39th Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival to include bhajans

The 39th Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, claimed to be the “largest Indian classical music festival outside of India”, will be held in Ohio (USA) starting March 23.

This Festival includes celebrity artists in various concerts, bestows various music and dance awards, organizes educational programs, etc. It will include Sustaining Sampradaya program, which the organizers claim “will change the way you experience music for the rest of your life”.

This year, the Festival has added another program—Nama Sankeerthanam or Traditional Bhajans, which will be held on April two and will include Thodaya Mangalam, Namavalis, Guru Keerthanas, Ashtapathis, Bhadrachala Ramadasu Keerthanas, Abhangs and other traditional items. Kadayanallur Thukaram Ganapathi Maharaj and Udayaloor Sri K. Kalyanarama Bhagavathar will share and lead the bhajan with the Sustaining Sampradaya participants, addressing a wide variety of traditional items in different languages.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended the Festival organizers, volunteers and the Cleveland area community for piecing together such a wonderful event showcasing heritage and tradition of classical music and dance of India and Hinduism.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that the elements of musical theory were first found in ancient Sama-Veda. By tradition, the dance was invented by Lord Shiva who first danced the cosmic tandava. Zed urged Ohio Governor John R. Kasich to issue an official proclamation marking this unique and prestigious Festival.

The Aradhana Committee, a non-profit organization responsible for organizing this Festival, includes President R. Balasubramaniam, Co-founder/Secretary V.V. Sundaram, Co-founder/Vice-President Gomathy Balasubramaniam, Treasurers Roger and Jaya Natarajan, K. Venkataraman, etc.