55 Vidya Mandir Students present Margazhi Kutcheri in the Park

Sunday Kutcheri in the Park completes six years


Celebrating 6years of Kutcheri in the Park and on the final morning of the 10th Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival, 55 students from Vidya Mandir, Mylapore presented a Group Mikeless Kutcheri at the jam packed Chess Square of the Nageswara Rao Park on a specially erected centre stage.

This is the largest Group Kutcheri that has taken place at the Nageswara Rao Park, where Sundaram Finance has been organising Sunday Kutcheri in the Park since February 2006.

Guided and directed by Guru Smt. Hari Kripa, the 55students, all aged below 15years, lit up the margazhi morning with their lively presentation that drew in all the morning walkers into the chess square.

Applauded all the way by this huge crowd and accompanied K. Krishna and V. Sreeraman on the Flute, G. Sandhya on the Veena, GS Krishna Sampath, RA Shravan Kumar and B. Nandhan on the Mridangam, G. Gokul Srinath on the Ghatam and KS Vijay Balaji and S. Abhinava on the Violin, these students presented songs such as Sri Vigna Rajam Bhaje (Gambira Nattai), Nagumomu (Abheri), Mudugare yashodha (Kurinji), Azagu Deivam ( Kaavadi Sindhu) and Anbirundal Adhuve Podhume (Sindhu Bairavi) that kept the audience engrossed through the one hour.



Commenting on the concept of mikeless Kutcheri, Guru Smt. Hari Kripa, who has been training several hundreds of these students on music said, “The early morning informal park ambience was very pleasant and conducive for a kutcheri for these young children. The mikeless kutcheri is an interesting and innovative concept and even took some of my students by surprise. Each one of them enjoyed this first ever experience of a mike-less open air kutcheri and I thought that this mikeless kutcheri brought out the natural voices in these students.”

TT Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., said, “This morning is a milestone for the Sundaram Finance Kutcheri in the Park event, as we complete six years. During this period, over 500 children aged below 15 years have presented their first kutcheri here at the Nageswara Rao Park. It is heartening to hear that this concept of mikeless kutcheri has genuinely served as a launch pad for these young children, for many of them have subsequently graduated to present kutcheris in the Sabhas, including the prestigious December Kutcheri season.”



Sundaram Finance has been organising the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in the Park since February 2006 with the aim of providing opportunities to children aged below 15years. No mikes and speakers are used. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes.

Sri Kripa Institute of Music students present Mikeless Kutcheri

On the 3rd morning of the 10th Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival, 9students from Sri Kripa Institute of Music presented a mikeless Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park.

Accompanied by Tiruvallur Parthasarathy on the Violin and Kumbakonam Ramiyaa Vital on the Mridangam, and guided by their Guru Smt. Vasanthi Gopal, these students impressed the early morning audience with their presentation that included songs such as Sri Maha Ganapathi, Nee Daya Radha, Paramaathmudu, Kandha Vandarul and Kalyana Kolathudan.

TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance Ltd., presented certificates to all the artistes.

Songs of love and compassion from Skanda Guru Vidyalaya Students

On the 2nd morning of the 10th Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival, 20students from Skanda Gana Vidyalaya presented over 15songs each of which showed how love, hard work and compassion could bring happiness in this world and how one could live in peace in prosperity with songs such as Anbu Ennum (Maand) and Uzhaippu (Hindolam)

Accompanied by Sriram on the Mridangam and Anish on the Tabela and guided by their Guru Smt. Lakshmi Krishnaswamy, these 20students impressed the early morning audience who tapped into each of their songs.

Bharathiyar’s Odi Vilayaadu Paapa ( Raagamalika) brought an instant smile to the morning walkers who had gathered around the Chess Square of the Nageswara Rao Park and reminded them of their youth.

TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance Ltd., presented certificates to all the artistes.

PS Sec School students kick off Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2012

The stage was set for a momentous occasion- the launch of the tenth edition of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival. During this period, the festival has expanded and grown bigger both in terms of number of events, locations and the participation, especially from the kids and teens.

This year the festival is back to the first week of January.

On this margazhi morning,25 students from PS Secondary School had gathered around the chess square of the Nageswara Rao Park by 530am along with their parents and teachers including the music Guru Smt. Latha Anantharaman. By this time, the chess square had already been decorated with flowers.

Sharp at 630am, S. Sivakumar, Sr. VP, Sundaram Finance Ltd., lit the Kuthuvilakku to kick off the 2012 edition of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival.


Every morning, during these four days, morning walkers will be welcomed by young teenage groups presenting the mikeless kutcheri.

This morning, 25students from PS Secondary School, Mylapore presented a lively mikeless concert.

Over 150 morning walkers and music connoisseurs sat around the chess square applauding every song presented by these young and budding artistes.

Accompanied by K Sundarrajan and Nishanth TA on the Violin, S Srivatsan and Chandrasekar on the Mridangam and Sruthi Sakthivel on the Kanjeera and directed by their Guru Latha Anantharaman, these students presented songs that included Sri Ranganathan (Aarabi), Yen Mugam Paraiya ( Amritha Varshini), Parvai Ondre Podhumey ( Surutti), Ananda Natamaduvar ( Purvi Kalyani) and Marukelara ( Jayantha Sree).

TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance was present on the occasion and handed over certificates to the performing artistes.

Sundaram Finance has been organising the mikeless concerts at the Nageswara Rao Park as part of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival since January 2004 with the aim of providing opportunities to children aged below 15years. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes.

For audition, email: sundaykutcheri@gmail.com