Our series of day-by-day reports of the entire Convention can be found here.
By Isha Bhallamudi, Aroon Narayanan and Nithyanand Rao
Sorry, this is not an FAQ. Please visit SPIC MACAY’s official website for definitions, programmes and schedules.
Packed Registrations
Yesterday was the first day of the Second International Convention of SPIC MACAY, called ‘InterCon’ by the student volunteers and participants at large. The last few days had been packed, with the nearly 2000 participants and volunteers arriving in the campus and settling in. Hostels were a flurry of confused bodies trying to find, variously, registration ID’s, free food, mattresses and pillows.
Welcome Addresses
The day finally dawned bright on InterCon’s inaugural events. Soon after breakfast and another round of registrations, the morning’s events began at the CLT (Central Lecture Theatre). Mr Chaitanya Vijay, Secretary of SPIC MACAY Chennai & chief student coordinator, who is a research scholar at IIT-M, welcomed the incoming delegates and delivered a vote of thanks to the Director and the Registrar. He went on to give the audience general pointers about harmonious living in the campus, including tips on dealing with the ferocious primates (no sarcasm here — I talk of the macaques found on campus!). By the time he concluded, the crowds had forced student volunteers to direct groups of school children to seat themselves in rows on stage. Great turnout for day one, indeed!
This was followed by a number of short speeches by various persons associated with the SPIC MACAY movement, many of whom had been members since their college days. These speakers included SPIC MACAY’s ‘resident poet’, Mr. Tiwari, who regaled the audience with poetry and inside jokes; Mrs. Sushma Thomas, who made urgent appeals to the audience to follow the rules set down by the convention and focus on enjoying every moment; Leela Venkatraman, the eminent dance critic, who urged the audience to ‘let art take you to spaces that cannot be reached in ordinary life’, and Prof. Milind Brahme and Prof. Abhijeet Deshpande, who spoke about the IIT-M campus’ heritage and its rich wildlife.
Prof. Kiran Seth, founder of SPIC MACAY , then delivered a short speech, emphasizing on the rules that all participants are expected to follow (these include zero gadget use, not stepping out of campus, not meeting people from outside the campus, consuming no junk food, etc.). He also warned, jokingly, that everyone’s incentive for not using their phones would be having them taken away and auctioned at the end of the convention to raise funds for the SPIC MACAY foundation. That will prove effective, we’re sure!
Full house at SAC for @spicmacay #intercon14. pic.twitter.com/eNpVzab6Gh
— The Fifth Estate (@t5e_iitm) June 8, 2014
A Melodious Beginning: Nadaswaram-Thavil Concert
The marigold garlands at the entrance, the beautiful rangoli waiting to greet entrants and the scores of beautifully dressed people gave the auditorium of the Students’ Activity Centre (SAC) the air of a wedding hall. But here, the highlight was not the newlyweds but the wonderful inaugural performance that Sri Seshampatti Sivalingam gave on the nadaswaram, accompanied by K. Selvam on the nadaswaram, S. Gajendran, M.Subramaniam and Dakshinamurthi on the thavil and P.Subramaniam on thalam & sruthi.
Inauguration
Later in the evening, fleets of cars with flashing headlights escorting Shri Vakkom B. Purushothaman, Governor of Mizoram, to the SAC, caused quite a stir across the otherwise quiet roadways of IIT-M. The evening concerts were inaugurated by Shri Purushothaman and Shri Virendra Kataria, Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. (Dr. K. Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu, who was scheduled to inaugurate the event, was unable to make it due to unforeseen circumstances.) The Director of IIT-M, Prof. B. Ramamurthi, also made a short speech, followed by the Presidential Address by Sri Chinmaya R. Gharekhan, President of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
Ageless Splendour — Closing Concerts
These were followed by the highlights of the day: two musical concerts by maestros in classical music. At an age when most people find it difficult to perform daily chores without feeling tired, Padma Bhushan Shri T. N. Krishnan wields his bow with characteristic elegance and makes it sing for hours on end without breaking a sweat. Knowing that he was playing in front of a largely young audience — “It is my joy playing for you, it is my greatest joy,” he said — T. N. was unusually playful, taking his time to experiment with the renditions. His bow moved swiftly as ever, never missing a beat or faltering in rhythm. He started off with an entertainer, Vatapi Ganapathim in Hamsadhwani raga, rendering the composition with his usual elegance. Accompanying him were Viji Krishnan on the violin, Vid. Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam on the mridangam and Vid. Vaikom Gopalakrishnan on the ghatam. Then, he went on to play Mokshamu Galada in Saaramathi raga. Lastly, he played Aadum Chidambaramo in Behag raga. Although Behag is originally a Hindustani raga, the krithi has a uniquely Carnatic feel and T. N. again managed to pull it off with aplomb, with perfect swarasthaanams and amazing speed.
This was followed by a concert by Padma Bhushan Smt.Girija Devi who, like T. N., is an octogenarian, having first performed live in 1949. Also like him, she brims with enthusiasm and love for her craft. She started out by explaining to her audience what keeps her going even at her ripe old age. Said she: “Mein SPIC MACAY ke program ke liye kabhi na nahi kehti. Mein yahan bachchon ko utsah dene ke liye aayi hoon.” (I never say no to a SPIC MACAY program. I have come here to instill enthusiasm in the younger generation.) Her revelation that all the accompanying artistes on stage — Mitali Sen Gupta and Radhika Joshi giving vocal support, Sucheta Ganguly on the harmonium, Ustad Sarwar Hussain on the sarangi and Pandit Ravindra Yavagal on the tabla — were her disciples came as a pleasant surprise to the audience.
Smt. Devi started out with a piece in raag Jog. Despite the years it has spent pleasing the ears of connoisseurs of music, her throat retains a strong tenor. She sings with an unwavering grip on her voice, conjuring up alaps of different characters at whim. Next, she rendered a piece in raag Desh raga with a subtle hint of Malhar. At regular intervals, as is the tradition in Hindustani music, the tablist provided solo performances to liven up the concert. Smt. Devi and her disciples took turns in singing in their unique mannerisms and voices. Finally, to involve the audience further, she asked for suggestions for the last piece, and ended with a semi-classical Dadra piece that was requested.
On the whole, all those in the auditorium of SAC had the privilege of experiencing the performances of two of the greatest proponents of our magnificent heritage. Indeed, there was plenty in today’s concerts for young (like the little girl below) and old to be amazed at and take inspiration from, and we look forward to similar gems that the remaining days may bring.
Photo Credits: Nithyanand Rao
