SrI:

Dear AasthikAs :

Srimathy SanthAna Lakshmi is a gifted poetess and
Saahithyam Composing Musician as well as a Master
Teacher of Carnatic Music . She has many compositions
to her credit ; she has tuned them and recorded them .
One of them is Govindha Sathakam .

The most recent creation of Srimathy SanthAna Lakshmi
is " Pathikku Oru Paadal " . Our Twelve AzhwArs have performed
MangaLAsAsanam of the 108 dhivya dEsams through their
divine Paasurams . There are 4000 Paasurams in the dhivya
Prabahndham . Although dhivya Prabhandham experts have
recited these 4000 paasurams in one day without interruption ,
it is not an easy task in the context of modern day preoccupations .
Srimathy SanthAna Lakshmi has maee it easy for all of us by composing
one krithi for each of the 108 dhivya dEsams and set them to tune
in beautiful Karnatic Music MeLa raagams and their Janyams .

The series on the 108 dhivya dEsam ( One song for each dhivya dEsam=
Pathikku oru Paadal) starts with AchArya Vandhanam in ChArukEsi Raagam
and is followed by the BhUpALam krithi , which is a SamarpaNa krithi .
These two are followed by 108 Krithis , one for each of the dhivya dEsams
starting from Srirangam and concluding with Parama Padham . The raagams
range from rakthi rAgams , Upaanga, BhAshAnga and SampoorNa Raagams.
Some of them are unusual rAgams :

Deseeyam , BhAgEswari , Valaji ( ThiruvAli-Thirunagari) , Vallabhi
( Thirucchitthirakootam) , Naaga GAndhAri (ThirukkAragam) ,
Vijaya Vasantham ( ThirukkArvAna PerumAL ) , Saraswathy
ManOhari ( ThiruninRavoor) , Jayantha Sri (ChOLa Simhapuram ), Chittha
Ranjani (VitthuvakkODu) , JOnpuri ( ThiruvARanviLai) , NaLinakAnthi
( ThiruppuLinkudi) , Tilang ( ThirukkuLanthai) , SarsAngi ( Thenn ThiruppErai) ,
Paras ( ThirukkuruhUr-AzhwAr Thirunahari) ,Ranjani (SrivilliputthUr ) ,
Hamsa Brahamari ( Thiru TaNkal) , UmAbharaNam ( ThirukkUdal Mathurai) ,
Raama PriyA ( TirumOhUr) ,Simha Vaahini ( ThirukkOttiyUr) , AandhOlika
(Thirumeyyam ) , BrundhAvana Saaranga for NaimichAraNyam ,
Suddha Seemanthini ( Thirukkadinagar) , Suddha Desh ( BadarikAsramam) ,
NavrOz ( SaaLagrAmam) , Kathana KuthUhalam (Gokulam ) , Sivaranjani
(ThiruvEnkatam ).

Besides the selection of such assembly of beautiful RaagAs , the Saahithyams
are very meaningful . Some have one charaNam and the others like the krithis
on Srirangam , ThriuvEnkatam have muliple CharaNams .

Al the krithis have the names of PerumAl , ThAyAr, VimAnam and Theertham .
They also have an one liner on the uniqueness of the KshEthram . Pallavi ,
anupallavi and CharaNams have details about the KshEthram and
KshEthra Naathan and unusual insights . They all have the Composers'
"Mudhrai of SanthAna Lakshmi " .

Examples of unique insights in the body of Krithis
************************************************** **************
1. BadrikAsramam : Naam uyya ashtAksharam bhOthittha perum Pathi :
The dhivya dEsam , where the Lord instructed as an AchAryan
the upadEsam of AshtAksharam for our upliftment . The Lord is
here in AchArya Roopam .

2. AadhanUr : Anupallavi(Raagam : Udhaya ravichandrikA )

AaNDavan aLappathaRkku talaippuram MarakkAlum
aLanthathai kuRippathaRkku idakkayil yezhutthANiyum koNDa ( AaNDaLakkum Iyyan )

Very few sevArthees would have noticed the Yezhutthu AaNi on the left hand
of the Lord in Sundara Sayanam . Smt.SanthAna Lakshmi such fine details
time and again. She concludes : "Sundara Thirucchayanam sEvikka udal
silirkkum " ( One would ahve mayirkkUcchal on seeing the beautiful
reclining pose fo the Lord ) at AadhanUr , where Thirumangai
AzhwAr and KaamadhEnu are present worshipping the Lord .

