Kids, park & kutcheris

KT Jagannathan of The Hindu writes on Sunday Kutcheri in the Park Sunday Park Kutcheri is much more than a normal CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative. For Sundaram Finance, it is a way to stay connected with its neighbour, and remain rooted to the tradition. This one has name, as well reputation. A revered institution, it stands tall in an industry, which has, time and again, seen a huge churn. Sundaram Finance Ltd., a well-known non-banking finance company from the TVS Group, has earned respect and admiration from many, especially the middle-class investors, for the honesty of purpose and sincerity in approach while conducting its business. Whenever it does something, it keeps the society interest upfront. Like the morning filter coffee and The Hindu newspaper, this too has been an integral part of people in this part of the world. Way back in February 2006, Sundaram Finance embarked upon an innovative initiative on the Carnatic music front. It began organising concerts on the morning of every first Sunday of a month. What’s so unique about it? Concerts are dime a dozen in a city like Chennai, which is considered the Mecca of Carnatic music. The difference here is that these concerts are for kids below 15 years, and are held at the popular Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. These are held in a natural surrounding. Moreover, no electrical gadgets are used to amplify the music. Probably it began as a pilot exercise. It has, however, transformed into a laudable noble initiative. The Sunday Kutcheri in the Park has now entered the 9th year. The first Sunday of February 2006 saw 15 students from Vishwa Vidyalaya at Vandalur on the outskirts of Chennai present the maiden Sunday Kutcheri in the Park at 6.30 a.m. Prior to 2006, for two years, kutcheris used to be organised at the Nageswara Rao Park annually during the 4-day Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival. From February 2006 onwards, this has became a monthly feature - 1st Sunday of every month between 6.30 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. Last year, however, the timing was shifted to 7 a.m. In 2009, the organisers encountered a happy problem. Due to a significant rise in applicants, there was a huge backlog in terms of providing opportunities to children. To address this – at least partially, Sundaram Finance launched a three-day Navarathri Special Kutcheri in the Park in September 2009. Since then, the Navarathri Special Kutcheri in the Park has been an annual feature. In addition to monthly and Navarathri kutcheris, Sundaram Finance has also been organising group concerts during the annual 4-day Mylapore Festival every year in January. Over 850 kids have so far participated at the Sunday Park Kutcheri. The Sunday Park Kutcheri has seen eight summers. In the eight years, it has not only gained stature but also visibility within and without. That it survived this long and has been growing in strength speaks volume for the visionary management of Sundaram Finance. For them, Sunday Park Kutcheri is much more than a normal CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative. For them, it is a way to stay connected with their neighbour, and remain rooted to the tradition. T.T. Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director of Sundaram Finance, said: ``To us, the first Sunday of every month is their (kids) day. The young children are the stars of the show. Hence, we are clearly focussed on developing this as a platform for young unsung children.’’ As he suggested sometime ago to this writer, the Park Kutcheri concept deserves to be replicated all across the city by other corporate houses. It is time India Inc looked at CSR from the prism of Indian tradition as well.

Sunday Kutcheri completes 8years

Over 850 Children aged below 15years have presented Mikeless Kutcheri Preethi Sethuraman begins 9th Year with a lively performance at the Nageswara Rao Park

Sunday Kutcheri in the Park, sans mikes and speakers, organised by Sundaram Finance at the Nageswara Rao Park has completed 8years with over 850children all aged below 15years having presented morning kutcheris. To begin the 9th year of the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised on the first Sunday of every month between 7am and 8am, 14year old Preethi Sethuraman, a class nine student of Jawahar Vidyalaya, impressed the audience with a lively vocal carnatic music performance on Sunday (2 Feb) morning. Preethi, who is learning music from Guru Smt. Vasantha Shankararaman, was accompanied on the Mridangam by R. Kishore and on the Violin by Parur Ananthalakshmi. Preethi’s compositions included Sri Valli Devasenapathe ( Nata Bhairavi/ Adi), Ganamoorthy (Ganamoorthy/Adi), Thaye Thripurasundari ( Sudha Saveri/ Kanda Chapu) and Om Namo Narayana (Karnaranjani/Kanda Chapu). On the completion of 8years of the Mikeless Format of the kutcheri, TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance said, “We did not want to disturb the peace of the morning walkers with loud music and have consciously stayed away from mikes and speakers. Also being an open-air kutcheri, we believed that, amidst falling leaves and curious birds chirping around the park, we would be able to bring out the best in the children if they performed without the help of mikes and speakers. And hence, we have stuck to the format of the Mikeless Kutcheri.” “This is a platform to help young children, aged below 15years, shed their inhibitions and give them the confidence to move up to the next level. To us, the first Sunday of every month is their ‘Day’. The young children are the ‘stars’ of the show. Hence, we are clearly focussed on developing this as a platform for young ‘unsung’ children.’ A few years ago, Sundaram Finance expanded Kutcheri in the Park to have a Navarathri Kutcheri in the Park series. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes. To register for the audition: email sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Modern Sr. Sec School students present Kutcheri

