GURUKULA AND SANGEETHA SAADHANE

The knowledge and nuances of music were traditionally imparted through the Gurukula system. This age old practice known as Sruthiparampara has been in vogue since the Vedic times. In the Gurukula system, the student stays with the teacher as they collectively embark on a journey in pursuit of knowledge. Nagamani trained under Ramnad Krishnan in the Gurukula system and benefitted immensely from that experience. She felt that the experience gained by her should not go a waste but should be propagated to the future generation. She hence started Sunada Cultural Centre, with the aim of teaching the fundamentals of music through this centre in the typical Gurukula style. The teaching activities of this center catered to the needs of the beginners as well as those with advanced training needs. However, the socio-geographic aspects of the present day world preclude the opportunity of training in the Gurukula system for most aspiring musicians. Nagamani hence conceived a project that would emulate the principles and practice of the Gurukula system through an Audio-Visual representation. This would enable the student to observe and learn from the Guru as if one were in close proximity to the guru. This project contains practical music lessons, theory (musicology), notations (script of the compositions), and lecture demonstrations in English. The lessons include basic lessons, Shlokas, Varnas, Keerthanas, Kritis, Thillanas, Devaranamas, Padas, Javalis , Vachanas, and manodharma sangeetha (raga aapalana, swarakalpana, nerval, tanam, pallavi) and hence cater to all aspiring music learners from beginners to Masters.

Presently the available music lessons released under the auspices of Sunada Cultural Center include:

1) “Gurukula” (Audio-Visual DVDs and Audio CDs)


For details of the contents of these recordings and ways to order contact Click here

2) “Sangeetha Saadhane Series” (Audio MP3 with notation booklet)

A) “Sangeetha Saadhane” – Complete syllabus coverage for junior examination with theory and practical.

B) “Sangeetha Saadhane” – Complete syllabus coverage for senior examination with theory and practical.

C) “Tana Varnas” - Varnas required for junior, senior and proficiency examinations

D) “Kriti Darshana”

• Volume 1 - Twenty Madhyama Kala Kritis
• Volume 2 -  Twenty Madhyama Kala Kritis with Ragaalapana and Kalpanaswara
• Volume 3 - Twenty Vilamba Kala Kritis with Ragaalapana Kalpanaswara and Neraval
• Volume 4 – “Group Kritis- Pancharatna Kritis”

E) “Sankeertana” – Shlokas, Keertanas, Bhajans and devotional songs

F) “Aadhyatma Geethavali” - Philosophical songs

G) “Haridaasa Deepthi” – 101 Kannada Haridaasa Keertanas

H) “Sunaada” (Volumes 1 and 2) – Excerpts from various concerts of Prof. Mysore Nagamani Srinath

I) “Bhakti Kampana”- Shivasharana Vachanas

J) “Thillanas” – 8 Thillana compositions of Prof. Nagamani Srinath

For more information on the contents and ways to order the Sangeetha Saadhane Series, contact Click here