Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam, a one of its kind music and cultural festival organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Sangeet Natak Akademi and Ministry of Textiles concluded on a colourful note on 12th December at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram, Vijayawada, in the presence of Manisha Saxena, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Uma Nanduri, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
This three-day cultural extravaganza celebrated the legacy of the rich heritage of Indian classical music by bringing together renowned singers and musicians of the country under one roof. A food and crafts festival showcasing handicrafts, handlooms, cuisine and culture of the vibrant state of Andhra Pradesh. A spectacular display of ancient musical instruments also enthralled the visitors. One of the highlights of the event was the locally procured souvenirs from Mangalagiri, a weaving village renowned for its GI tagged Mangalagiri sarees, presented to the artists in alignment with the Travel for LiFE campaign of Ministry of Tourism, to promote responsible tourism. The event was accorded as a great success in highlighting the music forms, arts and crafts, cuisine and lesser known destinations in and around Vijayawada.
The event witnessed a soul-stirring beginning on the third day at Durga Ghat on against the scenic backdrop of the holy Krishna river with a captivating performance of Tyagaraja’s Pancharatna Kritis by Nagamani Srinath, S Sowmya, Malladi Brothers and other renowned artists from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. This soulful rendition was followed by a series of insightful and enlightening performances at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram. The audience was enlightened by a remarkable performance of Shri Rama Sugreeva Maithri by D Uma Maheswari from Andhra Pradesh followed by a soulful group rendering of compositions of Adibhatla Narayana Dasu by students from Vijayawada. The group rendering of Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam by Manda Sudharani and disciples from Vishakhapatnam garnered great appreciation from the audience. Premeela Gurumurthy from Chennai presented a thought provoking lecture demonstration on Kshetrayya Padams. The afternoon session witnessed a soul soothing rendering of Thoomu Ramadasu compositions by Popuri Gourinath, Gayatri Gopinath and disciples followed by a performance of Utsava Sampradaya Keerthanas of Thyagaraja Swamy by the students of Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University, Chennai. Stellar performances of carnatic vocal music by Mysore Nagamani Srinath, Sriranjani Santhana Gopalan and Priya sisters (Shanmukhapriya & Haripriya) set a euphoric climax to the event.
