Mellifluous notes in lush milieu

22 December, 2000

THE LUSH landscape along the Velliangiri mountains, 30 km from Coimbatore, was witness to the soulful music flowing from the flute of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia recently, the occasion being the completion of one year since the Dhyanalinga multi-religious temple situated at the Isha Yoga Centre had been dedicated to the world.

Adding lustre to the music was his son Rakesh Chaurasia on the flute and Yogesh Samsi on the table. The maestro unleashed a diverse range of ragas beginning with raga Sandhya Shree (a combination of ragas Marwa and Shree) dedicated to the Dhyanalinga, composed specially for the occasion, followed by a rendition in Hamsadhwani and Desh that evoked a brilliant performance on the tabla by Yogesh Samsi.
 
The open air structure at the very base of the Velliangiri mountains, the moonlight and the gentle breeze further added charm to the mellifluous notes from the maestro's flute. The three performing artistes played with perfect coordination left the highly disciplined and appreciative audience spellbound throughout the concert.

At the behest of the rasikas, the concert culminated in a traditional aarthi inside the 76 feet wide elliptical brick dome housing the Dhyanalinga. The limitless atmosphere of the dome, the soft lights from the oil lamps and the tunes of the aarthi further accentuated the meditative atmosphere infused by the powerful energies of the 13 feet 9 inches tall Dhyanalinga.