On the final morning of the four day Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2014, 35students of Modern Senior Secondary School, Nanganallur (Guru: R. Sriramalakshmi) presented a lively Group Kutcheri at the chess square of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. No mikes and speakers were used in the Park Kutcheri. A large crowd witnessed the young children present compositions that included Sriman Narayana (Bowli Ragam/Adi Thaalam), Shobillu Saptaswara (Jaganmohini/Rupakam), Neerajakshi (Hindolam/Rupakam), Govardhana Giridhari ( Darbari Kanada/Adi) and Andal’s Tiruppavai Verse of Karavaigal ( Kambhoji/Adi). TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance Ltd., presented certificates and mementos to the artistes.

The idea behind the Kutcheri in the Park is to promote young musical talent aged below 15 years and to help them shed their inhibitions and give them the confidence to move up to the next level. Over 700 children have presented the mikeless Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park over the last 7years. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes. For registration to present Kutcheri in the Park: email: sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Students of Padma Sandilyan present mikeless kutcheri

On Saturday morning, the third day of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2014, over 10students, all disciples of Guru Padma Sandilyanpresented a lively Group Kutcheri at the chess square of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. No mikes and speakers were used in the Park Kutcheri. The idea behind the Kutcheri in the Park is to promote young musical talent aged below 15 years and to help them shed their inhibitions and give them the confidence to move up to the next level. Over 700 children have presented the mikeless Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park over the last 7years. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes. For registration to present Kutcheri in the Park: call 94450 34557

20students present a lively group concert

Day 2 of Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2014 began at 7am with a one hour Group Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park by 20students of Guru Gayathri Mahesh. The presentation of these young children, all aged below 15years, were applauded all the way through the kutcheri by over a 100 morning park walkers who had gathered around the chess square.

To register for audition,email your profile to : sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Students of Suswara School of Music Mikeless Kutcheri

Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2014 kicks off with Mikeless Kutcheri

The four day Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2014 kicked off this morning with a lively Group Kutcheri by 30students of Suswara School of Music (Guru: Dr. Sudha Raja) at the chess square of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. No mikes and speakers were used in the Park Kutcheri. A big crowd had gathered around the chess square to applaud the music group that comprised a few children in the age group of 5-6years. The idea behind the Kutcheri in the Park is to promote young musical talent aged below 15 years and to help them shed their inhibitions and give them the confidence to move up to the next level. Over 700 children have presented the mikeless Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park over the last 7years. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes. Mikeless Kutcheri will take place every morning between 7am and 8am over the next three days of the Mylapore Festival. For registration to present Kutcheri in the Park, email: SundayKutcheri@gmail.com

Varshini presents Sunday Kutcheri

Encouraged and applauded all the way through the one hour by morning park walkers and regulars at the monthly Kutcheri, 13year old S Varshini, a class nine student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, presented a lively mikeless Kutcheri this Sunday (10 Nov) morning at 7am at the Chess Square of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore.

Varshini, who is learning music from Guru Smt. Bavani Santhanam, was accompanied on the Mridangam by Shravan Bharani and on the Violin by S Subashree. Varshini presented songs that included Shri Ganesha, Bala Ganaka,Vinayakuni and Koovi Azhaithal.

G Sundararajan, CFO, Sundaram Home Finance presented certificates and mementos to the artistes. The idea behind the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance every month is to promote young musical talent aged below 15years and provide them with a launch pad. No mikes and speakers are used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park. Over 700 children have presented the mikeless Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes. For registration: email sundaykutcheri@gmail.com