Sudha Ragunathan Concert - Connoiseur Review

The Sudha Ragunathan Concert at MLR Convention Centre on 25th February 2017. had music and the lake at its core. Here's a review by A.K. Venkat, a resident of the lake neighbourhood and Carnatic vocalist. 

Sudha Raghunathan sings for Puttenahalli Lake

Accompanied by

on the Violin: Sri B V Raghavendra Rao

on the Mridangam: Sri Neyveli Skanda Subramanian

on the Morsing: Sri R Raman

Venue: MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium

Date: Saturday 25th February 2017

Smt Sudha Raghunathan began the concert with the Varnam Ninnukori in the raga Vasantha, appropriately chosen with the season in mind. Rendering the first part in three speeds (including tisra nadai), she set a refreshing beginning for the concert. This was followed by Pranamamyaham Sri Gowrisutham, in the raga Gowla, a kriti of Sri Vasudevachar. This was embellished with a brief kalpana swaram.

She then rendered a mellifluous Paalvadiyum Mukham, in Nattakurunji, a kriti of Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi in Tamil. 

The next item she took up was a detailed alapana of Amrutavarshini raga. This resonated with the audience, as the soul of a lake is water. This raga is an offering to the nature for abundance of rains, and she reminisced about a prior occasion when the rendering of the raga indeed resulted in rains. Dikshitar's kritiAanandamrutakarshini was rendered with elan and poise. Neraval at 'sananda hrudaya nilaye' and detailed swaram with 'varshaya varshaya' completed the brilliant rendering. 

This was followed by Periyasami Tooran's Taye Tripurasundari in Suddhasaveri.

The main item of the evening was in the raga Thodi. Smt Sudha Raghunathan rendered a detailed alapana of the raga, and followed up with Taye Yasoda, another kriti of Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi. Detailed neraval (at Kalinil Shilambu Konja) and swarams followed. This took the concert to its exhilarating heights.

At this point, the tani was presented, with Mridangist Sri Skanda Subramanian and Morsing artist Sri Raman mesmerising the audience with a brilliant performance.

A few short items were presented after the tani - Bhavayami Gopalabalam (Yamuna Kalyani), Bho Shambho (Revati), Kurai Ondrum Illai (Ragamalika). The concert ended with the tillana of Lalgudi, Dheem tarada tani (Ragashree). 

A highlight of the evening that struck a chord not only with the organizers, PNLIT, but also with the audience was a special poem composed and dedicated to the lake. She appreciated the community's effort to protect the environment under the leadership of PNLIT and promised to support the initiative in whatever way she can.

Sri Raghavendra Rao gave excellent support on the Violin, following each and every nuance of the vocalist's rendition appropriately. The Mridangist and Morsing artist lifted the concert to a great height, leaving the audience with an experience they will long remember and cherish.

Photos: Geetha Srikrishnan

-

Puttenahalli Lake needs you

​​

Click the links below for more information

How to donate          PNLIT website          PNLIT Blog          PNLIT on Facebook          PNLIT on Twitter

Appreciate your support to PNLIT

Dear friends,

With a good monsoon this year and with street rainwater harvesting in place, the Puttenahalli Lake is slowly filling up with rainwater. The trees are growing well, and the birds, butterflies, fish and other creatures are settling down in this restored ecosystem. The people of the lake vicinity have an assured public open space and a place for recreation.

All this has been made possible because of the patronage that Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust, PNLIT (the custodian of the lake) has received from the residents of the area and other well-wishers, through visits to the lake, participation in the lake activities, volunteering and donations. 

Volunteers at the lake

School children on a nature walk

Nesting birds

Relevance. Because Lakes = Community = Life.
The relevance of lakes for a large, incessantly-growing metropolis like Bangalore cannot be emphasized enough. Pollution, shortage of water and urban flooding during heavy rains will only affect the city more adversely, year after year. Lakes have significant environmental, social and infrastructure development implications. They raise the water table in a geophysical zone, act as a catchment for rainwater (hence drinking water) and are responsible for the cooling convectional rain cycle that the city sees during summer. They reduce the zone's temperature and air pollution, act as a buffer space during flooding, clean the air and are a habitat for diverse animal and plant life.

