Margazhi events should be year-long, say Rasikas

She confessed, “I only wish such recitals happened throughout the year rather than being contained to one month.”

As the festivities along the pond of Kapaleeswarar temple, Mylapore slowly dwindle, the throng of Rasikas biting into piping hot sambar vadas at Woodlands hotel outside Narada Gana Sabha, Alwarpet, grows thinner, the handful of infamous makeup artisans lay down their robust foundation kits and jam-packed lighting technicians take a breather as the month of Margazhi, the busiest season for Carnatic musicians and Bharatanatyam artistes, draws to a close.

Rasikas like Bhavika in the city, and thousands from other states, will have to wait another year to witness such performances. Going strong for almost ten decades now, the festival was launched in 1927 as an extension of a conference held by the Indian National Congress in Chennai - Madras then - but it severed ties with politics and became the much-awaited ‘Margazhi’ or ‘December’ season, and soon, the cultural identity of the city. Up and coming dancer Sai Vridhula, a disciple of Urmila Sathyanarayanan, who was recently awarded second place in the Talent Promotion Contest 2019 by Indian Fine Arts, said, “Sometimes, three of my favourite dancers perform on the same days. As an enthusiastic Rasika, I would love to watch all these performances and maybe that would happen if such opportunities were given to deserving dancers throughout the year rather than in just these two months.”

Ironically, the rental remains the same throughout the year, regardless the increased demand during Margazhi. A representative from The Music Academy said, “There is no special rate for Margazhi. The main hall is rented out for Rs 80,000 for four hours throughout the year. There is no trend of crowds increasing during Margazhi. The weekends attract a lot more people than weekdays.”