Mesmerizing Melodious Mandolin Magic!

Surprised by the array of "M"s in the title? Well, it is not just a coincidence or a dash of flowery words put together, but really what the truth is, re-emphasized by what I experienced today - a musical harmony so profound that it caught the entire audience spellbound! All powered by the small 2-foot musical instrument, played by the master magician himself - Shri. U. Shrinivas. The first time I heard him play was in the small city where I grew up, when my dad took me to his concert. That was the very first time I heard this little 'mini-guitar-like' instrument, that produces rich, captivating, soothing and mellifluous music that's an absolute delight to the ears. Originally a western musical instrument descended from the lute and first used in Italy in the 18th century, it was first adapted and made to jingle to the tunes of Carnatic Classical Music by the six-year old child prodigy named Shrinivas. After his concert today, I was so intrigued that I started probing into the Mandolin, and its various melodious forms.

The mandolin derives its name from its almond-like shape, from the Italian word "Mandoria" meaning "almond". It belongs to the Lute family of instruments, which comprises stringed instruments such as Mandola, Theorbo and Chittarone. The original "acoustic" Mandolin is a hollow oval-shaped soundbox with a neck-cum-peghead attached to it that serves as the fretted fingerboard. It has four pairs of strings, which are played with the fingers of the left hand and plucked with the plectrum in the right hand. The other form, the "electric (solid block)" mandolin, also looks similar, but the main difference between the two forms is in the way sound is produced. In the acoustic mandolin, sound is produced by the resonating of vibrations generated in the sound box when a string is plucked, the sound box also serves as a mechanical amplifier for the vibrations. Whereas in electric version, there is no sound box, the vibrations are picked by a device called "electric pick-up" which converts the vibrations into v low electrical signals which are then fed to an amplifier. Now, being of western origin, both forms of the mandolin are unsuited as such for playing Carnatic Classical music, due to the "pairs" of strings, which make it difficult to produce 'gamakas' or prolonged notes that are fundamental to bring out the full essence of Carnatic music. Also, the sustenance period of a note (how long it is heard from the time the string is plucked) is not sufficient enough to support low-tempo tunes. Here is where the 'magician' came in and transformed the instrument with his spell to eliminate its limitations. First, he replaced the pair of strings with four single strings to enable gamakams. He also added a fifth string to enhance the acoustic range of the instrument. Here's a sample of what the traditional western mandolin sounds like and here's how it sounds in Carnatic Classical style as played by Shrinivas.
Here's more about the instrument itself.

Today, I was fortunate to hear Shri. U. Shrinivas perform in Milpitas CA, a performance which was no less than "simply classic". He started with a "Varnam" in Shri Raagam, followed by a prayer song "Shri Gananaatha" in Raagam Kanakanki. Then followed a beauftiful piece "Entha Muddho" in raagam Bindumaalini . Then there was a sweet and enchanting one in Kalyaani Raagam which I simply loved. The best was yet to come though, with a splendid, flawless 'Raagam Thanam Pallavi' with a bouquet of Raagas (Raagamaalika) which left the audience speechless and the hall resounding with applause. "Jagadodhaarana" in Raagam Kapi was next, followed by "Aaduvome Pallu Paaduvome", a Shri Bhaarathiyaar composition. The last few sugar bites were that of a Sai Bhajan in Misra Adi Bhairavi Raagam, "Chandrashekhara Sundaresha" in Sindhu Bhairavi Raagam, and a scintiallting grand finale in the form of a 'Thillana' in Desh Raagam.

What a wondrous instrument with infinite melody, and what a top-notch performance by a musical genius, that is still reveberating in my ears!

Math Tricks!

Here are two sweet 'quick' Math tips. This was 'new learning' for me since I didn't know it, hence they find a place in this blog, even though they might be pretty well known, not sure.

1) This one I learnt today from my husband:
How can you quickly compute the square of any number ending with 5? For eg., 25*25, 65*65, or even 1035*1035?
Answer: The last 2 digits of the square will always be 25. The part that's more fascinating is this: to get the remaining digits, simply mutiply the number formed by all digits of the original number excluding the last digit (i.e. 5), with that number + 1. For example, for 65*65, the part of the number excluding last digit 5 is '6'. Mutiply 6 by (6+1) , that is, 6*7=42. Now pre-pend this number to 25, to get the result. So 65*65 = 4225. Similarly, 85*85 = (8*9) prepended to 25 i.e. 7225. And 1035*1035 = 1071225, which is (103*104) concatenated with 25.
Isn't that neat, and simple!

