The Graha Upayog - Appalam Vadam Vathal Varieties

This blog is about a genuine Brahmin couple who's selling Appalam, Vadam and Vatthal varieties. I found this couple’s stall during the 172nd Thyagaraja Aradhana when I was roaming and exploring the stalls after listening to various concerts of Musicians paying homage to the Saint Thyagaraja, one of the music trinity.

I’ve written an elaborate article on the 172nd Thyagaraja Aradhana, which describes my experience.

So while I was exploring the stalls; enjoying some food and savories, I found this stall put up at the outside of the Deekshithar’s house who is the archagar and descendant of Saint Thyagaraja. Sri Radhakrishna Sharma who hails from Thirunelveli, married to the Deekshithar’s sister, every year sets up their stall in front of their house.

Sri Radhakrishna Sharma and his wife in their stall

They had their simple yet delicious range of Appalams (Papads), Vadam and Vatthals. I was excited to try one and bought some Elantha Vadai Appalam (Papads of Jujube candy), which were soft and so thin. I bought some Rice Appalams and Ulundhu Appalams that day. And to be honest, I tried those the very next day and those Appalams were delicious with the home made food.

Graha Upayog's wide range of products

The tasty, crispy Appalams which became a perfect side dish for my Curd Rice made me write this blog. I thought this business needs shout out and all should try at least once. They were doing it not for the purpose of earning; as they are Vaidheegals and are divine, but they're doing this business genuinely expecting no big profits out of their heart.

Also on the Third day of this year's Aradhana, I got to know that, ‘In that Deekshithar’s house they serve Sathvik food for Brahmins’. As every year they serve Sathvik food for 100s of Brahmins during the aradhanai.

Beautiful River Cauvery in the Moonlight

For those who need Graha Upayog’s tasty Appalams, Vadam and Vatthals, you people can feel free to contact
Sri Radhakrishna Sharma – 9994137842, 8248227658
As they do send their products through couriers.

Advance wishes for your Tasty, crispy Appalam experience
Yours East Gaterr

172nd Thyagaraja Aradhana - A Grand celebration to pay homage for Saint Thyagaraja

Thyagaraja Aradhana is the biggest festival exclusively dedicated for Carnatic music. Thyagaraja Aradhana is a divine, spiritual and musical festival which is organized in the month of January every year, to pay homage to the Saint Thyagaraja. 

Saint Thyagaraja is one of the musical trinity. He is also known as the father of modern Carnatic music. Saint Thyagaraja was born on 4^th May 1767, at Thiruvarur in Thanjavur District. He belonged to a Telugu Brahmin family.

 

Not going deep into the history of Saint Thyagaraja, as it is available in a click away. 

 

Comittee members and Artistes

Lighting Lamp

After a long breathtaking history of finding Saint Thyagaraja’s Samadhi by “Bangalore Nagarathnamma” and inculcating the practice of celebrating Saint Thyagraja’s Aradhana, now it is the biggest gathering of all Carnatic music artistes in the bank of the sacred river Cauvery. The celebration goes on for 5 days. On the 5^th day, all Carnatic musicians from various parts of the world gather and pay their homage and seek blessings from Saint Sri Thyagraja by singing Pancha Ratna Kirtis composed by the Saint himself. 

Srimushnam Raja Rao

Inaugral concert by Padma Bhushan TV. Gopalakrishnan

Every year it happens with the same mettlesome. But for me, this was the first time to experience Saint Thyagaraja’s Aradhana in close quarters and interact with the artistes. It was divine and engrossing to interact with various artistes and also to click pictures of them and with them.

Kunnakudi Sri BalamuraliKrishna

Delhi P Sundararajan on Violin

 

It was my misfortune that I had to leave after the 3^rd day itself. But witnessing such huge event was indeed a blessing for me.

 

DAY 1

The biggest celebration was inaugurated by Padma Bhushan TV Gopala Krishnan, Padma Vibhushan Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, Srimushnam Raja Rao, Haridwaramangalam A.K Palanivel and other dignitaries of the organizing committee. 

Padma Vibhushan Umayalpuram K Sivaraman

 

Sri Sandeep Narayanan

Sikkil Sri Gurucharan

The inaugural concert of this year’s celebration was by Padma Bhushan TV GopalaKrishnan. Followed by Kunnakudi Sri BalamuraliKrishna’s vocal concert accompanied by Srimushnam Raja Rao on Mrudhangam and Delhi P. Sundararajan on violin and S.V. Ramani on ghatam.

