Celebrating Indian Classical Arts: SPICMACAY’s 9th International Convention at IIT Madras
SPIC MACAY — Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth — organized its 9th International Convention at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Chennai from May 20 to May 26, 2024. It was a week-long festival of Indian culture where more than 1,500 culturally inclined delegates and volunteers gathered.
The schedule of the convention is such that a person is kept completely isolated from the digital world and gets an outlook on Indian culture, heritage, and ethics as they interact with the greatest artists at close quarters. Activities at the convention range from classical music & dance concerts, folk performances, crafts workshops, cinema screenings, heritage walks, shramdaan, early morning yoga (4 am) and holistic food. The idea of organizing the convention is to contrive a unique ashram-like atmosphere to leave a deep impact on the new generation. This six-day event was not only a deep dive into the world of Indian classical arts but also a journey of self-discovery and digital detox.
Inaugural Ceremony: An event of Grandeur
“The inauguration started as soon as we entered the SAC (Students’ Activity Centre) with a Nadhaswaram performance by Vid. Seshampatti Sivalingamji, which gave the feeling of being in a temple premises. Then the famous film ‘Gandhi’ by Sir Richard Attenborough was screened, where I could see for the first time the careful steady steps taken by the father of our nation for independence. The following an insightful discussion by Dr. A. Annamalaiji, director of the National Gandhi Museum of Delhi on the same theme.
Later in the evening, there were the guests — Prof. V. Kamakoti ji, Director of IIT Madras hosting the Honourable Governor of Tripura and the Maestro Shri Ilayarajaji. Together they inaugurated the Maestro Ilaiyaraaja Centre for Music Learning and Research, proposed to be constructed out of bamboo within the campus. The Director emphasized the importance of creativity in music and how it is related to other professions, while also applauding SPIC MACAY’s initiative to expose this to the youth of the country.
Finally, we had a Bharatanatyam performance by Dr. Padma Subrahmanyamji and a flute recital by Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasiaji.
The grace with which ma’am had entered the stage and begun her dance was so captivating, given her ripe old age. The use of a lot of abhinaya introduced me to a different portrayal of the same art form. The latter’s efforts to play the flute so melodiously despite his age and health condition inspired me of the artist’s determination that lights up the fire in them throughout life” Sudhiksha describes, as she reminisces about the star-studded inauguration of the convention.
Bhadresh, giving a glimpse of the wonderful evening, adds “Vidushi Padma Subrahmanyam’s Bharatanatyam performance was beautiful! She
proved that dance could add a different dimension to stories. You could feel her dedication in every step like she was living the dance. Her expressions mirrored the character’s emotions perfectly, from joy to sorrow! For instance, there was this part where she performed as Ganesha, She played this part so beautifully that I was able to imagine Ganesha himself showing the same childlike expressions and emotions! Vidushi Padma’s dance wasn’t just a performance — she took us on a magical journey.
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia’s flute performance was simply mesmerizing. Despite his age showing in the continuous trembling of his hands, his music kept us hooked throughout. He was supported by two other flute artists and a tabla artist. Seated on the stage, we were immersed in the beauty of their tunes. What I loved the most was how he allowed members of the audience who were proficient in flute to join in. It was a genuine celebration of music, filled with warmth and encouragement. This was the first time I attended a Flute concert, and I’m happy it had to be this way!”
Nihal, reliving the moment, exclaims “The Bharatnatyam performance was astounding to me, especially the scene where she enacted a statue slowly turning towards a bhakta. She did this with such expertise that it looked as if there was a still statue figure on the stage!”
A Peek into the Daily Schedule
A typical day in the convention starts with a morning session of Daily Yoga from 4–7 AM. The attendees are taught to practice Yoga early in the morning at the time of Brahma Muhurat, which helps a person stay physically fit, mentally alert, and emotionally stable. The 3-hour yoga practice was very refreshing, and everyone felt energetic enough to continue with the rest of the day’s schedule. We were all to follow a holistic meal plan carefully designed to cater to the needs for healthy functioning throughout the day and were strictly advised not to take any outside food which would destroy the purpose of the sadhana being followed for the entire week.
