 Rajni, Kamal to attend 'Thiruvasagam' launch
 Superstar Rajnikant and matinee idol Kamal Haasan, other celebrities from the film industry and Union minister Jaipal Reddy will be the star attractions at the launch of Ilayaraja's Thiruvasagam, the musical epic, in Chennai on June 30, 2005.
'Thiruvasagam by IIayaraja', the first-ever Indian Symphonic Oratorio, will be launched and made available for sale on June 30, Thursday, 6 p.m. at the Music Academy in Chennai. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Culture, Jaipal Reddy will be the Chief Guest and launch the album. Eminent Camatic musician Balamurali Krishna will receive the first copy, said Ilayaraja in Chennai today.
Jayakumar, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Culture, will release the visual documentation of the making of Thiruvasagam and the first copy will be received by Dakshinamurthy Swamigal, Ilayaraja's guru in Carnatic music. Vaiko, general secretary of MDMK, will present a literary appreciation of Thiruvasagam. N Ram, Editor-in-chief of The Hindu will give a critical response to the project from the perspective of music, cross-cultural dialogue and inter-religious understanding.' Congress leader Peter Alphonse, film director Bharathiraaja and other celebrities from the film industry are expected to attend the function.
Ilayaraja said Rajnikant had informed him that he would attend the function.
The price of audio cassette is Rs. 50, CD Rs. 150; and a special package with CD+DVD on the making of Thiruvasagam and a Song book at Rs. 250. (Avail of exclusive Chennaionline discount of 10 per cent on these products till June 29, 2005.)
The entire funds for this project were raised by the Tamil Maiyam. The total cost of production is Rs 1.10 crore, of which Rs 35 lakh came as donations and Rs 75 lakha as borrowings from individuals and banks, said Fr Jegath Gaspar Raj, founder of Tamil Maiyam, a non-profit 80-G exempted charitable
organisation.
The album was presented to the President of India. Dr. Abdul Kalam on June 17, 2005 at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan by Ilayaraja, accompanied by the Tamil Maiyam team. Dr. Abdul Kalam listened to the Oratorio song in the presence of Ilayaraja and complimented it as 'great, a real contribution to Indian music and culture', Fr Jegath pointed out in Chennai on June 28. .
Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh received I1ayaraja along with Vaiko and the Tamil Maiyam team on June 18, in New Delhi: While complimenting the 'Thiruvasagam' effort, he underlined the fact that "culture is the core strength of our land," added Fr
Jegath.
IIayaraja and the delegation also met former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and former deputy prime minister L K Advani respectively and presented the album.
The launch event will include dance choreography of one song from Thiruvasagam, while the students' choir will sing another number.
Fr Jegath said in the presence of Ilayaraja that chennaionline.com had organised a contest for school and college students in various parts of the State called Thiruvasagam Contest, in association with Tamil Maiyam to create awareness among the youth about Thiruvasagam, coinciding with the release of the maestro's album. He added that Ilayaraja would hand over prizes to the top winners at the function in Chennai on June 30, 2005.
R Rangaraj
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