3.Thirukkudanathi AarAvamudhan: another Sayana PerumAL
************************************************** ****************************
The composer salutes this dhivya dEsam as " siRappaana thEr Koil"
( a dhivya dEsam known for its huge Chitthirai ThEr ) . She salutes
the PerumAL un CharaNam as " thEmadhura kavyAna Thirumazhisai
AzhwArin Tamizhukku yezhuntha PerumAn " ( As the Lord , who rose up
in UdhyOga Sayanam to respond to the delectable Tamizh Paasurams of
Thirumazhisai ) . AzhwAr commanded the Lord : " kidanthavARu
yezhunthu pEsu " and the responded with alacrity .

4. ThiruveLLiyankudi Dhivya Desam : Kolavalli Raaman
************************************************** ********************
At this sthalam dear to Sukran , the composer points the special
vigraham of Garudan having Four hands ( Chathur Bhujam ) .

5. AhObilam: Kuranji Raaga Krithi
********************************************
Here the composer aptly describes the KshEthram as : " Yuga-yugamAy
irukkum talam , bhaya -bhakthi koNDOr sevikkum talam " ( a dhivya dEsam ,
which has been here for amny yugams and a KshEthram worshipped by
those with Bhaya bhakthi ).

6. Thiru AyOddhi : Raagam ChArukEsi
*************************************************
The specialty of this KshEthram is pointed out as :
" NaaraNan maanidanAy avatharittha pathi " ( Dhivya
dEsam , where Sriman NaarAyaNan took the avathAram
as a Human being ) .

7. ThirumAlirum ChOlai Azhagan : Raagam ChArukEsi
************************************************** *******************
The composer salutes the Lord as : "Azhagar Malai Azhagan ,
Parama Swamy " . She refers to KaruppaNNa Swamy becoming Kaaval
dhaivam here and salutes His trip to Vaigai in Chitthirai and
His adoration of ANDAL this way :

" KaLLazhagan chitthirayil kuthirayil varuvAn
viruppamudanKothai soodiya maalai yERppAn "

8. ThirukkOttiyUr Uraha MellaNayAn : Raagam Simha Vaahini
************************************************** ****************************
About the specialty of this dhivya dEsam , the charaNa Vaakyam says:

" RaamAnujar Thirumanthiram pothuvAkkiya uhr
rakshikka NarasimhanAha Hari thOnRiya uhr "

One can go on to describe the special talent of Smt.SanthAna Lakshmi ,
who composed these 108 Krithis on the 108 dhivya dEsams ( Pathikku
oru Paadal ) with exquisite balance of Sangeetham , Saahithyam ,
Sthala PurANam and the specialty of the dhivya dEsam . It is
a wonderful experience to read the Saahithyam and enjoy
the tuning talent of this bhakthi filled devotee and connesieur
of ArchAvathArams .

Prakrutham HH Srimath Srirangam Andavan has provided an
anugraha BhAshaNam in Jan 2004 for these recordings & booklets on krithis.
A set of 8 casettes on htrese krithis can be had from the composer-
Musician at the Navi Bombay address of her son :

Sri S.DEvanand
No.7,Saras 3 ,kalash udyan , sector 11
Kopar Khairane , Navi Mumbai 400 709
Tel: 2 754 0250

With prayers to the 108 dhivya dEsa EmperumAns
to bless Smt.SanathAna Lakshmi's Kaimakryam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil V. Sadagopan

Hello Sir,

I was fortunate to attend few music classes conducted by Smt Santhana Lakshmi when I was in Navi Mumbai few years back.Since then I had lost touch.
Do you happen to have any contact information for Smt Santhana Lakshmi. If so can you please send it to me?

Regards
Jaya

Hi Jaya,

I am Mrs. Santhana Lakshmi's second daughter Gayathri Devi. Amma is now in Chennai. You could contact her in 044 65874111.

Regards,
Gayathri