Mylapore Festival kicks off with Concert in the Park

Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2010 kicked off on Thursday morning (21st January) with the concert in the park at 630am.

Accompanied on the Violin by Parur M.K. Ananth Lakshmi and on the Mridangam: V.Santhana Gopalakrishnan, three eighth class students S. Shyam Prasad(Vidya Mandi), S. Vijay Ganesh (DAV) and S. Maleshar Sastri (Sivasamy Kalalaya) presented the kutcheri.

All three of them are learning music from Guru Smt. Lakshmi Krishnaswamy

Their presentation of songs included Muthuswami Deekshidhar’s Gajananaytham( Chakravaham- Aadhi), Bharathiyar’s Muruga Muruga ( Bhageshree- Aadhi), Thyagarajar’s Bhajanaseyavey (Kalyani-Roopakam and Madurai Sundarambal’s Aaru Padai Veedu ( Ragamaligai- Aadhi).

TT Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and handed over mementos and certificates to the performing artistes.


Sundaram Finance audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes to perform at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

For audition, email sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Sruthi Ranjani's Kutcheri marks Four Years of Sunday Kutcheri

Sruthi Ranjani impresses in the Margazhi edition of the Sunday Kutcheri


It was 545am on this chilly margazhi morning. It was still dark.

The flower decoration at the chess square of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore welcomed the young M. Sruthi Ranjani, the 14 year old student of The Hindu Senior Secondary School, who arrived with her parents all excited ahead of her first mikeless Kutcheri.

It was also a milestone at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park series. Sruthi Ranjani’s lively mikeless Kutcheri marked the completion of four years of Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance.

Over 250 Participants


Launched in the first week of February 2006 with a Group Kutcheri by over 10 Vishwa Vidyalaya Students from Vandalur, Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park has served as a platform for over 250 children aged below 15 years to display their musical talent. Mikes and Speakers are not used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park. Several children for whom the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park was the first Kutcheri have gone on to greater heights during these four years.

There have also been a few overseas children who have participated in this series. In addition to vocal carnatic music kutcheri, one has also seen solo violin performances, keyboard presentations and Veena recital as well in these four years.

Accompanied by G. Karthikeyan on the Violin and T.R.S. Manikandan on the Mridangam, Sruthi Ranjani began with Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar’s Vanajaakshi( Kalyani-Aadhi).

Sruthi's Presentation


Sruthi Ranjani’s presentation of songs such as Deekshidhar’s MahaGanapathim( Nattai- Eka), Thyagarajar’s Aadda Modi Galade (Chaarukesi –Aadhi), Papanasam Sivam’s Idathu Padam (Kamas-Aadhi) and Chidambara Deekshithar’s Kandavarku (Kunthala Varali - Aadhi) drew much appreciation from early morning audience that had gathered around the Chess Square.

Her presentation of MuthuSwamy Deekshithar’s Venkatachalapathe (Karnataka Kapi- Aadhi ) had the audience tapping in to her music.

Sruthi finished her first mikeless Kutcheri with Purandara Dasa’s Tamboori Meeti Thara (Revathi-Aadhi).

Sruthi Ranjani is learning music from Smt. Vimala Parthasarathy.

TT Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and handed over mementos and certificates to the performing artistes.

Sundaram Finance audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes to perform at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

For audition, email sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Ravi Narayanan presents a lively Mikeless Sunday Kutcheri

It is 530am on a chilly Sunday morning in December. The Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore, Madras is already buzzing with activity. It is the first Sunday of the month and we are just an hour away from the start of the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park, an event organised by Sundaram Finance, that provides a platform for young children aged below 15 years to perform in an informal park setting.

By 6am, one could see the OB van of NDTV Hindu parked on the Luz Church Road, with their young reporter making all the arrangements and getting the satellite link with their studio in Perungudi, for the Channel to go live to audiences around the city.

Ravi Narayanan, a class IX student of Hindu Senior Secondary School, Indira Nagar walked in with his parents and the Violin and Mridangam artistes.

By 630am, the Kutcheri regulars had taken their seats on the stools around the Chess Square. And it was time for Ravi to present his first mikeless Kutcheri.The morning walkers too joined in after their walk to listen to the carnatic music performance.


Over the next hour, 14 year old Ravi presented some of popular compositions such as Syama Sastrigal’s Himadri Suthe (Kalyani- Rupakam), Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Hiranmayim (Lalitha-Rupakam), Mysore Vasudevacharya’s Mamavatu (Hindolam-Aadhi) and Papanasam Sivam’s Sri Ganesha (Thilang- Aadhi) that drew a big round of applause from the park audience.


NDTV Hindu features the Kutcheri LIVE


At around 715am, Ravi’s Kutcheri was put on hold for a few tense minutes as the NDTV correspondent introduced the Sunday Kutcheri concept and shortly after Ravi’s debut mikeless Kutcheri went live on NDTV Hindu to audiences across Madras. It was a big moment for Ravi and he handled admirably the pause in the momentum, that he had gathered over the last 45minutes, and recaptured the flow of the Kutcheri as the audience tapped into once again into his ragams.

One could also hear the morning walkers chatting about Ravi’s impressive performance.

Malaysian Visitor

Impressed with the performance of the artiste, Mr. Vasu Subrahmanyam, a resident of Malaysia, who had come to the Nageswara Rao Park to watch this early morning Kutcheri said, “The carnatic music performance of young Ravi Narayanan this morning has made our visit to Chennai all the more memorable. This mikeless Sunday Kutcheri in the Park concept is an excellent platform for budding musical artistes.”

