Kurai Ondrum Illai

The Ayodhya Experience

Dear reader,

There's no doubt that M S Subbulakshmi's rendition of Kurai Ondrum Illai holds a special place in the hearts of many. It sits atop, unrivaled.

But will you believe if we said it was Rajaji who wrote that piece? Yes, the good old Rajaji under whose blessings Swarajya, for its earlier avatar in 1956, was started.

Now if you're wondering why we are here on a Tuesday evening talking about this, think back to watching PM Modi walking in for the pooja at the Ayodhya consecration ceremony, with the tune of Raghupathi Raghava Rajaram and Kurai Ondrum Illai. It was beyond mesmerising.

Earlier this week, Swarajya managed to catchup with V. Prakash Ilaiyaraja, the nadaswaram player who brought them to life during the Ram Lalla consecration ceremony.

Firstly, who is Prakash Ilaiyaraja? He's a musician from Tamil Nadu who has been surrounded by nadaswarams his whole life. A family tradition for generations now, and he's carrying it forward. He's not alone in this though—his 9-year-old son, Kavin, is right there with him too, learning along.

But what sets him apart is how he thinks about music. He opened up to us about his sentiments regarding performing in temples, his family's distinctive nadaswaram style, and the journey of his son following in his footsteps.

If you're up for hearing about someone doing something they truly love, you're in for something really special: https://swarajyamag.com/culture/cant-ask-for-anything-more-says-prakash-ilaiyaraja-who-played-the-nadaswaram-at-ram-mandir-pran-pratishtha

Raghu