After the Yoga sessions, we used to have Shramdan for 10–15 minutes where we were supposed to clean the premises. After shramdan, we would freshen up and have a holistic breakfast and then continue with our intensive workshops.
Later we proceed to Yog Nidra, it is a technique where you consciously relax every part of your body, guided by someone. This was supposed to give the body and mind the benefits of sleeping for many hours. Soon after Yog Nidra, concerts would begin and continue till night with a dinner break in the evening. Two sets of performances took place; one from 2–5 pm and one from 6–9:30 pm. These concerts were an eye-opener for many youngsters to the vast and rich culture of Indian traditional music, art, and theatre.
Mornings of Tranquility: Yoga and Meditation Sessions
Among the various brances of yoga , one is Hatha yoga that emphasizes physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), and purification practices to prepare the body and mind for deeper meditation. The practice aims to create harmony between the body and mind, enhancing physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual growth.
Recounting his experience of the Hatha yoga session by Swami Tyagrajanand Saraswati, Vaibhav, says “We began the practice by chanting
mantras to help the mind and body reach a healthy state. Then slowly we
moved into asanas which were very simple to perform yet each one carried
deep significance to the foundations of Hatha yoga. From there, we dwelled on practices that help in improving the different glands and organs of the
Endocrine and Nervous system. After the physical postures, we were taught
bhajans, and toward the end of each session, we practiced Pranayama with
some knowledge of different mudras which have a profound effect on the
energy flow of the body.”
Divya adds “During Hatha yoga sessions, different yoga asanas and pranayamas were taught. Our guru taught us mantras in the beginning followed by meditation. We practiced Surya Namaskar every day. Later on, we had small Bhajans. It helped us to stay focused and energized throughout the day.”
Meera expresses how the sessions were fun with an energetic atmosphere, engaging way of teaching, and peaceful rest time, recalls “The session concluded with music which was part of Bhakti Yog, where the Swamiji taught us bhajans and small catchy songs that the Swamijis themselves had made for young people. The energy of an entire auditorium singing along with him, his harmonium, and a mridangam was an experience by itself. You might think that three hours of yoga would be tiring, but it was in fact the opposite — I liked how energized we all were after this whole process”.
Bhadresh, speaking about things that interested him, says “..there was this one pranayama called the Brahmana Pranayama, in which we close our ears with our index finger and hum at exhalation. After doing this, I felt very refreshed. The session would start off with shlokas, like tryambakam yajamahe, and then move on to some asanas. We also performed Surya namaskar, at various speeds and we recited many shlokas and fun songs with deep philosophy embedded in them, as part of the Yoga practice, during which we had a lot of fun.”
“Swami told us that doing yoga in the auspicious time of “Brahma Muhurt” increases concentration and gives clarity of thought in whatever activity we do. The most awaited part of the Yoga sessions was the short bhajans taught by Swami accompanied by a mridangam artist, where he taught some devotional bhajans and also some bhajans which were fun. The tune associated with the bhajan is very catchy and it quickly became a source of laughter among the IndicSense group. All in all, I really enjoyed the Hatha Yog sessions and I always felt refreshed and concentrated doing other activities during the day. I wish to adapt these yoga techniques in my day-to-day life too.” says Sundar.
Another is Naad Yoga, often referred to as the yoga of sound, which is a meditative practice deeply embedded in the principles of Ayurveda. The word “Nada” translates to sound, and this ancient discipline involves the use of various sonic elements to achieve physical, mental, and spiritual balance.
Varuna, who attended Naad Yoga by Ustad Wasifuddin Dagarji, says “The day commenced with Naad Yoga at 4:00 AM, akin to meditation, involves repeating phrases sung by the guru, harmonizing with the Shruti (tonal pitch) to create a soulful and joyous experience.”
Sudhiksha, attended meditation sessions by sisters from the Brahmakumaris and Carnatic music by Vid. Malladi Suri Babuji in the early morning session, recounts her experience “ From 4 to 5:30 am we had sessions in Carnatic music by Vid. Malladi Suri Babuji, along with his disciples, taught us basic swaras and a few simple and beautiful songs. During the course of five days, even those who weren’t interested in music found themselves singing with enthusiasm. From 5:30 to 7 am we had meditation sessions by sisters from the Brahmakumaris. The fact was that we weren’t doing meditation all the time, rather we were exposed to the life benefits and changes brought about by meditation, and how to quieten and train the mind to become a better person, use the thousands of thoughts in our head productively and utilize manifestation for success. The above two sessions motivated me to wake up at 3:30 each day, despite the difficulties involved in surviving with just 4 hours of sleep”.
