Dr S Sowmya presented the SARASWATHI PURASKARAM - 2022

Chennai, Oct 7, 2022: The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation conferred the SARASWATHI PURASKARAM – 2022 to Dr S. SOWMYA for her remarkable contribution to Carnatic music. Dr. Vyjayanthimala Bali, awardee for 2019, and Justice Smt. Prabha Sridevan {retd.} former judge of the Madras high court, presented the Saraswathi Puraskaram to Dr. S. Sowmya.

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Dr. S. Sowmya, currently the Vice Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University and a visiting Professor at The Music Academy, Madras, is one of the world’s leading exponents of the Carnatic (South Indian classical) tradition of vocal music. She is reputed for her deeply classical style and for her large repertoire spanning a wide spectrum of composers, including some of the rarest works of the Carnatic Trinity. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards and titles, including the Sangita Kalanidhi in 2019 from the Music Academy Madras.

(L to R)  Dr Nanditha Krishna; Dr. S Sowmya; Dr. Vyjayanthimala Bali; Justice Smt. Prabha Sridevan; Dr. Sumathi Krishnan.

Dr. Nanditha Krishna and Dr. Sumathi Krishnan, Secretary, Music Academy, Madras and Trustee, The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, addressed the gathering. 

Dr Nanditha explained, "The Saraswathi Puraskaram has been instituted in honour of Smt. Saraswathi Pattabhi Raman who, along with her husband Shri. C. R. Pattabhi Raman, donated the ancestral family property of “The Grove” situated on No.1, Eldams Road in Alwarpet, Chennai, to the C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation.  An accomplished musician, Saraswathi Pattabhi Raman sang beautifully. Besides her musical voice, she played six instruments: veena, violin, mridangam, harmonium, flute and piano. She was trained in Western and Indian classical music. In 1977, she collected and published a book of traditional music for weddings, festivals and important events, titled Gowri Kalyana Vaibhogame (published by LIFCO), which she set to classical notes.” 

“The Grove”, the building where the Foundation is situated, was once a lively centre of music. Great vidwans of Carnatic music had performed here for the benefit of Sir C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar and his famous guests. Shri. Muthiah Bhagavathar taught Sir C.P. 's granddaughter; Smt. T. Mukta Ammal taught rare padams and javalis in the 1970s; and many great musicians have performed in the Foundation’s famous Kalyana Koodam.

In September 2011, The C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation launched the first Annual Navaratri Festival of Music. Dr. P. V. Krishnamurthy, Director General (Retd.), Doordarshan Kendra, inaugurated the festival with the conferment of the Saraswathi Puraskaram to Shri. M. Chandrasekharan, Violin Maestro, for his lifetime service in music.

The awardees since 2011 include Shri. M. Chandrasekharan (2011), Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. R. Vedavalli (2012), Kalaimamani Maharajapuram Shri. S. Srinivasan (2013), Kalaimamani Smt. Veena E. Gayathri (2014), Dr. Padma Subramaniam (2015), Smt. Chitra Visweswaran (2016), Padma Shri Awardee Aruna Sairam (2017), Dr. Premeela Gurumurthy (2018) and Dr. Vyjayanthimala Bali (2019).

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