An Indian Bagpiper and his decorated Bull

Back in Bangalore since a few weeks- this time after spending some 18 weeks in London with son's family. And staying here at my daughter's place for health check-ups and medical procedures.

My mobility has taken a back seat of late, due to Arthritis and nuropathic problems. Back seat because I require a driving prop for walking – whenever I need to walk for more than a minute, restricting to distances within the house Flat. And an accompanying elbow-crutch (commonly called a stick) keeping company in all places. The international flights were a bit easy since wheel-chair service takes you to destinations!

Why I am narrating all this boring stuff? Only to show-case that my window to the outer world has narrowed down to the view from the balcony adjacent to my bedroom, barring the exposure on the TV to the virtual 2 dimension world. And yes, it is the balcony which holds a small window to the outer world of space-time dimensions on the back side of our Flat. There is a lane – a 'kutcha' road on the back side beyond some 60 feet, visible due to non construction of houses in some vacant plots. I often wonder how long these plots remain vacant due to probable disputes of ownership or lack of finance. But being vacant they gave some advantage to me. Lot of grass and weird plants and trees have grown there which offer some greenery and fresh air and occasional sight of a few sparrows and mynas. Apart from that they give me a view of the small road sparced by lower middle class houses and roofs which may be nick-named as match boxes. The sharing of water and washing stone at the road-side Boring pump, house-wives chatting after the daily chores, auto rickshaws and small size goods- carriers helping people for make-shift arrangements etc provide some glimpse of outside life. Luckily it is not a low-lying area, else we could witness water logging and flotillas during heavy rains of Bangalore which had become famously infamous in recent times. The next best thing is the hawkers visiting the place with their small carts of merchandise. They seem to follow a strict time-table.. like news paper boys at 7 AM, tiffins like idli and dosa by 7.30, vegetables by 8, Flowers between 8 and 8.30, old paper collectors by 9, plastic items by 10.30 and tender coconut sellers by 11 AM etc. etc. This kind of their selling with different sounds of bell or yell that too in unknown languages gives some entertainment and time pass. And these hawkers need to make a return trip of selling in the lane as there is a dead-end of the road due to the construction of other Apartments nearby.

Back to bed after news paper/TV, I skim through the internet and the YouTube on my iPad for a variety of my interests, within the available time between powercuts and Wifi connectivity. YouTube catches my fascination because of so many generous enthusiasts sharing their valuable recordings of events. This helps me in listening to my favourite old songs, classicals and pictures of the past.

But today it was different. As soon as I was settling on the bed with my ipad, there was the lilting music of 'Sannayi' {Sannayi and Shehnayi are equivalents of musical instruments in the southern and northern India respectively for playing in temples and auspicious occasions like marriages} renting the air on the balcony side. And it was my favourite raga Abheri being played. The music grew louder and I get up and go to the balcony with my stick. And Lo! there is that young man blowing music into the Sannayi and followed by a decorated bull. Eversince Karaikuruchi Arunachalam played on the Sannai for Gemini Ganeshan's role in “Konjum Salangai” {“Muripinche Muvvalu” in Telugu} and accompanying S Janaki with her superb rendering of “Singara velane” in Tamil or “Nee leela paadeda Deva..” in Telugu - an everlasting melody - it has become a boon to the Sannai players who invariably play this song on all auspicious occasions and Abheri raga has become specially favourite with them. This boy however was playing the raga Abheri proper and not the film song, and to all its melodious nuances. Being my favourite raga too I listened with rapt attention. The bull was nodding his head in appreciation and rhythmically following him. The bull was decorated with colourful blankets and garlands of beads. A bunch of boys from the nearby slum and two or three stray dogs from the street were also following out of curiosity. The sight reminded me of the story of the Bagpiper – albeit with a difference.

The Sannai players accompanied by decorated bulls known as 'Gangireddu melam' is a common sight in villages of Andhra and other soutern states at the time of Makar Sankranti (Pongal). The households respectfully offer food grains, money and clothes to the Sannai players as well as the bull. The bull represents Basavanna, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. However coming so early in the month of October – around Dussehra and Diwali – was somewhat a rare sight for me. May be in Karnataka this is the time for their appearance. That boy may not be having any formal training into classical music but I was impressed by the Abheri raga played by him. It gave a freshness to environment just like a rural backdrop.

I had been listening to my favourite Abheri raga sung or played by various musicians of yore on the YouTube over the last few days.. right from “Eppadi paadinaro..” of Suddhananda Bharati sung by D K Pattammal in her prime youth times (may be 1940's) through saint Thyagaraja's “Nagumomu..” the evergreen renderings by BalaMurali krishna as well as Jesudas, Mysore Vasudevachar's “Bhajare manasa..” (credit:Ananya Ashok) upto Maharaja Swati Tirunal's famous Tillana rendered at Swati Sangeetotsavam (credit: O S Arun) and Mandolin renderings by U Srinivas. There have been interesting debates on the internet as to the similarities and differences between Karnataka Deva Gandhari and Abheri; Bhim palas and Dhanashree ragas, Dikshitar school and Thyagaraja's school of rendering etc., without much conclusion. That shabbily dressed boy playing Sannai however looks illiterate and blissfully unaware of all these musings. Who cares as long as he can play music? And for what reward?

I want to gift the boy with a Hundred rupee-note and some new cloths or blanket for decorating the bull..but alas my voice can't reach him across this much distance and although from the backside of my Flat it looks closer, it is much round about way covering not less than half a kilometer for him to come up to the gate of my Apartments.

I let loose a sigh for him as the sound of Sannai slowly fades into the return journey.!!

--- Surampudi Venkateswara Rao; 19.10.2017