For those who are not familiar with the background of Puttenahalli Lake, JP Nagar 7^th Phase:

- A sign of successful development is the natural evolution of the lake ecosystem – animal, bird and plant life. From being a dumping yard in 2008 the lake is now home to at least 60 species of birds, including migratory ones, and wonderful flora. There is a 920 m walkway, a gazebo and guard house and visitors, walkers and bird lovers are frequent.

- Seeded by a group of residents (in 2008) keen to revive the ecological stability of the lake, in the interest of the community and nature conservation, PNLIT is the first citizens' group to take over a lake's maintenance from the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike).

- The working model, often referred to as the "Puttenahalli Lake Model", is being replicated by the BBMP/ BDA/ Lake Development Authority elsewhere in Bangalore City.

- PNLIT's efforts have today led to an extensive 'lake-saving movement' in Bangalore and has heightened public awareness of the importance of lakes through constant attention in the media.

- PNLIT won the Namma Bengaluru Award 2012, was the 1^st runner-up at the TCS People's Green Award 2012, and was a finalist at the Mahindra Spark the Rise 2012. 

- BBMP funded and executed the restoration of the lake but gives no financial assistance for monthly expenses and other improvements. PNLIT has been meeting these expenses through public donations, sale of our products (such as T-shirts, cloth bags, coasters, nature walks) and last year, through the awards received.

******

In the last financial year, PNLIT was able to make some key improvements at the lake including:
- planting of an additional 200-odd trees and shrubs

- sprucing up the approach area, a neatly secured, yet accessible garden area

- rain water harvesting tanks and well in the lake bed

- cycle stand, wheelchair access gate, exercise bars, essential signage
- small dustbins, enclosure for garbage near the hutments
- preliminary work for a butterfly house.

We also have acquired some useful tools and equipment that would assist in the maintenance and upkeep of the garden and lake areas. Apart from the monthly expenses, we have been focused on building up a corpus fund – so that in the years ahead, the interest earned will be able to meet a large portion, if not the entire monthly expenses.

Monthly expenses currently are in the range of Rs 40,000 – 50,000 per month. These include salaries of the field staff for sweeping, gardening, deweeding and other odd jobs, and other recurring expenses.   

The primary objectives of fund-raising are:
- to meet current monthly operational expenses
- to ensure a lasting, positive, dependable environment for community interaction and
- to make the lake development effort truly self-sustaining for the long term.

Our immediate fund raising target, to meet the expenses for 2013-14, is Rs 5,00,000/-, of which we have raised Rs 1,50,000/-. We are open to any innovative and interesting ideas that could integrate your family, organisation or institution, to help our funding needs to be met. Funding can be of any denomination, at this point we need all the assistance we can get. You can make a one time donation or a recurring amount periodically. 

Donations may be made in cash, cheque or by direct remittance.Donations are eligible for income tax exemption, u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act (50% deduction from taxable income) 

Donation in Cheque (in favour of "PNLIT") or Cash may be given to our representatives:
Nupur Jain, C612, BM Cassia – 9886629769
O P Ramaswamy, A917, BM Mayflower – 9845079076
Usha Rajagopalan, B3-502, South City – 7259722996
Vidula Krishnaswamy, Brigade Palm Springs – 9845423432

If sending cheque by post to our registered office:
PNLIT, Usha Rajagopalan,
B3, 502, South City, Arekere Mico Layout,
Off Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560 076 

Direct remittance
Internet Banking
Branch name - State Bank of India, RBI Layout, Bangalore 560078
Savings Account no 31209228099 in the name of "Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust"
MICR Code: 560002090
Transfer within India - IFSC Code: SBIN0004408
Transfer from abroad - Swift Code: SBININ BB423 (The bank charges Rs 500+other fees for Forex transfer - so not preferred)
Credit Card/Debit Card - PNLIT Store on eBay Charity

Let us continue working together to bring stability to the Puttenahalli Lake ecosystem. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email Usha 7259722996 <puttenahalli.lake@gmail.com>.

Thank you for your continued support.
The PNLIT Team

----

Stay connected

Website - documents the progress of the project, flora and fauna
Email group: pnlit@googlegroups.com
Social media: Facebook, Twitter
Blogs: Plog - The PNLIT Blog, Puttenahalli Post on Citizen Matters
Blackboard, notice board and educational information boards onsite, in the lake premises.