Vidwan Rahul Ravindran, is a Graduate
in Business Management and Masters in Karnatak Music. He is also a Handwriting
Analysis expert and a Certified Advanced Pranic Healer. Rahul has presented
many vocal concerts in Karnatak Music and Jugalbandi concerts with Hindustani
Musicians. Rahul is a Visiting faculty at Vasavi Vidyaniketan for Personality
and Memory Development techniques and Karnatak Music Trainer at Shankar
Mahadevan Academy
Excerpts from the lecture
Vidwan Rahul Ravindran, presented a lecture-demonstration on Philosophical
Principles of Lord Ganapati with reference to the compositions of Sri
Muttuswami Dikshitar during Vanamala Center for Art and Culture’s July
programme.
This session was refreshing and opened out new vistas for the minds of the listeners to explore. With Ganesha Chaturthi round the corner, this lecture was aptly timed. Rahul spoke about the different parts of the iconography of Lord Ganesha and explained the philosophical meaning behind each.
Sri Muttuswami Dikshitar, one among the Trinity of music, has composed a number of kritis on Lord Ganesha and has used different descriptives in each of his kritis. He has also referred to many kshetras in his compositions. Why does Ganesha have a trunk? Why is His colour red? Why does He have a modaka, akshamaala in his hands? Why is the rat his vehicle? Why is he “Ekadanta”, or the single-tusked one? These questions and many others were answered in this lecture by Rahul through the compositions of Dikshitar. The importance of understanding what we say and what we recite was stressed upon, and the import of this reached the audience in an effective manner. Why Dikshitar has used certain adjectives for Ganesha in certain compositions and not any other was an interesting facet dealt with by Rahul. Overall, it was a very interesting lecture and enlightened the audience about how one can obtain a deep understanding of something as common as India’s favourite God- Lord Ganesha!
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