‘Naad Arpanam by Mandolin U Nagamani’

Every December, as the Tamil month of Margazhi dawns, devotion finds its voice through music. The air fills with the sound of ragas before sunrise, temple courtyards awaken with hymns, and Chennai transforms into a stage for one of India’s most revered cultural traditions—the Margazhi season. Rooted in bhakti and sangeetam, this sacred time is believed to awaken the spirit through sound and silence, where art becomes prayer and performance becomes offering.  
 
Carrying this timeless tradition forward, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre presents Margazhi Festival 2025, a two-day celebration honouring the divine connection between music and spirituality. On day two, the festival features an evocative Carnatic concert that journeys through compositions in Sanskrit, Tamil, and Telugu, paying homage to revered composers such as Muthuswami Dikshitar, Tyagaraja, Purandhara Dasa, and Gopalakrishna Bharathi. The performance unfolds as a seamless blend of devotion and artistry from soulful raga alapana and intricate kalpana swarams to the rhythmic depth of tani avartanam, beginning with an invocation to Lord Ganesha and culminating in tributes to Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, Lord Venkateshwara, Lord Muruga, and Lord Krishna. 
 
Led by Smt. U. Nagamani, India’s first female Carnatic mandolin artiste, the concert showcases her exceptional mastery and emotive command over the instrument. Joining her on stage are Sri U. Jaya Vigneshwar on mandolin, Sri Madipakkam P. Suresh on mridangam, and Sri S. Sunil Kumar on kanjira, together creating a tapestry of sound that celebrates devotion through precision, passion, and spiritual harmony. 

This performance is supported by Reliance Foundation.