Margazhi magic: Chennai’s season of rasikas, ragas and shared joy

The Margazhi music season has begun in Chennai, and concert halls across the city are already busy. Regular rasikas are attending multiple concerts a day, moving between sabhas and planning their schedules weeks. Over the years, the season has grown in scale and reach, becoming a defining cultural fixture for the city.

For Pavithra Charan, a marketing consultant who trained in Carnatic music, Margazhi has always been part of growing up here. “Music has always been around me. There was a time when I attended more than 30 concerts in a season. We would cycle across the city, sometimes attending afternoon concerts as well,” she recalls. These days, life is busier, but she still manages to fit in more than ten concerts each season.

“The number of concerts has increased enormously over the years. It’s a lovely time to go around the city. You also see many younger musicians and listeners now. Music is readily available online, so people who come to live concerts really value the experience,” she points out.

Venky Naik, 71, has been attending concerts even longer. “I’ve been coming since 1970, and December concerts have a different vibe today. Earlier, there were far fewer performers, but all the senior musicians were concentrated in key halls. Some concerts would even go on till midnight,” he says.

The entrepreneur observes that the festival’s timeline itself has stretched. “Originally, Margazhi concerts ran from December 15 to the first week of January. Now, the entire months of December and January are filled with music and dance events. It’s a good opportunity for both rasikas and performers.”

The season's growth has brought both excitement and reflection. “Sometimes you walk into a sabha and the audience is tiny. You do wonder whether so many concerts are necessary during this time,” Pavithra questions. Venky nods and shares, “But that’s also the point of Margazhi. It gives emerging musicians opportunities they might not otherwise get.”

For both, attending concerts is an emotional experience. “There are fast, joyful pieces, slower emotional ones, and sometimes something that moves you to tears. If an artiste sings a composition I’ve learnt myself, there’s instant nostalgia. The joy of listening with others, in a live hall, is something you can’t replicate online,” Pavithra explains

Venky agrees. “Sometimes, you miss the depth of the older masters. At the same time, young musicians bring new influences, even from Western music, and that changes the style and energy of the concerts.”

Accessibility has improved over the years. “Most concerts are free, and apps make it easy to plan which ones to attend,” Venky says, adding that it allows rasikas to hop between halls and catch a variety of performances. Pavithra agrees, noting that “Margazhi etiquette has improved too. People are more conscious about not using phones or walking out during a song, though there’s still a long way to go.”

Beyond listening, the festival also offers opportunities to learn. “Lecture demonstrations are fantastic. They don’t always get the audience they deserve, but if you really want to understand music, that’s where the nuances come alive,” Venky says.

Despite changes in style, technology, and audience, Margazhi remains unmatched in scale. “It’s like a giant buffet table.

Nowhere else, maybe except the jazz festival in New Orleans, runs continuously for two months,” Venky says with a laugh, and for Pavithra, the festival is a mix of learning, nostalgia, and shared joy, where hearing music with people who care about it creates a unique live connection that adds something special to every performance.

As our conversation comes to an end, Venky shares his 'secret' wish. “I hope one sabha opens a non-vegetarian canteen. I’m sure it would be a big hit.”