Intensive workshops
Dhrupad by Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar
Dhrupad is the one of the oldest form of Indian classical music, dating back to the chanting style of the sacred Sama Veda. Some of the best performers of this art at present hail from the Dagar family where Ustad F Wasifuddin Dagarji belongs. He is a modern vocal master, blending patient phrases with fine rhythmic control and effortless elasticity. Having performed at various centers around the world, he was honored with the Padma Shri in 2010.
Nihal sharing his memories about Wasifddin Dagar Ji, says “To me what made these 3 hours of intensive sessions extremely enjoyable was more of Wasifuddin ji than the art form itself. He was so skilled he sounded more like an instrument than a person. I absolutely loved how he spent all of the break time during the intensive session telling us all the cool things about classical music that he knew. He discussed various topics ranging from the sacredness of each note in music to the nature of raagas to spark interest towards classical art forms in us ”
Having heard of Dhrupad a couple of times before, Meera, a student of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Music for 13 years, says she always wanted to explore Dhrupad further and the convention paved the way for it. “I was very excited about the intensive. To add to my excitement, we were being taught by Padma Shri Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, who comes from a 20-generation-long line of Dhrupad masters! times, he said many thought-provoking things about how music is perceived. He beautifully said that we breathe life into a note, and it gives us life back. He spoke about how just as a pretty sunrise or distant trees can’t physically touch us, but give us the feeling of being touched, so does music. I returned with a strong sense of inspiration to continue learning music, and I could see that a similar mark had been left on the friends I had with me too.” recalls Meera, as she narrates her experience.
Varuna, a Carnatic music student, adds, “My intensive focus during the convention was on Dhrupad, under the guidance of Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar. Finding a teacher for Dhrupad is a rarity, making this opportunity incredibly special.”
Santhana Srinivasan, recalling his week-long journey of learning dhrupad, says “From seeing the word ‘Dhrupad’, a week ago at the convention without a clue about it, to making a presentation of 2 songs in a hall of 100 people is possible because of guruji’s quality and determined teaching. His love for this music form is expressed in his way of singing and teaching it. He also has a very good humor sense. He is also ready to teach after class hours. And also besides music he taught us lessons about life and our way of thinking.”
Bhadresh, a student of Kuchipudi and Carnatic music for 5 years, vividly recalls “Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar Ji gave us a very fresh perspective to Indian classical music, Dhrupad in particular. He also ensured that we got comfortable with the raga, pitch and taal before we went ahead to singing songs. For the first 2 days, we only sang swaras in the raga. Once this was done, we moved on to singing the 1st song we learned, named Anu Dhruth Virama. We practiced this song for the next one and a half sessions, after which sir thought that we could do another song, which got all of us pumped! The other song is ‘Mero Mana Ati Ulhas’ and it was slightly trickier for us to get it right. Once we were done with this as well, we worked on the transitions between the swaras. We had a lot of fun overall, and these sessions will forever be etched in my mind.”
Carnatic Vocal by Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan
One of the oldest and richest classical music traditions in the world, Carnatic vocal music has a deep-rooted history that is several centuries old. With its complex melodies, and improvisational nature, it has presented to us several Bhakti-filled compositions through eminent vocalists that take us to the zenith of devotion. One among them is Vidwan Neyveli Santhanagopalanji, who has distinguished himself with numerous concerts worldwide, and with his traditional and purist style of rendering ragas.
As Yogesh reflects on his learning adventure, he says “A person like me who did not even know the ‘C’ of ‘Classical Music” prior to this convention was able to match swaras of Carnatic Music with other students. All thanks to my guru Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan Sir who delightedly taught each and every student in the Carnatic vocals classroom. On the last day, all the intensive students presented what they had learned in these 5 days and we presented 3 bhajans named 1. Sri Gananatham Bhajre by Shri Muthuswami Dikshitar, 2. Paluke Bangaramaye by a very famous Carnatic poet Bhadrachala Ramdasa and 3. Kapi Tillana by Dr. M.D.Ramanathan.” He says he is indeed grateful to SPICMACAY, as he delved into the world of Carnatic music for the first time.
