March 10, 2007, was an important day for true rasikas of Carnatic music in the UK. Our very own Dr Shrikaanth K. Murthy (DRS) was felicitated and presented the 'Rasikapriya' award in Maidstone, UK. Several rasikas, including members of website www.sangeethapriya.org a global community of over 2,000 Rasikas of carnatic Music, attended the event.

The evening's proceedings started with an invocation prayer by Ranjani (Ahiri on this forum).

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Next followed an introduction of DRS, and presentation of the Rasikapriya award by Rajagopalan Srinivasan of Sangeethapriya.

Sriram sang a composition of DRS in Desh, to set the stage for the main kutcheri.

Next followed a scholarly kutcheri by DRS. He was ably supported by Dr Jyotsna Srikanth on the violin and Amuthan Chandrakumar on the mridangam.

The songs he chose for the kutcheri were:

1. sakhi SrIkAntana - varnam - punnAgavarALi - Adi - Shrikaanth K. Murthy
2. tattvamariya taramA - Ritigowla - Adi - Papanasam Sivan 
3. O pannaradO kANE - kannaDa - rUpaka - Shrikaanth K. Murthy (brief AlApane and swaras in 2nd kAla)
4. paralOka sAdhaname manasA - pUrvikalyANi - dESAdi - Tyagaraja (AlApane, swaras in 2 kAlas) 
5. nA ninna dhyAnadoLiralu - kAnaDa - Mishra chapu - Purandara Dasa
6. SrI vEnkaTa girISam - suraTi - Muttuswami Dikshitar (AlApane, neraval, swaras in 2 kAlas)
7. Tani avartanam
8. innu daya bArade - kalyANa vasanta - khaNDacApu - Purandara Dasa
9. rAmAyaNa mangaLa rAgamAlikA suLAdi - Shrikaanth K. Murthy
(SrIrAga, dhanyAsi, vasanta, asAvEri, mOhana, saurAShTra, suraTi set to the suLAdi sapta tALas)

Ranjani presented the vote of thanks, wherein she thanked rasikas from the world over, including members of Sangeethapriya.org and Rasikas.org - special mention was made of Srinivasan of sangeethapriya.org and Ramakrishnan (srkris) of rasikas.org for making it possible for music lovers from around the world over to come together.

The audience was mesmerised by the brilliant swara patterns (and swaraksharas) that came our way.

The musical feast was followed by a culinary feast.

Dr S Raman