This year, on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary (October 2), soft veena music will reverberate the world over, from Melbourne to San Francisco and Chennai to Chicago to pay homage to the Apostle of Peace. Simultaneous veena concerts will be held in 50 centres worldwide, the first-of-its-kind in the world.
“The string harmony will usher in human harmony,” said V Raghurama Ayyar, secretary general, Veena Foundation, addressing a press conference at Madras Reporters Guild here on September 30, 2011.
In Chennai, the habitat of the national instrument, the veena, a nine-day celebration called ‘Veena Mahotsava’ will be inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah at Krishna Gana Sabha at 11 a.m. on October 2.
The programmes are being held to coincide with Navarathri festival. There will be no entry fee and the concerts are open to all, he said.
Simultaneously, veena performances will be held all over the world on October 2 at more than 50 centres, including Melbourne, Sydney, London, New York, Oslo, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, New Jersey, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Singapore and Denmark, and will continue till October 10.
In India, simultaneous veena concerts will be held from October 2 to October 10 in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Thiruvananthapuram and Thanjavur, Trichi and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Ayyar said.
“This is the first time a ‘Global Veena Mahotsav’ is being held simultaneously across the world,” he added.
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