KAAVYAALAAP POETRY SESSION

Organised by NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme, National Institute of 

Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science campus, Bangalore 560012

Programme: Kaavyaalaap Vaisistya

Introduction: Shankar Rajaraman, Meera Kumar Menon, Preeth Khona

Poet: Smt. S.K. Mahathi

Date: 8 December 2020 

Time:  04:00 pm – 05.00pm 

Venue: Zoom online meeting -Click here to fill in this Zoom registration form and receive the link directly to your email Inbox https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlfuipqD4qGdK2rKrHndu2b9jeWikfDnLn

Kaavyaalaap Vaisistya

Sahityam forms the backbone of a musical composition. Its devotional, social, cultural connotations are numerous and multi-layered, which not only adds on to the essence or the soul of the composition but also helps one understand the context in which it was produced. The soul of the Vaggeyakara (composers of the lyrics and the music) gets manifested in myriad ways through the composition which we as performer, learner and listener, get a glimpse of. Along with the musical ingenuity of the composer, the lyrical expertise is something one just cannot overlook, while appreciating a work of music. Deep in its philosophical and devotional content, the Sahityam also paves way for endless innovative explorations. The beauty and content of Sahityam in terms of its poetry combined with music has the potential to elevate the audience to higher levels of Bhakti (devotion). 

The attempt here is not to fix meanings out of the Sahityam that were used by the great composers, but to show how important a component Sahityam is, in contributing towards the larger experience of music. My insight into the beauty of Sahityam, its importance and the way it is brought out in compositions, will be presented out of my experience and training as a vocalist and learner. As part of the presentation, I would throw some light on the historical, philosophical and/or devotional content within compositions, while drawing some examples from within the vast canvas of the genre of Carnatic Classical Music.

About NIAS CSP Kaavyaalaap: 

Kaavyaalaap ("poetic conversation") is an initiative by the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme aimed at popularizing poetry and allied art forms. We, with NIAS-CSP, believe that the aesthetic experience of any kind can significantly and positively transform the individual's consciousness by allowing it to break free of the limitations imposed by day-to-day experience. Our endeavour is to provide an online platform for connoisseurs of poetry and related art forms to collectively experience an expansion of consciousness by being part of a carefully co-created aesthetic space. 

As an ongoing and fortnightly enterprise, Kaavyaalaap involves both Vaisistya  (formal) and Vaividhya (informal) sessions devoted to multi-lingual poetry and art forms that compliment poetry. These sessions are characterized by active participation and discussion. In the formal sessions, we invite scholar-poets to acquaint us with the nuances of poetry composed in specific languages. The Vaividhya sessions are occasions for poetry-reading by a selected panel of poets and enthusiasts from diverse linguistic backgrounds, based on a variety of chosen themes, or poets of liking. Please note that our online sessions will be facilitated through zoom calls.

If you have a question or a suggestion for a poet, email the Coordinator of NIAS CSP KAAVYAALAAP 

Preeth Khona. Email: preethkhona9@gmail.com 

For general queries on CSP, please email niascosnciousnessprogramme@nias.res.in