Media Release

Udupi, Feb 19: ‘Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu’ or ‘May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.’

This Sanskrit ‘Shubhashita’ was the reverberating theme of the second anniversary celebration of the Udupi Brahmana Samaja of Muscat. The event was held on February 8, 2019 at Shree Krishna Temple hall in the city, in front of a huge crowd of devotees. The event included ‘Lord Shree Satyanarayana Pooja’ in the morning session and a flute recital by renowned flautist and Astana Vidwan of Udupi Shree Krishna Matt, Suramani Pandit Praveen Godkhindi and his troupe aptly named as ‘Krishna Fusion Band.’

Like last year, the group's first priority was performing the ‘Lord Shree Satyanarayana Pooja’ for the benefit of all devotees irrespective of any community. The huge crowd which partook in the Pooja programme consisted of various segments of the multi-linguistic communities residing in the city. The Pooja programme started at 9 am with the Sankalpa, followed by Harivayusthuthi and melodious Bhajan rendition by the Omkar Group.

Pradhana Archaka (chief priest) and the head of Udupi Brahmana Samaja group, Kalmanje Lakshminarayana Acharya performed the Pooja and fastidiously explained the story behind the Lord Shree Satyanarayana Pooja and its benefits which even a lay man could grasp. After the Katha presentation, Shree Vishnu Sahasranama was chanted, during which most of the devotees present, joined in chorus.

Subsequent to the chanting, Shree Guru Raghavendra Group and Udupi Brahmana Samaja, both lead by (Guru) Vidya, rendered melodious bhajans in praise of the Lord. Usha Acharya, Padma Acharya, Rajashree Rao, Vidya Bhat, Rohini Dinesh, Suma Jayaram, Pavana, Swathi, Shruthi , Jyothi Gurudas, Jyothi Sudheendra, Chaithra Sumanth, Varsha, Sawmya, Padmini, Sudheendra and Vinod (Dubai ) were the main singers of the Udupi Brahmana Samaja Bhajan group.

Mahapooja and Maha Mangalaarathi were performed from 12.15 to 12.30 pm, followed by prayer by the Pradhana Archaka for the well being of all the devotees who participated in the divine event as well as ruler and the people of Oman.

Mahaprasad was served with all humility to all the devotees, after the Pooja.

The working committee of Udupi Brahmana Samaja consists of Jayarama Rao, Krishna Prasad Rao, Manjunath Kaup Gururaj Sanoor, Guruprasad, Raghavendra Bhat, Pramod Ballal, Anantha Krishna Rao, Vinod Rao, Chandrashekar, Prasad Inna, Kaustubh, Gurudas and Mohana Krishna.

The Udupi Brahmana Samaja is adroitly headed and guided by Kalmanje Laxminarayana Acharya who is a well- known personality amongst all the devotees of the city, as a pious and very knowledgeable priest.

Music Maestro Pandit Pravin Godkhindi enthralls Muscat music lovers

The evening was reserved for an eternal melody of a different kind. Music Maestro Pandit Pravin Godkhindi enthralled the music lovers of the city with his mind blowing rendition on the flute. Suramani Pandit Pravin Godkhindi showed his prowess and mastery over the instrument. The programme was laced with pure classical and semi -classical pieces of Hindustani classical music and also bouquet of few ragas based on film and non-film items.

Earlier Pravin Godkhindi arrived in the city with his Krishna Musical Fusion Group’
The team consists of Kiran Godkhindi, elder brother of Pandit Pravin Godkhindi, an accomplished Tabla player himself who has been proving his expertise in assisting the master since so many years.

Pradyumna Soraba, another artist of the group was accompanying on the Rhythm Pad and Umesh Murthy with his magical fingers on key board contributed immensely in intensifying the ambience of the musical evening.

The surprise package was Master Shadaj Godkhindi who proved that he is an young prodigy flourishing under the umbrella and guidance of his renowned father Pandit Pravin Godkhindi. He is embedded with all the ingredients of becoming a shining star in the horizon of Hindustani classical music. With his effortless, free flowing and sparkling performance and his ability to match his accomplished father in making the flute sing, he left the audience in a gasp of disbelief.

Pandit Pravin Godkhindi himself mesmerized the audience with some pure classical renditions and pieces from his various music albums. In the classical music form, he has excelled as a master of the Ragas. in the fusion music segment, the audience were spellbound with his creative compositions. Standing ovations after almost all the renditions were the proof of the grand success of the seemingly eternal journey of music.

For the second year in a row Udupi Brahmana Samaja has contributed to the social cause too by choosing and honoring the personalities from the broad spectrum, in the field of exemplary social service. This time around Karunakar Rao, a well-known musician and honorary convener of Muscat Karnataka Sangha was chosen for the coveted award. He was presented with the memento by none other than the music Maestro Pandit Pravin Godkhindi himself.

All thru, the full-day event of the sacred pooja and the musical exuberance with the huge gathering it was obvious that minute planning was behind the programme to make it an outstanding event and a memorable one to cherish for a long time. The working committee of Udupi Brahmana Samaja deserves total appreciation and credit for the same.