Aishwarya's Sitran Chirugaale captivates audience at Sunday Kutcheri

Aishwarya , a student of Srimathi Sundaravalli Memorial School, Chromepet presented an hour of brilliant vocal music performance at the 'mikeless' Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri held at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore on Sunday(3rd June 2007) morning.

Aishwarya's beautiful rendition of Kaliyuga Varadhanai Kankanda (Brindaavana Saaranga), Sitran Chirugaale (Tirupaavai), Unmai Ellaal (Kalyani), Karunai Deivamey (Sindhu Bairavi) and Mooladhaara Moorthy (Hamsadvani) captivated the audience at the Nageswara Rao Park.

She was accompanied by Ms. R. Priyamvadaa on the violin and Master Santosh Kumar on the Mridangam.

T.T. Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and gave away certificates to the performing artistes.

Highlights of Sunday Kutcheri in the Park

Promotes budding youngsters showcase their musical talent
Open to Children below 15 years
No mikes and speakers are used
Organised on the first Sunday of every month between 6:30am and 7:30am
An audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes

Sivaswamy Kalalaya Student performs at the Sunday Kutcheri

As part of the ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’, G Vishwanath, a class 9 student of Sri Sivaswamy Kalalaya Senior Secondary School presented a vocal music performance, sans mike and speakers, this Sunday morning (7th October 2007) at the Chess Quadrangle of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore.

Vishwanath was accompanied by R Priyamvadaa on the Violin and by Gohidayan on the Mridangam.

He has been learning carnatic music for 6 years. He is now learning music under Guru – Shri. Delhi Muthukumar, a disciple of TN Seshagopalan.

The idea behind the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is to provide a launch pad for budding artistes aged below 15 years to showcase their musical talents and to encourage them to perform without inhibition.

For registration, email : sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Mikeless Kutcheri by Shrihari

On a pleasant December(2nd December 2007) morning, S Shrihari, a class 7 student at PS Senior Secondary School, Mylapore presented a brilliant vocal music performance in front a big audience at the monthly mikeless ‘Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ at Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore.

Shrihari’s rendition of Vanajakshi, Mahaganapatim, Balla Kanakanya, Ninuvina and Enna Ganura drew special applause from the music connoisseurs and park walkers who had gathered at the park to watch the Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri.

Shrihari has been learning carnatic music since the age of 5 under Guru - Sri S P Ramh. Shrihari was accompanied on the Violin by Ananthlakshmi, a class 4 student at National Public School, Gopalapuram and on the Mridangam by P V Srivathsa, studying in class 10 in PS Senior Sec School, Mylapore.

T. T Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and presented certificates to the performing artistes.

The idea behind the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is to provide a launch pad for budding artistes aged below 15 years to showcase their musical talents and to encourage them to perform without inhibition.

No mikes and speakers are used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

Sundaram Finance’s audition committee conducts an audition to finalise the artistes


For audition and registration details, email: sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Sunday Kutcheri in the Park completes one year

Badrish presents mikeless kutcheri

In the first ‘Sunday Kutcheri’ of 2007, 14 year old S. Badrish of Jain Vidyalaya School, Triplicane presented a lively carnatic music performance for an hour on Sunday (5th February 2007) morning at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. Badrish was accompanied on the Violin by Shiva Kumar and on the Mridangam by Venkatraman. He has been learning music from Guru Sulochana Sampath, Triplicane.

It was exactly a year ago that Sundaram Finance launched the concept of Sunday Kutcheri in the Park with a group kutcheri by Vandalur Vishwa Vidyalaya students. The speciality of the ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ is that no mikes or speakers are used and the Kutcheri takes place in an open air environment in the early morning hours amidst the chirping of birds.

The ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ is intended to promote budding youngsters to showcase their talent and is open to children aged below 15 years.

'Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ is organised on the first Sunday of every month between 630am and 730am at the Nageswara Rao Park. An audition committee, set up by Sundaram Finance, conducts an audition to finalise the artistes.

Summer of 2007-Mikeless Sunday Kutcheri

Shruthi presents carnatic Music at Chess Square

Shruthi S. Kumar, a Class VII student of Vidya Mandir, presented an hour of Mikeless Kutcheri at Nageswara Rao Park, Mylapore, on Sunday (6th May 2007) as part of the `Sunday Kutcheri in the park' organized by Sundaram Finance.

Shruthi was accompanied by R. Ram on the Violin, Madurai B. Sundar on the Mridangam and S. Krishna on the Ghatam.

Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is organised on the first Sunday of every month between 630am and 730am. An audition committee set up by Sundaram Finance selects children below 15 years of age to perform as part of the series.

For registration: sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Muralidhara Guruji Vidyalayam students present Group Kutcheri

Six Students from Shri Muralidhara Guruji Vidyalayam, Perambur presented a Group Kutcheri on Sunday morning (11th November 2007).M Shwetha Murlidharan, S Aishwarya, P K Ranjith, C Ashwin Parthasarathy, Sri Bhargavi and Vardhini were accompanied by R. Swathi on the Key Board, R.Raghavendran on the Ghatam and Sai Narayanan on the Tabla.

These 6 students have been learning music under Guru Mrs. Uma Murali.

The November 2007 edition of the ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ organized by Sundaram Finance at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore was postponed by a week (to the 2nd Sunday) because of the monsoon rains on 4th November. This was the first time that the Sunday Kutcheri has had to be postponed because of the rains.

Flute recital at Sunday Kutcheri

It was a Sunday Kutcheri with a difference. For a number of people, for whom the mikeless kutcheri had become a regular feature over the last 12months, there was a pleasant surprise in store when they gathered around the Chess Square of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore at around 615am on the first Sunday of April 2007.