2) This one I came across in a book, and then quickly realized that it is actually a simple application of the square of (a +or- b), which is sqr(a) + (+or-) 2*a*b + sqr(b). Actually my dad has mentioned this trick to me way back when I was in middle school.
The question is to quickly calculate the square of numbers that are close to 50, for example, say 48. All you have to do is sqr(50) = 2500. Then calculate 50*2*(the difference of that number from 50) = 100*(difference of the number from 50). So in this case, we get 100*(50-48) = 200. Then, if the original number is greater than 50, add this result to 2500, else subtract this result from 2500. So in this case, 48 being lesser than 50, we subtract 200 from 2500 to get 2300. This (2300) is the approximate value of the square of 48. To get a precise value, add in the square of the difference of the original number from 50. So, in this case, we would add (to 2300), a value of sqr(50-48) = sqr(2) = 4. So the exact answer is 2300+4 = 2304.
Here's another one to illustrate, in case you got confused :-)
53*53 : We need 2500+ 100*(53-50) + 3*3 = 2500 + 300 + 9 = 2809.
Ain't it cool :-)

Relativity Demystified

Few days back I realized I don't really know all about the celebrated Einstein's Theory of Relativity which is considered one of the most significant findings of modern Physics. So I set out to read about and understand it. Here are some of the main tenets:

• Notion of space and time as a composite inter-woven concept (space-time continuum) i.e. one is useless without the other, and any event in the universe is described in terms of both space and time.
• Speed of light is the speed at which information travels from the point of occurrence to another point. (since we come to "know" about an event through light, or a radio signal say, both forms of electromagnetic radiation which travels at speed of light - 186,000 miles/sec in vacuum.)
  
• The concept of "frame of reference" that comes up often in Physics which is basically, "where is the observer with respect to the event under consideration". There is no absolute frame of reference since no place in the universe is absolutely stationary (we, for eg. are moving with the earth even when sitting tight in a spot).
• Special relativity says 2 things: One, the laws of physics hold true in all frames of reference. The point to note is that this does not mean the results of experiments or the actual numbers obtained by applying the laws of physics will be the same in different frames of reference, all it says is that the laws themselves will be applicable the same way regardless of the frame of reference. Second, (and this one's the more mind-boggling!) the speed of light is the same (constant) in all frames of reference. Now, why is that unbelievable? Because if you are in a bus that's moving at 30 miles/hour and you throw a ball at 2 miles/hour wrt. you, then an observer outside the bus (i.e. in a different frame of reference) would perceive the ball as moving at 30+2=32 miles/hour. Then, why is light coming from the headlights of the bus not moving at c + 30 miles/hour wrt the observer outside, but instead moving at its good old speed, c, no matter what? Hmm...that's what we need an Einstein to explain to us :-)
• To explain the 2nd postulate above, here's another perplexing truth - an object in motion shrinks (yes, I do mean decreases in length!) in the direction of its motion. This phenomenon is called length contraction. In reality, the contraction is too less to be perceived since moving objects around us are always moving at speeds that are far too small compared to the speed of light, so the change in length is too small. Point to note here is that this contraction can only be perceived by an observer in a different frame of reference than the object. Also, the contraction is only observed in the direction of motion and not in other dimensions of the object.
  

Mantra vs Shloka

I happened to ask my father and Perippa(father's elder brother) the other day about the difference between Shlokas and Mantras in Hindu religion. The basic difference as I learned is that the essence of Mantras lies in "sound", in rhythmic chanting with varying emphasis that generates different energy levels in the body; whereas Shlokas are meant more for our well-being and peace of mind by reciting verses in praise of the Lord that inspire us towards goodness.

A more detailed explanation is here from my Perippa's e-mail:

Shloka is like a hymn offered as a prayer to God, mostly extolling glorious attributes of God, praying for our well-being. It is an ingenious technique of putting into practice Positive Thinking, as all shlokas talk about positive attributes. While we hear lot of lectures on Positive Thinking, seldom have they suggested the techniques to practice. No one is going to keep on repeating - "I want to think positive and practice". But by repeating shlokas, he reminds himself of good things. The meanings of Astothram (by which a priest does archana in a temple) are all nothing but good attributes of God which we need to imbibe. If you are asked to repeat them in raw form, you may not do so. But if you create an interesting model, like offering flowers to God chanting archance, you will do it with joy. Our tradition has conceived easy ways that can be practised by people of all walks of life, intellectual levels and of all ages.

Mantras are that which protects you by chanting it, protects your mind from negative thoughts.  Manana Thrayate Ithi Mantra. Sound by itself is all-powerful - it is the sounds that has manifested the universe, it is sound that will unmanifest the universe too. Mantras are the powerful carriers of cosmic energy. Rhythmic recitation of Mantras generate bioelectrical impulses in the neural system and sensitize the endocrine glands and activate specific neuro-harmonal secretions for a healthy body, creative mind and ESP. Vedas and Gayathri Mantram belong to this category. For instance, HariOm - the sound "Ha" activates solar plexus, "Ri" activates thyroid, and "Om" activates the brain.

Exceptions: Vishnu Sahasranamam and Lalitha Sahasranamam, though in the form of Shlokas, contain powerful syllables, the recitation of which have good effects on human body and mind.

