Upcoming evening of folk music

IME and PNLIT invite you to a mesmerizing evening of music at Puttenahalli Lake, where reputed international folk singer Savithakka will treat us to a selection of stirring Kannada folk ditties in her signature earthy voice, against the backdrop of the lake’s calming waters and the setting sun.

Savithakka will be accompanied by keyboardist and harmonium player Sri Ganesh Prasad and tabla player Sri Puttaraju Gonahalu.

Date: Sunday, 24th April 2022
Time: 4.30 p.m.

Venue: Puttenahalli Lake

Free walk in event with no registration needed.

All are welcome!

About Savithakka

Born in Bengaluru Savithakka started learning at a tender age under the tutelage of her mother, a well-known singer smt. Neelambike. Savitha further honed her talents by training with senior mentors in the field of classical music, including Carnatic vocalist Ratna Shivashankar, and Hindustani vocalists Pandit. V. M. Nagaraj and Pandit. Dattatreya Joshi. She furthered her training in Sugama Sangeetha under the guidance of Sri M S Kamath and acclaimed music composer and sought-after mandolin master Sri N. S. Prasad.

Realizing the uniqueness in her voice, a base tonal quality that sets her apart from other singers, Savithakka began to carve a niche for herself by rendering folk music, Tatva pada, Bhakti Geete, Bhava Geete, in her own unique style.

As a folk singer, she has received recognition from All India Radio & Doordarshan. She has rendered her voice to the popular music album `Sharanu Janapada’ produced by lahari group, featuring authentic Kannada folk songs. Savithakka has sung for over 100 audio cassettes. As a contestant on the popular reality show, Kannada Kogile, she won the hearts of Kannadigas.

Sudha Ragunathan Concert - The Surprise

Padma Bhushan Sudha Ragunathan's concert on 25th February at MLR Convention Centre kept us enthralled from the first varnam. About a couple of hours into the concert, she gave a short speech appreciating our effort in restoring the lake and promising whatever help she could render to us and to the environment. This of course made the audience applaud but her next statement won us over completely. The day before the concert, she'd contacted a friend, Gayathri Gurumurthy who writes under the pen name of "Saraswathi" and got her to write a song celebrating lakes! Being a composer as well, Smt Ragunathan set it to music and sang it specially for us at this concert! What better reward can we possibly get?

We got the script from her and Usha Rajagopalan translated it for the benefit of all. Her words and the song resonate in our ears but we do wish we'd recorded this lake song! 

      An Ode to Lakes

Clad in cerulean silk and

Giving life to the universe,

Mother of water, of lakes.

We're here to guard you.

Equally for us all to flourish,

Crossing peaks and valleys

You have come, Mother,

To nourish the soil of this earth.

Stretching your golden hands

For birds and beasts to nestle,

To find shelter in your lap,

You're a haven for the world.

Defiling your body, we humans

Became inhuman and yet,

Our depravities you bore

Lending yourself up for our lineage  

To undo the abuse and wrongs

We friends now hold hands.

We pledge to preserve you,

Give new life to you, Mother.

                  ***

A community event - Sudha Ragunathan Concert

Much like the nurturing of our Puttenahalli Lake, the PNLIT concert featuring Padma Bhushan Sudha Ragunathan on 25th Feb. at MLR Convention Hall was a community event with several volunteers from the locality chipping in. Our heartfelt thanks to them, our donors, Jenesys Technologies, concert sponsor, and to Brigade Hospitality for the venue and accommodation for the artists.  

Here's how the day unfolded ...

The lake and its premises had never looked as clean as it was when Smt. Sudha Ragunathan paid a visit on the morning of 25th Feb. After the visit of renowned ornithologist Zafar Futehally in 2012, she's the most celebrated visitor to the lake to date and it was indeed one we will cherish. About 20 of us, trustees and our well wishers, gathered at the Gazebo to greet the VIP. We escorted her to the Viewing Deck briefing her about what we had done, how, why and when. She listened intently and found the Artificial Floating Islands particularly interesting. The recently planted Nerium Oleander were blooming in bright pink and the water glittered in the sun. Surprisingly the birds were missing though except for a cormorant at a distance.  Smt. Ragunathan was happy to know that volunteers had planted the trees and the shrubs and especially about the mosquito repelling quality of the Vitex Negundo. She readily posed with us for photographs at the lake before leaving.  