The park walkers too on Sunday morning were drawn towards the chess quadrangle by the sweet tunes emanating from the flute of 10 year old N Visveshwar, a class 6 student of Modern Senior Sec School, Nanganallur, who captivated the audience with a heart rendering flute recital at the Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park between 6:30am and 7:30am.

Visveshwar was accompanied by N Ram on the violin, R Santosh Kumar on the Mridangam and Shri Sainath on the Ghatam.

Visveshwar has been learning flute from his Guru - Sri S V Ramaraja.

The aim of the ‘Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ is to promote budding youngsters showcase their musical talent. Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is open to children aged below 15 years and is organised on the first Sunday of every month between 6:30am and 7:30am.

An audition committee, set up by Sundaram Finance, conducts an audition to finalise the artistes.

An interesting feature of the Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the park is that no mikes and speakers are used.

Those interested in participating in the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park can mail sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Mikeless Kutcheri at Nageswara Rao Park

As part of the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance, 14 year old Darshana Mahadevan, a student of Padma Sarangapani Matriculation Hr. Secondary school, Saligramam captivated the big early morning audience for an hour at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore with a beautiful vocal music performance on Sunday (1st July 2007) morning.

Darshana's songs included Amma Anadha Dhaayani (Gambeera Nattai), Gananathaya Namasthe (Gowla), Sundhara Aara Deham (Panthu Varaali), Thantha Naana((Bowli), Kuzhaloothi(Kamboji) and Nathajana Palini (Nalina Kaandhee).

Darshana has been learning music from Smt. Binni Krishnakumar (disciple of Dr. Balamurali Krishna). She was accompanied by Shri. Ambur Padmanabhan on the Mridangam and Shri. Karthikeyan on the violin.

T.T. Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and presented certificates and mementos to the performing artistes.

On the thought process behind the Sunday Kutcheri, Srinivasaraghavan said, "Our idea, when we started the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in February 2006, was to provide a launch pad for budding artistes, under 15 years, to showcase their musical talents."

"The early response to the 'Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park' has been encouraging, judging by the enquiries we receive every month, from children across Chennai, to perform at the Sunday Kutcheri. Equally gratifying is the growing response from the community and the large number of music connoisseurs, who gather at the park to encourage and applaud the young artistes."

Twins present 'Sunday Kutcheri in the Park'

Deeptha and Shwetha respond to 'audience choice' with a confident rendition of Ksheeraabthi
For the first time, twins presented a carnatic music performance at the 'Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park' on the first Sunday of September 2007.

14 year old twins, Deeptha & Shwetha Vasudevan, enthralled hundreds of Park walkers and music connoisseurs to an hour of melodious Carnatic music at Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore.

The morning walkers were so impressed with the performance of the twins that they even requested the two kids for an 'audience choice' rendition and the twins responded with a sterling performance of Ksheerabthi ( Annamacharyar's Kurunji).

This was the first time the twins were singing without a mike and speaker at any Kutcheri.

The twins, who are studying in National Public School, Gopalapuram, also recite Thiruppavai & Vedanta Desikar Slokas with fluency.

Deeptha and Shwetha were accompanied by CN Srinivasa Murthy on the Violin and by Thirucheri Kaushik Rajagopal on the Mridangam. They have been learning music under Guru - Sangeetha Kala Acharya Smt. Sulochana Pattabhiraman

Their rendition of Jagadananda Kaaraka (one of the Pancharatna Keerthanas), Yehi Mutham Dehi, Sri Ganapathini, Aynkaranai and Maithreem Bhajata was much appreciated by the audience.

Musical morning at Nageswara Rao Park

Ghatam Suresh's troupe perform at the Sunday Kutcheri
Walkers at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore, Madras had an enjoyable musical morning at on Sunday (5th March 2007). This time, in addition to the "dawn chorus" with which birds greet us every new day, they had the sweet carnatic music performance of 15 young children, belonging to Ghatam Suresh's troupe 'Sankruthi', to experience and applaud.

These talented artistes were accompanied by Sri Sankarnarayanan on the flute, Sri Sikkil Balu on the violin, Sri Kalyanaraman on the mridangam, Master Krishna and Master Prashanth on the Ghatam, Sri Muralidharan on the Congo and Sri Satyaraj on the keyboard.

Sunday Kutcheri in the rain

Arul Priya performs under the Umbrella

An unusually cloudy August morning, a slight drizzle and a big crowd of well over 100 carnatic music enthusiasts welcomed the first overseas music artiste at the ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park' organized by Sundaram Finance at the Nageswara Rao Park on 5th August 2007.

Braving the drizzle and with an umbrella on top (held by the organizers), 13 year old Arul Priya Manickavasakan from Dubai, accompanied by G. Krithivasan on the Mridangam and by R. Priyamvadaa on the Violin, enthralled the audience to an hour of melodious Carnatic music.

Her rendition of Muthuswami Deekshithar's Mathangi, Thyagarajar's Pandu Reeti, Ambujam Krishna's Enna Solli and Thiruvarur Ramaswamy Pillai's Jagadheeshwari drew rapturous applause from the audience.

Immediately after the Sunday Kutcheri, Arul Priya said, "This was the first time I performed in an open air Park Kutcheri without a mike and speaker. I really enjoyed this unique experience. I had to put in a lot more effort at this 'mikeless' Kutcheri. I was really surprised by the big crowd that was present and their encouragement really motivated me to perform even better."

The Sunday morning rain made good footage for the TV cameras with NDTV featuring Arul Priya’s Sunday Kutcheri on their national network.