Rudram-Chamakam Session Suffers a Setback

Everything has a price. And it is more if the characteristic of the project is: of the elderly, by the elderly and for the elderly.

The session started off with a bang. Within moments of announcement about 14 members enrolled – as would any of Salman Khan’s Eid movies close booking within seconds of opening.

One guiding principle was that the session would be held at each member’s house in alphabetic order.  A few were keen that they would attend but not host. We reckoned that 14 was a good figure considering that on an average each member will have a five-seater sofa and six dining chairs in his house, to seat 11. And at any given time some members will be absent attending marriage, 60^th birthday, housewarming, and the like. So we settled down to small is beautiful rather than more the merrier.

Now comes the problems attendant with the elderly. The first person who had to skip even the very first class was my friend. He and his wife had to rush to Dubai as their daughter in law delivered the baby ahead of ETA.

Yet another moved in recently and promptly enrolled his name. He however alerted us that he would join only when he returns from Chennai after a while. We look forward to seeing his face.

Then came the turn of the person whom we looked upon for mid-course corrections in our rendition. He joined and withdrew soon saying he would be off to the States in ten days. But we persuaded him, and he did oversee our performance for three classes. We now look forward to his return to assess our progress in the interim.

“Sorry friends, I am going to London and will be away for six months,” came a jolt from another member. He was a better-rated chanter, and one could count on him for small corrections, though we could do so similarly with him.

Not to be outdone, yet another member continued in the same breath. “Yes gentlemen, I too will be away later, not for six months, but just for two-three months, to be with my daughters in USA and Canada.” In the chorus rendering his voice was always stood out - with the tinge of Sastrigal.

“We will manage with the rest. Anyway two will return in October, one in November, and so on,” we consoled ourselves with the dwindling number.

Amidst this exodus, I another SFVian asked me the other day. “How come you people take one hour to chant? I do in just twenty minutes; of course in fast-forward mode,” he said. “I don’t care much about intonation and diction.” That is the essence of Rudram-Chamakam, I felt. It reminded me of the surgeon announcing to the near and dear ones, “Operation successful, patient collapsed.”

Now comes the bombshell from Kalanidhi who started Rudram-Chamakam literally from scratch, but has made the fastest stride in the group. Yes, the family is relocating to Electronic city.

He has made two specific requests: one, not to delete his name from the group, He would recite in his home at the same time as we would here. Two, when he is fully settled, we visit his new home one day to chant Rudram-Chamakam. “We shall,” responded one member promptly, “but instead of the usual coffee, it should be High Tea as we shall be coming from a long distance.” “No, no,” quipped another. “Since the chanting is from 11 to 12 noon, it should be lunch thereafter.” “Why go in for all these?” asked the third. “We shall chant Rudram-Chamakam at his residence, avail of the usual coffee after the event. On our way back, we will all, including him, have buffet lunch at a good restaurant.’

Luckily, regardless of this temporary setback, we are a never-say-die group, never willing to take things lying down – improvement or no improvement in rendition.