Karnatic Temple Music

Well, I’ve had plenty of great days in Bangalore, but tonight was the first “magical” experience of our time in India. Yesterday Nagaraj took me downtown to the railway station to buy a timetable and check out the reservation system. We’re planning on several great train journeys, and wanted to get the inside scoop on advanced reservations. Alas, it was pouring rain, so we lingered inside and “took tea.” I bought a newspaper just for fun, and within it I found an ad for a concert at a Lakshmi temple the next day… What a karmic gift that was!

In the massive sprawl of Bangalore, this MahaLakshmi temple happened to be just 2 kms. Away… almost next door! Today is Lakshmi puja, where people make prayers and offerings to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. It is especially important for wives to make prayers for their husbands. I got to the temple early, and was invited to wash hands and feet, join in the procession of hundreds of devotees at the altar, and eat a meal prepared by the priests. Then I took a seat for the concert. I happened tos sit in the front row, next to Amith, one of the main performers.

What an exquisite experience… Sun setting and dusk falling, the light changing on the coconut palm fronds overhead, twinkling lights all over the temple, and the constant stream of hundreds and hundreds of people shuffling along into the temple itself. Then I looked up at the birds… no not birds, BATS were flying overhead, heading out at dusk to search for fruit. Massive fruit bats flapping on silent wings, 2 or 3 feet across, as the ¾ moon slipped out from behind the clouds.

And then the music… Oh my… 3 hours of truly exquisite artistic excellence… First was Pallavi Prasanna, a beautiful Karnatic vocalist, singing incredible ancient temple songs. Her voice, and pitch, and vocal control were astounding, as she danced up and down the scales, singing in Kannada. I was literally moved to tears.

Then came the father/son duo of Amith Nadig and BK Anantharam …. They both played mind-blowing high-speed flute, brilliantly supported by a violin player and phenomenal percussionist on the 2-sided drum (dholak?). These guys made me smile and laugh out loud! The ecstatic back and forth of the drum and flute was such a pleasure to watch… their interactions were playful and filled with joy, smiles and mischief. It seemed they were trying to out-do each other, or trick the other with a particularly frenzied riff…. But no one stumbled or ever missed a beat. As the man sitting next to me said after the final applause, “this music, good sir, is meant to take you to another world.” I bought the CD. Immediately after the performance, the violin player put down his instrument, pulled out his cell phone, and began text messaging…. Ahhhhh, Bangalore!

My camera had a “disc failure,” so I didn’t get any photos… And I may have lost most of my shots from this week… Oh well… the experience was divine, and I found out that this is the best time in Bangalore for “festival and temple music.” There are free concerts all week, not too far from my school, so I’m sure I’ll get a few more doses of this magical music! And while I’m at it, a few more dosas….