The 97th Vardhanthi and 64th Vardhanthi of legendary gurus Susarla Dakshina Murthy and Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu who produced a large number of disciples who are shining in the field of Carnatic music, were celebrated with devotional fervour by their sishya prasishyas at the Government Music College auditorium, Vijayawada for five days.
On the morning of the first day the sishya prasishyas went in a procession and offered prayers to the sadgurus and garlanded the statue of Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu situated near Alankar complex. In the evening mini concerts were rendered by Lakshmi Tejaswi, Ch. Santi and J. Annapoorna. The vocal concert by vidwan Modumudi Sudhakar was the major one on the first day. Sudhakar, a music producer and composer in Vijayawada Akashvani sports a powerful voice and sound manodharmam. He sang Swamini Vedaga in Sourashtra, a Balamurali composition in praise of praising his guru Parupalli. Sudhakar sumptuously rendered the main item Paramatmudu in Vagadheeswari with efficient alapana and swaras. He was well supported on violin and mridangam by S. Nataraja Murthy and B.V.S. Prasad respectively.
B.V. Durga Bhavani, a senior staff artiste in Vijayawada Akashvani played an attractive violin solo concert playing Raghunayaka in Hamsadhvani and Neekela dayaradu in Sarasangi as major items in her melodious concert. K. Sadgurucharan lent her fine mridangam support. Earlier junior concerts were rendered by K. Madhavi, V.R.K.Vidya, P. Hymavathi (veena) and talented M. Srutiranjani who sang with considerable merit. The junior concerts on the third day were rendered by K. Lohita Datta, M.V. Seshurani, a senior singer of Guntur and Hemadri Chandrakanth who all sang reasonably well. B.V.Durga Bhavani’s vocal was the highlight on the third day. She rendered Sri Gayatri (Valaji), Saraswathi Namosthuthe in Saraswathi raga and as the main item. Bhavani rendered a beautiful composition of GNB in Subhapantuvarali. P. Balasubramanyam gave good support on the mridangam.
The junior concerts were presented by R.V. Gayatridevi, G. Somadatta, R. Ahalya and G. Satish Babu. A. Meenakshe came all the way from U.S. to participate in the guru aradhana and rendered her concert meritoriously. Durgabhavani and Balasubramanyam gave her able support on violin and mridangam respectively.
Another good concert was rendered by teenager Kommajosyula Alekha, daughter of mridanga vidwan Sadgurucharan. Alekha showed sound manodharmam knowledge while rendering her main item Ma Janaki Chetapattaga of Thyagaraja in Kambhoji impressively. She was supported on the mridangam by her father Sadgurucharan.
Dronendra Phanikumar also showed considerable merit in his melodious flute concert. There were also group singing sessions by the students of Anjana Sudhakar and Annapoorna. The Pancharatna brinda ganam was another highlight of the festival. The final concert of the five-day event was a sumptuous violin concert by veteran violinist and senior disciple of Parupalli, Annavarapu Ramaswami supported by his disciples Durga Bhavani, Chandrakanth and Satishbabu. Sadgurucharan gave fine support to the violin ensemble on mridangam.
