Day: 21 January 2012

Chicago IL: Telugu Association of Greater Chicago celebrated the harvest festival of India, “Sankranti” with a spectacular cultural program on January 21st, 2012 at the Rama Temple auditorium, in Lemont, IL. Over 800 people were in attendance at this grand event, which was meticulously organized by the executive committee members of the association. Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC) is a non-profit organization devoted to the awareness and promotion of Telugu Heritage and Culture in the mid-west region headquartered in Chicago. The Association was originally founded in 1971 and incorporated as a non-profit organization by the year 1978. What was once a brain child of small group of individuals, TAGC has grown to be one of the oldest and largest Indo-American organizations in the United States. TAGC celebrates and organizes various Telugu festivals annually and encourages participation by members and well wishers at these events. As a part of Telugu culture promotion, TAGC organizes three festivals every year: Sankranti, Ugadi and Deepavali in addition to hosting an annual picnic in summer. TAGC Membership is open to all who have common interests. TAGC programs are also open to non-members who will be required to pay a small entry fee. As a […]

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Chicago IL: Sri Venkateswara Swamy (Balaji) Temple, Aurora, Illinois observed Tyagaraja Aradhana on Saturday, January 21; this was the 23rd year of this event at the temple. On the Indian (Hindu) calendar Pushya Bahula Panchami marks the day Carnatic music’s Saint-Composer Tyagaraja attained Samadhi in the year 1847 at Tiruvaiyaru in Tamil Nadu, India. Accordingly, devotees of Carnatic music and Saint Tyagaraja all over the world observe the Aradhana around this time. On Saturday about a hundred and forty people performed Saint Tyagaraja’s Kritis in programs that lasted about eight hours. Balaji temple follows its own unique tradition of the Aradhana. The program started promptly at 11 AM with Sita Rama Kalyanam. At appropriate points during the Kalyanam, a group of seven children rendered four Utsava Sampradaya Kritis (USK) of the Saint – Shobhaane (Pantuvarali), Nagumomu galavani (Madhyamavati), Kouvai unnaade (Devagandhari) and Sita Kalyana Vaibhogame (Kurinji). These haunting melodies elevated the Sita Kalyanam to a delightful marriage of music and ritual. After the Sita Kalyanam, the program continued at the Sannidhi, as done in Tiruvaiyaru, with Chelulara (Kharaharapriya) performed by a violin-led group, followed by Guruleka (Gouri manohari) violin solo. The Pancharatna Kriti group was next, in which about fifty […]

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