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| Senior fellowship for artiste Venkatesan
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V. Venkatesan, managing trustee of Sri Narayana Tirtha Swamigal Trust and Secretary of Sri Narayana Tirtha Aradhana Celebration Committee has been awarded a senior fellowship by the Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, in the field of Carnatic vocal (classical) music for a period of two years.
Venkatesan comes from a family of musicians and his father T. R. Viswabnatha Bhagavathar, a sangeeta vidwan of the 1950s. His uncle, Chidambara Bhagvathr was the Harikatha exponent of about the same period. A disciple of Alathoor Srinivasa Iyer, Venkatesan continued his father's tradition of holding he annual Aradhana festivals of Narayana Tirtha, known for his tarangam compositions, at Thirupoonthuruthy village and was also connected with the formation of Sri Naryayana Tirtha Swamigal Trust in 1986 at Chennai. The jayanthi of the saint is held every year and a Tarangam music festival is organised every year. The Krishna Leela Tarangini has 12 Tarangams in which there are 150 geethams. Venkatesan has been the driving force in publishing 57 Tarangam Geethams of Tirtha with the notation. Through two Taranga Vidyasalas at Thanjavur, he has been promoting Tarangam music, Venkatesan's comprehensive appreciation of Narayana Tirtha's Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini has been the subject of his project for the award of this senior fellowship. Venkatesan lives at 10/2, Second Main Road, Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai-600 028. E- Mail - narayanatirtha@yahoo.com. Ph: 2493 6671 | ||||