Vaibhav, a Carnatic music student for 8 years expresses how grateful he is to be allotted to the Carnatic Vocal Intensive by Neyveli Shri Santhanagopalan ji, “It was amazing to see the delegates who did not have a background in Carnatic music learn the kirtan taught by the guru and practice them following the perfect nuances as instructed with such joy on their faces. Having previously learned Carnatic music I had the opportunity to revisit the basics and also enjoyed the process and always encouraged participation from the diverse crowd present. He was very receptive to the doubts asked and had mentioned multiple times that he was delighted with the participation and how fast the students had learned the songs in 3 days.” he further adds with contentment.
intensive had the opportunity to interact with Shri Neyveli Shri Santhanagopalan ji
Hindustani Vocal by Ustad Raja Miyan
A large subset of the ocean of Indian classical music, Hindustani vocal music distinguished itself from its Carnatic counterpart due to Persian influences. It is taught in schools called gharanas and has acclaimed immense popularity in India and over the world. From the Agra Gharana hails Ustad Ghulam Husnain Khan popularly known as Ustad Raja Miyanji, one of the foremost disciples of Padma Bhushan Late Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan. He is considered the torchbearer of the music of Agra Gharana.
Divya, who studied Carnatic music for 13 years, narrating her experience with the Hindustani vocal workshop, says “During the intensive, we were taught from the basics. Our guru started with Raga Bhairav. He explained a small theory about ragas saying that there are Morning Ragas, Evening Ragas, and Night Ragas. In raga bhairav, we learned ‘aroha’ and ‘avaroha’, then moved on to some alankaras to get a good hold of all the Swaras. Later on, we were taught a Bandish and a small Sargam in it. On the last day, we all presented it on stage.”
Sundareswar who had no prior experience in Hindustani music, recalls “It was a fresh experience. Our guru stressed the fact that discipline in learning music was very important and that he is now what he is because of years of practice. He also said that classical music in India needs to be encouraged more amongst the youth. He taught us a small composition, also called a ‘Bandish’ with an underlying meaning that all gods are the same, may it be Ram or Raheem. It was set to Raag Bhairav and sung in Teen Taal (a beat cycle that repeats itself every 16 beats). Ustad first sang the Bandish to us before teaching us. I was amazed to see how Ustad focused on one word and sang it in many different ways while using different swaras each time and modulating his voice. It was a pleasure to hear him sing the Aalap followed by the Bandish, while always being in sync with the beats of the Tabla.”
Terracotta workshop by Shri. V.K. Munusamy
Terracotta is a clay-based ceramic material. It is easier to make artifacts from it due to some of its unique properties. On firing, it acquires the iconic reddish tint that everyone can relate to. An expert in making terracotta artifacts is Padma Shri (2020) Shri V.K. Munusamyji. He is well known for his tallest terracotta horse 17.5 feet tall, installed at Chennai’s American International School.
Sudhiksha recalls vividly “From 9 am to 12 noon I attended the Terracotta workshop by Shri. V.K. Munusamyji from Puducherry. Despite his achievements, he was very humble and gave his individual attention to each student at least once every day, while providing valuable words of advice for life. No matter how we made artifacts out of the clay, he appreciated the unique beauty in each of them. Those sessions were memorable and relieving, making it easy to forget the outer world.”
