Putting the 'he'art back into art
Lalitha Ubhayaker's centre for the arts is a place where young people can nurture their talents. Githa U Badikillaya finds out more.
Deccan Herald June 11, 2006
Stepping into 15/3 Palace Road, away from the din of everyday life, I am engulfed in an old world charm. In the teak doors, elaborately carved pillars and the ethnic wall-hangings of Smriti Nandan Cultural Centre (SNCC), are woven the dreams of 78-year-‘young’ Lalitha Ubhayaker.
Set amidst verdant surroundings SNCC is a celebration of art, culture and beauty. It is evolving as a crucible for nurturing and promoting young talent and creating spaces for our fast disappearing traditions. The hub for the Nrityagram dance sessions in the city, and children’s weekend activities, SNCC reverberates with the patter of little feet and cadence of their bodies.
This non-commercial foundation embodying the essence in our art and culture has had the likes of Padma bhushan Pundit Dinkar Kaikini, Ustad Usman Khan, Baha Uddin Dagar among others enthralling audiences. Dance recitals by Susheela Mehta, T S Satyavati, Shakespeare festival, Tal Tarang (tabla) by 24 youngsters, working with senior citizens through the Ashvasan foundation, and workshops have been conducted since its inception.
Life sans bitterness
In a symphony a few discordant notes go unnoticed when rendered by a consummate artist and the harmony flows smoothly. So also life drifts sans bitterness for Lalitha Ubhayaker, the noted Hindustani music exponent, philanthropist and guiding spirit of SNCC.
She takes me on a journey through a somewhat turbulent life and I am touched with the undiluted love and commitment for her cause. Bernard Shaw’s— Life is a splendid torch finds an echo in Ubhayakers’ SNCC.
It was a dream she says to have a ‘Living Art Centre’— “where all those things that I loved and cherished could in some way be perpetuated. I believe children from the ages of 5-16 years are able to absorb, explore and experience the beauty of art. When art and craft are woven into daily life, it furthers a natural flow of discovery in these formative years. Suffice to say that it is children with an artistic temperament that I’d like to work with and inspire. It should be a discovery of the art of living in creative giving.”
For this translation of ideas that were buried but simmering; she realised she needed a physical structure. “To design and build a place and go through all the hassles of commerce was tiresome.” She adds “I started this small centre— a temple of art, with only the essence of beauty entrapped in it on my land from my resources last year. SNCC is envisaged as a place where all arts would be interlinked to give a visual, living expression”.
“Music is my primary interest,” she says. In her mellifluous voice the evidence is not hard to trace.
“The bird of spirituality takes one directly to the Absolute. I cannot think of a finer definition of the divine other than— ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’. It’s a soul search.” It was to give a thrust to the guru-shishya parampare and to make talented musicians pursue music as a career, that the Devnandan Ubhayaker Yuva Sangeet Utsav was launched in 1986. This year will mark a significant milestone of completion of two decades and shall showcase veteran musicians who crafted their success saga under its auspices.
“Bangalore has a unique blend of cultural scenarios where Hindustani and Carnatic music are nurtured, classical and contemporary fusion dance forms are encouraged and English and vernacular theatre have their band of loyal audiences,” she says. “Not long ago there was hardly an art gallery as all the art appreciation and patronage was happening in the Raja’s land of Mysore. I started the earliest exhibitions where pictures were displayed hooked to nails drilled into the walls. The way art is viewed today is entirely different and augurs well. Commercialisation has helped, but at what cost? I’d thus like to portray art that’s free from commerce.”
“...I have put all my heart and soul into promoting art and SNCC is the culmination of this... Today the free annual November sangeet utsav is a much awaited national event. I want the rasikas to realise the true meaning of Art. This gift of creativity when it’s accepted by the rasika is the ultimate moment in an artist’s life.
Contact: 22258091/22265732 or: ashvasan@bgl.vsnl.net.in