Kavi Yogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharathi was born this day (i.e. May 11) 125 summers ago. To commemorate the 125^th birthday of this divine poet, Charsur, an organisation formed primarily to promote, preserve and support the art and the artistes who have made enormous contributions to the field of Carnatic music, has come out with an album.

Top artistes roped in

This album is a compilation of Swamiji’s compositions. The title of the album is Suddha Swaroopam.These compositions were set to tune by violinist Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, daughter of violin maestro late Lalgudi G.  Jayaraman. 

Top vocalists Bombay Jayashri and Abhishek Raghuram have sung in the album. Upcoming vocalists such as  Bharat Sundar and Amrita Murali, too, have sung in this album.  A variety of instrumentalists have embellished these songs.

For details, check out https://www.charsur.com/album/detail/574

 Charsur wings

Charsur has three channels to promote Carnatic music. They are:

·         Charsur Digital Workstation is a recording and production house. A music label - publishing Carnatic music.

·         Charsur Arts Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation, conducting monthly concerts and yearly festivals.

·         Charsur - 24x7 online streaming / radio.

Indeed, it is a great effort by Charsur to bring young and experienced artistes alike under its platform to produce this album as a tribute to the great Kavi Yogi. The album comprises nine songs and rendered in nine different ragas. 

Raja Rajan Award

Kavi Yogi Maharishi Shuddhanadha Bharati was born on 11^th May 1897.  A divine poet, a great yogi and a freedom fighter, he was reportedly initiated to the Mahaturya Samadhi, the highest plane in spiritual development, by a mysterious saint in the Himalayas.

 His intimate contacts with Ramana Maharshi, Shirdi Sai Baba and others seemed to have influenced his spiritual pursuit. He had spent 20 years in silence at the Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. He had written several books in Tamil, French, English, Sanskrit, Hindi and Telugu. His Magnum Opus, `Bharata Sakthi Mahakavyam’, fetched him after long years, the first `Raja Rajan Award’ for best Tamil literature, constituted by the Tanjore Tamil University. He founded the Shuddhananda Bharati Desiya Vidyalayam High School at Sholapuram village, near Sivaganga in Tamilnadu. He lived at Sholapuram during his last years. He attained Maha Samadhi on 7^th March 1990.