A few notes on the enchanting performances
Violin concert by Vidushi A Kanyakumari
“Having attended a few of her previous concerts, I was especially looking
forward to this one and she did not fail to amaze me. After two songs I was
very much in awe and later when she played one of my favorite songs
“Chinnanjiru kiliye” I had chills down my spine. The performance was so
effortless and captivating that I did not want it to end so quickly even though it had already crossed the prescribed time limit. I was really lost for words after that performance”- Vaibhav
“One of my favourite performance is the violin concert by Vidushi Kanyakumari. Her accompanists were having so much fun on stage that it was impossible not to have fun with them. She took us on a ride that ranged from lightning-speed intelligent phrases that changed Ragams every few seconds, to classic songs that everyone could relate to — and the rest of her team joined her in this without missing a beat (quite literally).”- Meera
Baul Sangeet by Vid. Parvathy Baul
“In a world filled with noise and distractions, the haunting melodies of the Bauls serve as a gentle reminder of the beauty and simplicity that lie at the heart of existence. As the concert came to an end, the echoes of the Baul Sangeet resonated with my heart, leaving a lasting impression.”- Divya
“Baul Sangeet-Vid.Parvathy Baul, a truly amazing, captivating, and astounding performance. There are no words to express this. What a fantastic performance. The ektara, a single-stringed instrument, drum, a type of tabla, ankle bells in her legs, music, and dance were all included in the performance. Since her performance took place on the day of Buddha Purnima, I feel extremely fortunate. After her performance, there was total quiet for a few minutes since nobody had emotionally recovered.”- Santhana Srinivasan
“For me, this was the most awe-inspiring performance in the convention. Vid. Parvathy was playing an ektara with one hand (one-stringed instrument), a dugga (drum) with the other and keeping the rhythm with her ankle bells, all while singing and dancing straight from her heart. The music, which comes from a long tradition of Baul Saints believed to have started with Shiva, was both deeply peaceful and very intense at the same time. She paused now and then, still strumming the ektara quietly, to tell us stories of the Bauls before her. Her multitasking would have required such amounts of skill and practice; but what was even more impressive was the way she got completely involved in her music, and took us along with her.”-Meera
Veena concert by Vidushi Jayanthi Kumaresh
“The exciting veena concert by Vidushi Jayanthi Kumaresh. In my opinion she is just a wonderful and skilled teacher-like person. I loved how she took the time to explain raagas etc.. in the most layman’s way possible. She explained how if u look at different notes of music as colours and each of the Rs, Gs, etc.. as shades of the respective colours (like all the Rs as one colour, but one duller than the other), it is very obvious that a set/raaga that consists of all brighter shades will give a much different feeling than the set which consists of much duller shades, thus a nature for a raaga is born. She didn’t just stop here though she then continued on and explained the beauty of ornamentation (gamak etc..) of notes, and how it made the entire piece more Beautiful.”- Nihal
“This performance was no short of magical. The beautiful veena played by the most humble and talented artist, Jayanthi Kumaresh Ma’am. She started the concert with a composition and then went on the to explain the difference variations of the swara ‘G’ using the analogy of bright and dull colours. She made music sound so simple to the audience. This made me listen to the concert with more concentration trying to identify the dull and bright swaras and ragas. As she proceeded to the main piece of the concert, she beautifully explained Thaanam and Gamakam with the help of examples. Thaanam was the on-spot improvisation, exploring the vast and rich beauty of the raga using swaras. She compared the swaras of the raga with colours and said that an artist paints the picture using these colours, that is the Aalap.” — Sundar
“Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan’s sitar performance was truly mind blowing. He effortlessly played a variety of songs, showcasing his mastery despite the sitar’s complexity — it has a lot of strings. The instrument sounded incredibly peaceful, something I visualized and related to a waterfall of swaras. He played quite a few familiar songs that all of us enjoyed vibing to. Overall, Khan’s performance was a serene yet powerful experience, leaving the audience in awe of his musical finesse and the tranquil beauty of his music.”- Bhadresh
“One of my favorite performances during the evening sessions was Pung Cholom on day 2 of the convention, a Manipuri classical dance by Shri Khumukcham Romendro Singh and his troupe. First, the group started with a prayer, which involved singing and blowing the Moibung (conch-wind instrument). Once the prayer was over, the 2 main percussion instruments for the performance, were the pung (2-faced drum) and the Kartal (Manipuri cymbal). It was an incredible display of singing, drumming, and dancing simultaneously. Towards the end of the performance, the artists took it up a notch with their acrobatic dance moves while also playing the drum, It was truly a sight to behold.”- Vaibhav
“Singhi Chamm, performed by Shri Chabilal Pradhan and his team, was a show unlike any I had seen before. It featured two fluffy and cute snow lions, each controlled by two people from within, and a skilled performer who tamed these life-like beasts. The attention to detail was incredible — the snow lions looked stunningly real in appearance and in their movements. The performers made the snow lion move exactly like an actual animal, all whilst being blind in an uncomfortable position! The way the shepherd character led the snow lions down the stage was hilarious yet mesmerizing, keeping everyone on their toes and away from their seats. It added a playful touch to the whole show. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Singhi Chamm. It wasn’t just about the impressive puppetry and the realistic portrayal of the snow lions. It’s performances like these that make live theatre such a joyous and unforgettable experience.”- Bhadresh
“The Koodiyattam performance by Shri Margi Madhu Chakkiyarji and his team was a slow yet amazing portrayal of a scene from the Mahabharata when, during the time of exile of the Pandavas, one day Draupadi finds a beautiful flower and requests Bhima to gather more such flowers, and Bhima overcomes many challenges on the way to acquire them. The powerful expressions of the eye during each moment, and the careful use of the mizhavu (drum) to express different emotions, were remarkable.
