sanem Srinivas Goud, TPCC Secretary, Rajendra Nagar; Gunna Rajender Reddy, Chairman, Gandhi Global Family; Krishnaveni, Retd. Addl. Secy. to Govt. of Telangana.