Ravi Narayanan, who is learning music from Sri Thiruvarur S Ganeshan, was accompanied by Ms. Satya Mohan on the Violin and R.Venimadhavan on the Mridangam.

TT Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and handed over mementos and certificates to the performing artistes.

Organised since February 2006 on the first Sunday of every month between 630am and 730am, Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park provides a platform for children aged below 15 years to display their musical talent. Mikes and Speakers are not used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

Sundaram Finance audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes to perform at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

January 2010 will see a string of morning and evening Kutcheris as part of the annual Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival.

For registration and audition, contact: sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Pavithra Balajee presents a pleasant Mikeless Kutcheri

In front of a big early morning Park audience, Pavithra Balajee, a student of M.Ct.M Chettiar Chidambaram Matriculation School and the grand daughter of yester year music director Sri D.B. Ramachandran, presented a lively carnatic music performance as part of the monthly Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore this Sunday morning (1st November 2009).

Every song Pavithra presented received a standing ovation from the audience that comprised of morning park walkers and music connoisseurs.

Some of the compositions Pavithra presented were Shakti Ganapathim (Hari Kesha Nallur Muthiah Bhagavathar) – Ragam Nattai, Rupaka Thaalam, Shashivadana ( Sri Thyagarajar) – Chandra Jyothi Ragam, Aathi Thaalam, Papanasam Sivam’s Unnai Allal (Kalyani Ragam, Aathi Thaalam) and Purandaradasar’s Venkatachalanirayam ( Sindhu Bairavi, Aathi Thaalam)

Pavithra was accompanied by R. Ragavendran on the Mridangam and by R. Amirtaraj on the Violin.

At the end of the kutcheri, a visibly happy Music Guru Smt. Sucharithra Raghu, who has been teaching Pavithra for the last one year, said
“It takes several years for young children to be recognised in music. However, this platform provided by Sundaram Finance takes youthful musical talent much closer and faster to the audience. And they get recognised immediately, which leads them to other opportunities. I believe that this launch pad for children will encourage more students to take up music as a career.”

“The mikeless Kutcheri concept for young children is a welcome approach for classical concerts. Mikeless Kutcheris require even more concentration since the artistes have to bring out the nuances of the songs sans mikes and speakers. And this serves as a motivation to prepare that much harder, ahead of the Kutcheri. I am very pleased with the performance of Pavithra this morning and the feedback from the audience is a validation of her excellent performance.”

Organised on the first Sunday of every month between 630am and 730am, Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park provides a platform for children aged below 15 years to display their musical talent. Mikes and Speakers are not used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park. Sundaram Finance audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes to perform at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

Interested participants can send their profile to : sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

TOI on Kutcheri in the rain

Times of India features Day 3 of the Navarathri Special Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance

Deepthi Suresh presents a lively Mikeless Kutcheri

Deepthi Suresh captivates audience with a lively carnatic music performance at Nageswara Rao Park

The chess square in Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore was abuzz with activity by 5am this morning with flower decorations welcoming the young Deepthi Suresh to the mikeless Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance.

Accompanied by J.R. Shraddha on the Violin and Santhosh Ram on the Mridangam, Deepthi Suresh, a class 10 student at Sankara Vidyashram, Tiruvanmiyur presented a lively one hour carnatic music performance this morning that captivated the morning walkers and music connoisseurs who had gathered around the chess square. It was heartening to note that not a single person in the audience moved during the entire hour of the kutcheri, such was Deepthi's performance.


Deepthi has been learning music from Smt. Padma Sandilyan, a disciple of the renowned musician Late Sri. KV Narayanaswamy.

Songs such as Sadhasivan Maindhaney(Hamsadvani Raagam, Composer Maharajapuram Santhanam), Madhura Madhura ( Attana- Oothukadu Venkatasubiar), Evaramaduguthura ( Kalyani- Thyagarajar) and Nalley Nallanal ( Kapi - Vednayagam Pillai) that Deepthi presented was well received by the audience and drew rapturous applause.


S. Mahadevan, Head- Personnel and Administration, Sundaram Finance handed over certificates and mementos to the performing artistes.

Sundaram Finance has been organising the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park on the first Sunday of every month for the last 3 ½ years.

The idea behind the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is to provide a platform for young children below 15 years to display their musical talent. Mikes and Speakers are not used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

Sundaram Finance audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes to perform at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

Those interested to participate in the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park can email :
sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Navarathri Kutcheri under the Umbrellas

Muralikrishna produces a spirited performance in the rain

The early morning pre monsoon rains threatened to disrupt the concluding day of the ‘Navarathri Special’ Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. It may have dampened the spirit of the weak hearted, but not R. Muralikrishna, a student of St. Michael’s Academy, Adyar who was presenting his first mikeless Kutcheri.

Undeterred by the rains, and with umbrellas all around, Muralikrishna, accompanied by Sriram Sridhar on the violin and Thirucherai Kaushik Rajagopal on the Mridangam produced a spirited performance delighting the morning walkers and music connoisseurs who had gathered around the Chess Quadrangle to enjoy the morning ragas.

His presentation of Sri Ganesh (Thilang- Papanasam Sivam), Kaayamalar (Suththa Thanyasi- Periyazhvar Paasuram), Hanumaney(Malayamaarutham- Arunachala Kavirayar) received a special round of applause from the park audience.

V. Kumaraswamy, GM-Sundaram BPO was present on the occasion and presented certificates and mementos to the artistes.