The last and final concert was Dhrupad by Ustad Wasifuddin
Dagarji. His slow rendition at the beginning that culminated in a rapid one at the end (which sounded more Carnatic to me) gave the impression of how one should proceed to perfection — slow, extremely patient, careful steps in the beginning, ending with the loud and quick triumph of success.”- Sudhiksha
9th International Convention of SPIC MACAY staged many such wonderful performances like Hindustani vocal by Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, Vidushi Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, and melodious Carnatic vocal concerts by Vidwan Neyveli Santhanagopalan, Vidushi Sudha Raghunathan where she got the notably got the audience to sing Raghupathi Raghav bhajan during the overnight concert. Along with remarkable Gurbani by Dr Alankar Singh and team, Qawwali by the Warsi brothers and team, “Kanupriya” — a Manipuri dance by Dr Ratan Thiyam and team, Carnatic Violin concert by Vidwan Lalgudi GJR Krishnan, beautiful village play-“Charandas Chor” by Habib Tanvi’s Naya, Theatre Puppetry led by Shri Sudeep Gupta where life-like puppets came together to make stories, amazing Kathak performance by Vidushi Sunayana Hazarilal, vibrant Kabir Gayan by Shri Kaluram Bamaniya and many more…
We are glad to mention that a team of six from the IndicSense contingent (Meera, Bhadresh, Saarang, Nihal, Santhana Srinivasan, Sundar) helped to coordinate the transportation for people coming from railway stations, airport, and bus stops to attend the convention at IIT Madras. Guided by the SPIC MACAY state coordinators Sunitha Raghavan ma’am and Aditya Rangan anna, we worked to confirm the arrival train numbers and arrival times from all the participating institutions and individuals. We received them at their respective stations and made sure that all the participants were accommodated with transport till the venue, IIT Madras. During both arrival and departure, we communicated with hundreds of delegates, college students, and school student groups coming from all over India ( somewhere between 600 and 900 people, maybe even more).
Thus an unforgettable week at IIT Madras came to an end with many mesmerizing performances and great learning experiences that are worthy to be cherished and treasured for the entire lifetime. The essence of Indian music and arts has left an everlasting impression on us. We found ourselves immersed in the beauty and depth of Indian music and arts, creating lasting memories and inspiring a newfound respect and admiration for these timeless traditional Indian art forms.
— by IndicSense contingent, SPIC MACAY’s 9th international convention
( ME23B1029 — C R SUNDARESWAR, EC23B1036 — APPANA NIHAAL, EC23I2016 — YOGESH M.MUNDLE, CS23I1014 — BHADRESH L, ME23B2006 — SUDHIKSHA KANNAN, EC23I2014 — SATHVIK REDDY E, CS23I1065 — SANTHANA SRINIVASAN R, ME23B1039 — VARUNA A K, EC23B1009 — THIYAR KOMALA DIVYAA, EC23B1060 — MEERA KRISHNASHANKAR
ME20B2030 — R VAIBHAV SRINIVAS, EC23B1102 — MADHAMSHETTY SATHVIKA )
