Visaka Hari and Kuselar

Visaka Hari, the prodigy

Visaka Hari is very popular now for her “Sangeetha Upanyasams”, i.e., half classical music and half Upanyasam. In an introductory speech of Sudharani Ragupathy, the dance guru of Visaka Hari, she was a child prodigy in both dance and music and got confused at one stage on which one to choose as her career. She finally decided music with Lalgudi Jayaraman as her guru. She wanted to get married to the family of Sri Krishna Premi, affectionately known as “Sri Anna” and married to Sri Hari, son of Sri Anna. During her performances you can see her only in 9 yards saree. When we met a mother of Visaka hari’s classmate in one of the programs, she told that Visaka hari was like any other city girls during her teens with jeans, t shirt etc., What a decisive transformation at this age! - only some divine personalities can do that.

For the first time, we attended her performance “Kuchela Upakyanam” at Sivakami Pethachi Auditorium/ Mylapore during the Dec 2006 season. Luckily I bought the tickets the previous day and it was a 'sold out'. She makes it a point that either her programs are entry free or there is a separate place outside for free live projection.

Kuselar and Krishnar were the two extreme ends. Kuselar was starving and could not even feed his children. His wife had to approach her neighbours even to carry ‘aval’ for Krishnar. On the other hand, Goddess Lakshmi, the God of wealth, is Krishna's wife and His palace was glittering as heaven. So Kuselar, a gurukulam mate of Krishna, went to His palace to see Him with mind-full of doubts whether he will be allowed entry inside or will be thrown out by the gate keepers due to his poor appearance and even when he is allowed inside, whether Krishna would remember and recognize him etc., But on hearing the name of ‘Kuselar’, He came to the outer gate itself to receive Kuselar and what a reception it was! Krishna poured all His love for Kuselar and made him sit in the Swing while Krishna Himself sitting on the floor! They were chatting all the nostalgic memories of their Gurukulam. Goddess Lakshmi was serving Kuselar! Imagine what a scene it would have been! The impeccable combination of carnatic music and description by Visaka Hari was an equal match to that beautiful scene.

An unimaginable and unexplainable divine presence at that moment at the auditorium! I could literally feel it.

Right from the moment Kuchelar set his foot at Krishna’s palace, the last 45 minutes or so of the program was bringing tears in me abundantly.

It was a moment of love, love, love.. choked in divine love only.

With my wife sitting next to me and a neighbour on the other side, I tried controlling but what to do, tears were rolling down uncontrollably all through those last 45 minutes. Though we have seen about 6-7 programs of her so far, this, by far is the best of her. So when you hear ‘Kuselobagyanam’ from Visaka hari, don’t ever miss it (and don't forget to inform me as well).

Then I went to another program 'Meenakshi Kalyanam' at P.S.High school/ Mylapore. That was not at all fit for a crowd expected for her programs. So, the hall became full very easily and I just waited outside thinking that I will go back after hearing for about 15 minutes or so, since the mosquito bites were too strong for anyone to stay outside there. Then I slowly went around to the side looking out for some seat somewhere and found a side door getting opened all of a sudden. I entered through that which led me directly to the stage. It is very usual in all her programs that people jam pack around her on the stage itself due to lack of space in the auditorium. Such is the massive crowd thronging her programs nowadays.

I attended another program of her - 'Krishna Avatar' at Kamaraj Arangam. On coming out of the program, I and my wife had a strong feeling she is nothing but the re-birth of Sri Andal. Only people with such intimacy to the divine can deliver such discourses! nobody else can.

I wish her all good health, wealth and everything she needs in life to carry on and on and on endlessly through many births.




There are two low cost DVD and VCD titles released by Moser baer – Seetha Kalyanam and Sundhara Gandam – available in all DVD/VCD shops and Giri Traders/Mylaopre.

The biggest drawback of Hinduism is that we are not organized very well and we don’t market ourselves properly. With so many sabhas and classical music lovers in the city, not a single popular performer of the classical music has a website on their programs schedule so that their fans can follow them all through their programs wherever possible - just like me wanting to do with Visaka Hari.

I see whether I can create such one on my own..