I have known for decades that Revati and Natesan have been very supportive and successful in encouraging CTU children – especially young girls – for Sahasranama learning and musical chanting. However, only in the mid 90’s for the first time I learned from Tyagaraja Rao, that Indu Mami had organized a Western Orchestra playing Tyagaraja Kritis with Indian and American students in the Houston and Dallas area. I was immediately keen on bringing that group to perform at our Utsavam. Though Indu mami had been attending our Utsavam from the early eighties, she was more a part of the audience than taking an active part in CTU. I could say the same about MG Srinivasan or Ramaswamy or Sunder or any of our core volunteers. I contacted Indu Mami (about the Western Orchestra) and to my surprise she said she could train our kids, just as well (as the Houston kids), for such a performance. My calculations were only on the expenses and transportation costs and suddenly I realized that she could simply tap the western instrumental training of Indian kids for a grand performance at a minimal cost. I jumped at the idea. I did not realize what a tremendous potential she had, till I saw her in action.
The rehearsals had to be scheduled only after each student getting at least three private lesson from her. She was very quick in correcting the students’ errors on bowing, tuning and aberrations of musical notes. Her ability to spot and correct the errors then and there was phenomenal. Her quick distribution of written music in western notation for several Kritis, her scheduling of 30 to 40 children for rehearsals and doing them successfully- these were remarkable feats by any standard. Finally, on the big day, I could not believe my ears when my son Manu played Vatapi (Hamsadhwani) on the violin, though he had zero formal training or understanding of what a raga meant.
I knew from the late 70’s that Indu Mami was cinema actor Ranjan’s sister and that she was my father’s student. Brinda and Indu as they were affectionately called by my father (the sisters) were taught Sanskrit at their tender age of 8 or 9, that too around 5am everyday! That was in Triplicane, Madras. My father was all praise for their sharpness and discipline. I vaguely remember visiting a spectacular Navaratri Golu in their house.
Indu Mami was also an outstanding professional artistic painter. When I came to know that, my immediate interest was in getting a genuine painting for the cover of the CTU Brochure Tyagaraja Vijayam. From then on, she would happily send me the originals which I continued to request for many, many years. The serene illustration of Vishnu on the cover of the CTU’s Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram booklet is her gift to CTU. While people were bringing bazaar calendars to copy for the cover picture, Indu Mami gifted the best for the Utsavam.
This year (2006) in February when I spoke about CTU in Madras television and Jaya TV, one of the basic queries was how we should inspire Western trained students to play our music. I made it a point to specifically mention Mami’s immortal contribution to CTU, her musical gifts, and her unique books on Carnatic music in Western notation.
When I came back from India in March 2006, I had a sudden call from Mami. She apparently came to know that I had specifically talked in Madras Television about her contributions to CTU. She said she had tears in her eyes when she heard about my talk. And she said, though due to old age she could not continue to train kids for the orchestra, she would somehow organize the Western Orchestra once again, for the next year (2007). Unfortunately this will not be. Our young and enthusiastic children who are good in Western music have been denied a superb teacher, as Indu Mami is no more around to inspire them into Carnatic music.
We will miss her profoundly as a teacher, a scholar and a devout lover of music, painting, and the arts, Sanskrit and the classics. Needless to say, such persons are rare and we were fortunate to have known and been associated with such a volunteer for CTU.
We pray for her soul to rest in peace and harmony.
Grief stricken,
TES Raghavan