At the lake

A couple of residents from South City had cooked a sumptuous lunch for Sudha Ragunathan and party. With a few special invitees from Brigade Millennium joining them, all had a hearty meal over a lively discussion. 

We had begun getting MLR Convention Hall ready from the previous day with Janani from Brigade Millennium making an intricate filigree like kolam at the entrance. She made a more contemporary design of musical bars notes outside the Hall. Above that, hung PNLIT banners depicting the evolution of the lake from a dry ground to a thriving one. Standees of birds completed the exhibition which caught the attention of the audience. 

Rangoli

PNLIT exhibition

Occupying their seats, they got to see a slide show of sights and scenes from Puttenahalli Lake followed by a short film on the reviving of the lake. 

With Sudha Ragunathan, Gautham and Kalai Gautham of Jenesys, Gurmeet Singh from Brigade Hospitality and Usha Rajagopalan, Chairperson, PNLIT lighting the lamp, the evening had officially begun. 

Lighting the lamp

The concert was a good opportunity to release our newsletter and to felicitate our well wishers and CSR partners. Mr. B.V. Satish, former Chief Engineer, Lakes, BBMP received the first copy of our newsletter "Ripples"  from the singer. PNLIT partners felicitated were Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Ltd., VMWare,  Deloitte Shared Services India Pvt. Ltd., Cisco, BMS College of Engineering and the Community around the lake whose donations enable us to nurture the lake. 

Releasing the newsletter

The trustees welcomed the artists and cleared the stage for the concert to begin. Smt. Sudha Ragunathan gave a short speech appreciating the effort taken by PNLIT to nurture the lake and made an earnest appeal to the audience to support environment and efforts of people like us. This report on the concert is from South City resident and carnatic vocalist A K Venkat. 

The artists

Connoisseur or novice, Sudha Ragunathan wowed us all. Towards the end of the recital, she sprang such a surprise on us that we, trustees, wanted to stand up and applaud! What's the surprise? In the next post!

PNLIT Team

Sampurna - Reflections on Sudha Ragunathan's musical journey

Have you booked your ticket to the Sudha Ragunathan concert on Feb. 25th? If you haven't, hurry! The sale of tickets is very brisk indeed. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to listen to one of our most acclaimed Carnatic vocalists at MLR Convention Centre right next to the cause she's supporting - Puttenahalli Lake.

Sudha Ragunathan has very kindly offered PNLIT a few copies of her gorgeous coffee table book Sampurna Sruthi, Laya & My Life. This is a pictorial reflection on her musical journey, published by Audio Media Inc. and includes a CD on her thoughts and evolution as a singer. 

The cost of the book is Rs.1999. We have decided to share the proceeds equally with the Samudhaaya Foundation, set up by this philanthropic artist. 

We will get only as many copies as are reserved in advance. If you'd like to get one of these limited edition books, please email puttenahalli.lake@gmail.com. You will own an autographed book to cherish and at the same time you will be helping both PNLIT and Samudhaaya Foundation. A blessing thrice over!

Sudha Ragunathan sings for Puttenahalli Lake

PNLIT Fundraiser concert 'Padma Bhushan Sudha Ragunathan sings for Puttenahalli Lake' is here!

This Sangita Kalanidhi, one of India's leading Carnatic vocalists will be performing LIVE, exclusively for Puttenahalli Lake.

PLACE: MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium, J.P.Nagar 7th Phase, Bangalore 560078

DATE: Saturday 25th February 2017

TIME: 6.30 p.m.onwards 

TICKETS: Rs.1500, Rs.1000 and Rs.750 (balcony)
Children below 5 years - not allowed

Children 5-9 years - no ticket required, but no seat
Children 10 and above - ticket required

Payment can be made by cash or online transfer.

For details on how to transfer, please see here.

If you are making an online payment, please send a screen shot of the transaction,your contact details along with your ticket requirements to: divyadshetty@hotmail.com / Whatsapp or sms Nupur 9886629769 to block your seats.

Reserve your seats now!