Well Done Team India

India's convincing victories over South Africa and West Indies are a welcome sign for the sport in a country which has been marred by the IPL spot fixing controversies in recent times.Though India have had few victories against top teams in the last couple of years,what makes these victories even more satisfying is the contribution from lesser known players like Dhawan and Jadeja.

The bowling of the young Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is a welcome sign to the pace department.He has carried the promise which he has shown in the last few series.He is a promising youngster who can be looked upto in the test match arena.The opening partnership of Rohit and Dhawan has been impressive.Rohit at last is beginning to live upto the hype which has been created around him.Dhawan has been a revelation and one hopes that he doesn't go in the Gambhir or Shewag way.

Jadeja continues to be impressive with both the ball and bat.He has carried his form from the Australian series.The fact that the victories have been achieved in England is more satisfying.One hopes for an encore of the 2002 Natwest Final.Keep going India!!!!

Vaddane Varu in shanmugapriya

This composition in the raga Shanmugapriya by Thyagaraja swamigal is not something one might have heard very often.I had the chance to listen to this kriti played by the great violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman.I have not heard  the song anywhere before that.After listening to the shanmugapriya played by the maestro ,I was very much exposed to a new version of the raga which I was not familiar before.Only the Ni (nishadam) and Ri(Rishabam) are sharps and all the other swarams are flat.

The delicate touches with the already existing aesthetic touch of the composition gave the raga and the kriti a whole new dimension.Shanmugapriya already has some memorable compositons like saravanabhava guhanae,the famous thirupugazh "Muthaitharum"by Arunagirinathar,vilaiyada idhu nerama to name a few.But this kriti is a real crown to the raga.

                                     

                                                 Vaddane Varu by Lalgudi G.Jayaraman

The very famous film composition Maraindirundhu Parkum in the movie Thillana Mohananambal is also in this raga.