Skilful surrender

Two well-executed classical music and dance sequences showcased the talent of MSM students

The Mandir School of Music (MSM) presented their second annual performance in Canberra on 4 May, showcasing the talent of students under the tutelage of Mrs Ragini Santhanam, the school’s founder and principal.

The theme for this year’s program was Samarpanam - complete surrender to God To explain the concept of surrender is by no means easy, but with Ragini’s expert selection of two stories – that of Nala and Damayanthi from the Mahabharata, and of Saint Surdas – she explored the subject with skill.

The well-planned and executed evening began with an invocation to the gods, through little children reciting shlokas with accuracy and conviction. This was followed by a tableau depicting the story of Nala Damayanthi from the Mahabharata

The entire story was presented using well-decorated puppets, presented by beautiful young narrators and interjected with carefully chosen songs, notable being Swamy Thyagaraja’s cudera celulara in pantuvarali ragam

The second section began with a lilting dance on the song Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai, which showed the gopis succumbing to Krishna’s playfulness, losing themselves in his presence. It was also an apt prelude to the next and perhaps the most poignant part of the evening – the story of Saint Surdas. Ragini Santhanam played this lead part, narrating the story in hari katha style. It was an engaging kucheri with a string of kritis, interspersed with an equally captivating narration. Or perhaps it was the other way around!

“We loved the upanyasa about Surdas and his devotion to Lord Krishna,” said a member of the audience. “The performers did a wonderful job by combining beautiful songs like Bhajare gopalam, Hey Govinda hey Gopala, Nara jenma bandaga along with the katha Surdas came to life right in front of our eyes, we could feel his pain and also his bliss, when he was able

The well-planned and executed evening began with an invocation to the gods, through little children reciting shlokas with accuracy and conviction to see the Lord. It was a wonderful idea and in this fast moving world, when we all are so concerned with materialistic things, we need such kind of programs to stop us for a while, and to help us think about the direction and goal towards which we are travelling. And ending it with the beautiful bhajan Mhare ghar aao ji was like the cherry on top of the icing!”

The MSM began in Canberra by Mrs Ragini Santhanam in 2002, with the aim of promoting Carnatic music within the Canberra community. It has since grown and now boasts of students from all age groups with varying levels of competence. Along with classical music, Ragini Santhanam also teaches shlokas to those interested.

It is said that to learn you need perseverance, and to teach you need patience and temperament. Samarpanam was testimony to the fact that those skills are abundant in the MSM.

Radha Ravi

The second section began with a lilting dance on the song Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai, which showed the gopis succumbing to Krishna’s playfulness, losing themselves in his presence