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Long earlier the saint-composer came to beryllium venerated arsenic Purandaradasa (also known arsenic Sangeetha Pitamaha), helium was known arsenic Srinivasa Nayaka — a prosperous jeweller from Purandara Gada adjacent Hampi successful the 14th century. Popularly called Seenappa, helium inherited and expanded a thriving gem and jewellery business, amassing immense wealth. Yet, on with the prosperity came a estimation for utmost miserliness; foundation recovered small place, and devotion adjacent less.
The turning constituent successful his beingness came done a divine encounter. An aged mendicant repeatedly approached Seenappa astatine his store seeking alms but was refused each time. After months of persistence, the jeweller yet drove him distant successful anger. The mendicant past went to Seenappa’s house, wherever his woman Saraswathi Bai, moved by compassion, offered him her chemoreceptor ring. Soon after, the aforesaid ornament appeared successful Seenappa’s store erstwhile the mysterious visitor, disguised arsenic a affluent man, attempted to merchantability it to him.
A concatenation of miraculous events followed, revealing the visitant to beryllium nary different than Lord Vittala himself successful disguise. Overwhelmed with remorse, Seenappa renounced his riches and embraced the way of devotion nether the guidance of guru Vyasaraya, taking the sanction of Purandaradasa.
There were 14 performers with galore donning aggregate roles | Photo Credit: M. Srinath
His life, aft this transformation, became 1 of aggravated devotion and philharmonic outpouring. Purandaradasa is credited with systematising the basal lessons of Carnatic music, laying retired the graded exercises that beginners inactive follow. Tradition attributes an astonishing 4,75,000 compositions to him. His son, Madhvapathi, is said to person composed different 25,000, bringing the family’s devotional corpus to astir 5 lakh songs.
Within the Haridasa tradition, it is believed that Purandaradasa was an incarnation of sage Narada — calved to punctual the satellite that wealthiness is not life’s eventual pursuit.
A beingness retold connected stage
This singular beingness communicative recovered theatrical look successful Sri Bhagawan Panduranganin Purandaradasar, presented by Bombay Gnanam’s Arts Academy — an all-women play troupe. Featuring 14 performers, with galore donning aggregate roles, the accumulation drew connected Karnataka Bhakta Vijaya and references from Harikatha exponent, Vishaka Hari.
Music formed the affectional halfway of the production. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath
The play flowed seamlessly without blackouts, aided by Mohan Babu’s lighting plan — reds for interiors, yellows for outdoor scenes, and blues for nighttime oregon celestial moments. The accumulation plan was arsenic detailed: Seenappa’s store displayed jewellery-filled lockers and aged ledgers, portion the home abstraction featured metallic vessels successful the pooja room, lending authenticity to the play setting. Even subtle details — specified arsenic sandalwood paste smeared connected the hands of the aged Purandaradasa — revealed the attraction invested successful the ocular storytelling.
Costumes were cautiously referenced to bespeak the play setting, with jewellery ranging from gem-studded rings to armlets. Even smaller characters — soldiers, attendants, and servants — were performed with commitment.
An absorbing casting determination added different furniture of continuity to the narrative. The relation of the aged Purandaradasa was played by an 18-year-old performer, portion the younger Seenappa was portrayed by her parent Their earthy resemblance lent credibility to the modulation betwixt the 2 stages of the character. All the performers, based successful Chennai, spent 4 months preparing for the production, which besides marked the signifier debut for immoderate artistes.
Music formed the affectional halfway of the production. Familiar compositions, specified arsenic ‘Venkatachala nilayam’, ‘Jagadhodharana’, and ‘Tamboori meetidava’, were interwoven with lesser-heard pieces specified arsenic ‘Krishnamurthy’ (said to beryllium the archetypal opus helium composed), ‘Kunidado Krishna’, ‘Ninna bhagya doddadho’ and ‘Aparadhi nanalla’.
As the rubric of the play suggests, Lord Vittala repeatedly appears successful the communicative to usher the errant jeweller towards transformation.
The effect by the assemblage was enthusiastic, with galore singing along. It was fantastic to revisit the beingness of a composer whose works person enriched the Carnatic repertoire and proceed to disturbance rasikas.
