Kaarthigai Deepam

crouched in her balcony
she gazes at the street
agal vilakkus*
line compound walls,
illuminate kolams and staircases
in flickering geometries
of ritual auspiciousness

flames fickle
destined to
die a slow death
as oil surrenders to wick
or a quick one
from a wayward
Marina gust

no flame quite so steady,
she realizes,
as her everyday
kaarthigai deepam**

inscrutable glow of
cigarette butt
as he unflailingly assails
her neck, breasts, thighs
burning her with a precision
astonishing for someone
so drunk

---

*Earthen oil lamps
** see here
***Image source: Wikimedia 

Vijayadasami 2012

s'rI gurunA pAlitO'smi

It has been a year since my Guru Smt Kalpakam Swaminathan passed away. Among the many ways I've been remembering her today is through this rendition of s'rI gurunA pAlitO'smi. The song is part of a studio recording made by Kiran Kannappan and friends from SwaraSamuha in Bangalore in 2005.

Mami's trips to Bangalore for concerts at Ananya and Bangalore Gayana Samaj, the Veena Seshanna award, and her chamber concerts at Kiran's home, were among the high points of her last few years.

She never ceased to remark at the enthusiastic response she received at her public and private concerts in Bangalore, and felt that such a response for veena music was not to be found in Chennai. She was also overwhelmed and moved by the warmth and affection from Kiran and his family, at whose place she stayed during her trips.

abhayAmbA jagadambA

Just discovered some youtubed excerpts of a 2007 concert of Kalpakam teacher in which I had accompanied her. The rAga kalyANI followed by MD composition abhayAmbA below: