Messrs. Raman/Ranganathan:
Thank you both for responding to my mails.
This weekend was a memorable one for me. I and my 94 year old father spent most of the weekend downloading and listening to Alangudi Sampradhaya bhanjans and I must tell you, it was reverberating, moving and it brought back to us my dad's bhajans in his younger days, his divyanama bhajans, dancing around the kuthu vilakku and ashtapathi bhajans. I vividly remember my dad would invite a few of the sastrigals he knew, some of them came by foot, some by bus (I dont recall even one of them having a car!!), one sastrigal would bring costumes to act as Hanuman, they ate whatever my mom would cook for them and spent endless hours signing the namasangeerthanams and conducted Radha kalyanam at least 3 times a year!! Although my dad's hearing is very weak and attention span very limited, he was in tears and total silence listening 'Kamala vallabha', Charanu charanu and other ashtapathis. I was simply fascinated by the singing of sri. Sathalapathi Balu sastrigal, that guy was having fun!! We all know how the unscrupulous so-called sanyasis have taken the devotees for a royal ride, I only wish they could listen to the very moving speech by E.M.Sreenivasa sastrigal who was felicitated on the occasion. Here was a god-fearing man only had nothing but bhakthi, and devotion for his music, and with no expectation in return, travelled place to place, invited or un-invited, and spread the sampradhaya music tradition. These humble human beings had nothing but sufferings in life, yet, achieved the supreme realization that with toal anushtanam and devotion, those sufferings did not hinder them from doing what they believed in. I would love to go to Alandur one of the coming years, pitch a tent and immerse myself in namasangeerthanam. If you can give me more links, I would be very grateful. Thanks.