Next concert was by Sikkil Gurucharan with Padma Vibhushan Umayalpuram K Sivaraman on Mrudangam and Delhi P. Sundararajan on violin.

It was followed by Sandeep Narayanan’s vocal concert with Sri S.P. Anandapadmanaba on violin, S.V. Ramani on Mrudhangam and Kovai V Mohanram on Ghatam.

Sri Anantha Padmanabha on Violin

Sri SV Ramani on Mrudhangam

I wrapped up the day 1 of the Thyagaraja Aradhana after witnessing all these concerts of legendary artistes. 

I had attended only the evening programs on these 3 days. 

 

 

 

 

 

 DAY 2

Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh and Group

Sri Kumaresh and Sri Ganesh with AK Palanivel (Thavil Maestro)

On the 2^nd day of the Thyagaraja Aradhana, I listened to Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh’s divinely rendering of Veena with Bangalore Jayachandra Rao on Mrudhangam, GuruPrasanna on Kanjira and Bangalore Pramothikaran on Morsing.

More glimpses of Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh

 

Sri Jayanchandra Rao

Next I witnessed the energetic and delightful rendering of Sri R. Ganesh and Sri R. Kumaresh’s violin with Haridhwaramangalam Sri A.K. Palanivel on Thavil and Bangalore Jayanchandra Rao on Mrudhangam.

Violin Duo of Sri Kumaresh and Sri Ganesh

Violin Duo of Sri Kumaresh and Sri Ganesh

Haridwaramangalam AK Palanivel

Madolin U Rajesh and group

Sri Sankaranarayanan

Sri pappu Gnandev

Mandolin U Rajesh

And finally, marking the end of the 2^nd day of Aradhana, I enjoyed a pleasant Mandolin concert of Madolin U. Rajesh, with Sri Pappu Gnanadev on Violin, Sri Sankaranarayanan on Mrudhangam and Sri Anirudh Athreya on Kanjira.

 

DAY 3

Kumari A Kanyakumari

 

Kumari A Kanyakumari

Trichy K Murali

On the 3^rd day of the Aradhana, I went in for listening Kumari A Kanyakumari’s Violin concert with her student Vittal Sri Rangan accompanied by Sri R. Sankara Naryanan on Mrudhangam, Trichy K. Murali on Ghatam and Bangalore B. Rajasekar on morsing.

 

Smt Bombay Jayashree

Then there was the star performance of Smt Bombay Jayashree with H.N Baskar on violin, N. Manoj Siva on Mrudhangam and B.S Purushothaman on Kanjira. The arena was jam-packed for this concert. 

Bangalore Sri Vivek Sadhasivam

 

Bangalore Sri Vivek Sadhasivam

I listened to Bangalore Vivek Sadasivam’s vocal concert with Bombay S.V Ramachandran on violin, Chennai S Thyagarajan on Mrudhangam and Trichy K Murali on Ghatam. 

Stalls

Not only the music, the stalls were also filled with lip-smacking food items and divine sculptures of wood and bronze, and various stalls were must-try ones. I've tried Stalls of Suswaad - A traditional sweets and savouries stall.

The best stall I tried there was 'A brahmin couple's Appalam', who were from Thirunelveli and a relative of the Saint Thyagaraja's temple Dikshithar, selling homemade papads, vadaams and vathals. All that I have tried were really tasty and good as it was homemade. But on the top of this they were not doing it for the sake of business but from a genuine heart.

My Takeaway from this experience

 

 

Caught in the act

Posing after the act

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Takeaway from this experience

I totally enjoyed being there for 3 days. From legends to budding artistes, everyone gave their best performance not only for the people, but also for Saint Thyagaraja. Musicians from different parts of the region had indirectly sponsored for the amenities. They meant it as a devotional seva for their passion and aspiration.

Cauvery river in a bright moonlight

Attending such core cultural events makes one to realize that our Bharath (aka) India is rich not only in terms of money but also in terms of culture, arts and architecture. But the major problem is that the current generation is not properly taught of these kinds of rich practices of the art and culture.

As for me, Culture always sets the base for any humanitarian quality. Therefore spreading awareness would help us to create a safe future.

Pictures - East Gaterr's clicks
PS : Sorry for the random placements of the images

Yours East Gaterr