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| 75 years of music at this sabha |   | |||
| Music concerts and honouring senior music stalwarts are the highlights of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Sri Thiagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam, on from Nov. 20 to Nov. 24, at 5, Thiagarajapuram, Mylapore. The celebrations commence on November 20, inaugurated by T. S. Krishnamurthy, Chief Election Commissioner. Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna presides. The inaugural day concert is presented by violin Vidwan T. N. Krishnan.
Concerts on other days include kutcheris by O. S. Thiagarajan, Chitraveena N. Ravikiran, Aruna Sairam and Dr. K. J. Yesudass. The Platinum Jubilee souvenir will be released on December 9 at 6 pm, by Dr. K. J. Yesudass, and the first copy will be received by Justice Doraiswamy Raju, retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. Sri Thiagaraja Sangeetha Samajam in Chennai began as a temple, dedicated to the saint composer Thyagaraja, in 1929. Music stalwarts like Tiger Varadachariar, Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, Parur Sundaram Iyer and S. Rajagopala Iyer founded the institution. The annual aradhana and annadanam on Bahula Panchami were also held here, so that musicians who could not go to Thiruvaiyuru, the birthplace of the saint, could participate locally. With the help of philanthropists, a large property in Mylapore was bought for the Samajam. The area, surrounded by homes of musicians, came to be known as Sri Thiagarajapuram. Paramacharaya Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Math, suggested that a temple be built within the precints, with a panchaloga idol for worship. Initially, the Samajam was a mere hall with a thatched roof, and funds raised through concerts by M. S. Subbulakshmi, were used to build a permanent hall The current president is Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna and the chairman of the Trust Board is Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavathar, now in his 90s. | ||||
