People thronged in large numbers to participate the deeparathanai at 10pm at the eastern raja gopuram on the first evening of this year’s Panguni Utsavam at Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple on Tuesday.
The renowned Thiru Maahaalam brothers, T S Pandyan and T S Sethuraman, who have traditionally performed at Thiru Mahaalanathar Temple, praised by the Saivite saint poets, came all the way from near Koothanur Saraswathi Koil to present a nagaswaram performance through the three-hour procession around the Mada Street that night.
Pandyan, who has been presenting nagaswaram at Thiru Maahalam for over four decades told Mylapore Times that it is a great blessing for the brothers to have presented in front of Sri Kapaleeswarar on the auspicious opening day of the Panguni utsavam.
His brother Sethuraman said that they are delighted to be continuing the traditional nagaswaram presentation in temple utsavams.
That night, for a bit, the sound from the periya udal (beating of the big drums) drowned the softer nagaswaram tunes at the start of the procession.
Some co ordination with the periya udal members who can move ahead at the processions through the rest of the utsavam will enable nagaswaram music to float around rasikas who enjoy it.
– Report, photo – S. Prabhu