A brilliant Arangetram performance

Yesterday I got a great opportunity to witness a splendid Arangetram performance by a little girl. Not only did I find myself spellbound in the supreme quality, perfection and sublime expressions of the dancer, but was also charmed to see Indian tradition practised and presented so richly here in the United States. I also learned about the various stages in an Arangetram, and about divine stories from Hindu religion that get an outlet through Indian classical music and through the face of a dancer.

To start with, Bharatanatyam is a traditional classical dance form that originated in South India more than 2000 years ago. The word Bharatanatyam possibly has three different sources - first, it is interpreted to have been created by Sage Bharata; second, 'Bha' stands for Bhava or abhinaya which means expressions, 'Ra' stands for Raga or melody, and 'Tha' stands for Thala or rhythm; third, Bharata could refer to either the author of Natya Shastra or to a legendary king after whom the country of India is supposed to have been named, and natya is Sanskrit word for dance drama. 

Arangetram literally means to ascend (etram) onto a stage (arangam). This is the first solo performance a dancer gives after years (typically 5-6 ) of rigorous training under a Guru. The performance consists of a sequence of items learned , with great devotion to God and to the Guru.

 (Ok, all this is not my original stuff, but picked from the invitation brochure :-) but my point is about sharing knowledge, original or borrowed :-))

Now let me get to the performance itself, by the 11-year old girl called Ramya. The first three dance items were the Pushpanjali (offering flowers and seeking the blessings of Lord Nataraja, her dance Guru, the musical orchestra members,  and the audience), Ganesha Vandanam (seeking the blessings of Lord Ganesha who is the deity to whom we pray upon the start any auspicious occasion) and the Jathiswaram (which is all about intricate rhythmic patterns and tests the Anga Shuddhi or clarity of execution of the dancer; in other words, let's the dancer's feet do the talking). Then came the Varnam which was an elaborate and intricate piece depicting episodes from life of Lord Muruga. Let me get into some stories here :-) 

First episode was Omkara Swaroopa - when Lord Muruga was a young child, he once asked Lord Brahma the meaning of the Pranava Mantram "Om". Lord Brahma felt piqued and lost his temper, at which Muruga silently laughed and locked Brahma, the Creator of the Universe, behind bars.  Muruga then went and sat on his father, Lord Shiva's lap and told him in his ear, the meaning of "Om"; thus it was a unique moment when a son was teaching his own father! This incident happened atop mount Swamimalai and is called Omkara Swaroopa. 

The second episode was the slaying of the daemon Surapadman by Lord Muruga. 

The third episode was Valli Thirumanam which is the story of Lord Muruga's marriage to the poor gypsy girl Valli. Muruga has two wives, Devayani and Valli ; Devayani was rich and daughter of a King, whereas Valli was from a tribal community. Lord Muruga charmed by Valli's beauty, disguised himself as an old man, and went to Valli's house, feigning hunger and asking for Bhikshai. Valli took pity and gave him food, but after that, Muruga asked her to marry him. Valli was shocked and refused. When she failed to give in, Muruga called upon his brother, the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha to scare her. Being chased by an elephant, Valli finally surrendered to Lord Muruga. (My own thoughts on this: how righteous is it to scare somebody into marriage, isn't it coercion?? But the Gods must have good reasons for doing so I guess !)

After the intermission, the Arangetram continued with the Padams, the first Padam being a depiction of Lord Shiva's Thandava dance in the golden hall of the Chidambaram temple. The second Padam was my favorite piece of the entire Arangetram - it was in praise of Maiya Yashodha's nandalaal, her baby Lord Krishna. The piece was particularly enchanting due to its richness in facial expressions as the dancer did an excellent representation of the roles of both Yashodha and Shri Krishna, changing quickly from one to the other. The story behind it was that Shri Krishna is playfully hiding from his mother and she is trying to look for him, beseeching him to come to her. Finally she gives up and goes to churn butter, at which Krishna comes out from hiding in the hope of eating butter. Yashodha is delighted beyond measure to have her son come to her. She tells her "Wait, son. I just started churning the butter, after it is ready, you can eat". But Krishna's eagerly wishes to eat the butter immediately and looks on at the butter with  longing, gleeful eyes. And then, a miracle happens and Krishna's very glance causes the butter to get churned and ready all at once, within the blink of the eye. Yashoda is stupefied at the miracle and falls more in admiration and awe of her son's powers than ever.

The two final pieces of the Arangetram were the Thilllana (an effervescent piece with focus on rhythm and sculpture-like poses) and another Padam (Aandal Padam), in which Bhoodevi, the consort of Lord Vishnu, sings praises of her Lord and portrays her devotion for Him.

Before I conclude, I must mention a word about the musicians in the orchestra. All of them were highly talented individuals, who had come all the way from Chennai to give support - Vocal, Mridhangam, Nattuvadyam (the cone shaped bells that give Thalam or rhythm), and Violin respectively. I enjoyed all the music thoroughly. A fitting team for an able and outstanding dancer who provided the crowd with rich traditional entertainment. All in al, it was an amazing and highly enriching experience for me after a very long time.