Vijayawada, May 06: Perhaps taking a cue from the daughters of well known Nadaswara Vidwan late China Moula Saheb, four teenage girls belonging to one family are enthralling audience with their music.
They enrolled themselves in the four-year certificate course in Nadaswaram at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams-run Sri Venkateswara College of Music and Dance, Tirupati two years ago.
Exhibiting her talent, 14-year-old Parimila Gangaratnam started working for the Venkateswara Nadaswara party during summer holidays. She played the instrument at the opening ceremony of Auto Nagar fire station recently and caught the attention of all VIPs present there. Gangaratnam’s relatives Parimila Madhuri Durga (14), R Lavanya (16) and A V N Durga (14) also joined the course with her in the TTDrun music college. They are residents of Chittinagar here.
Speaking to `Express’, Gangaratnam said her uncle and Lavanya’s father Sathrinath had been playing Thavil for the last three decades. He learnt playing the instrument from the TTD’s music college in 1980. The four girls used to frequently accompany Sathrinath’s troupe to functions and developed love towards Nadaswaram since childhood. They even learnt playing the instrument from Shivaiah master who plays Nadaswaram in Sathrinath’s troupe when they were ten-year-old.
After observing their interest for the instrument Sathrinath thought they would be well trained under the guidance of experts at the TTD music college, as he was aware of the excellent teaching imparted in the college.
The girls, who have two more years in the certificate course, are now competing with seniors in his troupe, says Sathrinath proudly.
Though playing instruments like Thavil and Nadaswaram is their family occupation, no woman in their family had so far come forward to play Nadaswaram, he said.
Lavanya said that she would continue her education in music by joining two-year diploma course in the same college after completing the certificate course.
Gangaratnam’s mother Pydithalli said initially she feared that the girls might not get married if they continue playing the instrument, but recently she saw several women playing the instrument on a television programme, which allayed her fears.
The girls are being paid Rs 500 for a programme now, but their aim is to achieve excellence in playing the instrument, besides contributing to their family income.
The four girls said that they would continue their studies through distance education as they stopped going to school in Class IX after joining the music college.
–Agencies