Padmasri Dr. Yella Venkateshwara Rao The Legend of Laya

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About The Book This work is an honest effort, to deliver on the life and contributions of a legendary Guru, Padmasri Dr. Yella Venkateshwara Rao.

Life of this great Guru is an inspiration for all artistes and art lovers.

His penance, Sadhana, love for his art and dedication towards music,altogether has gifted the music world so many excellent masterpieces of Carnatic music and Mridangam recitals.

The great efforts, research with deep thoughts, highly creative ideas and tremendous talent in producing sensitive musical effects are all naturally attached with the works of this great exponent, for whom the Aesthetics of his playing knows no bounds.

If it is Dr. Yella Venkateshwara Rao it is the ultimate of sounds, vibrations, clarity, melodies and compositions for Mridangam. His style abounds in the traditional patterns as well as his individual creativity.

The music from this great mind is so divine that it touches every heart, pleases the human senses and emerge the spectators in an ocean of bliss leading them to ecstasy.

Although this book is an humble effort, to depict such a great personality and a Devine Artiste, it is definitely going to contribute a lot for directing and motivating the students, scholars, practitioners and even other great artistes, of Mridangam and Carnatic Music.

The book is an offering at the feet of Guru Dr. Yella Venkateshwara Rao and seeks his blessings throughout to spread spiritual message of 'Mridanga Naadam'.

About the Author An eminent Mridangam player, Dr. B Satyavara Prasad, is an able disciple of Guru, Padmasri Dr. Yella Venkateshwara Rao. He has also been groomed by some other great Gurus, like, Sri B. Krishna Rao, Sri Mullapudi Sreerama Murthy and Sri Mahadevu Subba Raju.

Dr. Prasad is an M.A. Music (Mridangam) from the Sri Potti Sree Ramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad and a PhD in Music from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

He has served as an Accompanist of Mridangamin the Mahila Mahavidyalaya, BHU since 2006 and has joined the Department of Instrumental Music, Faculty of Performing Arts, BHU, Varanasi, in 2015, as an Assistant Professor, Mridangam, whence from he is teaching students in this University and guiding them for their Ph.D Research works also.

As a Professional Artiste he has given several remarkable performances in various prestigious platforms all over the country and has some recordings of his music released in forms of CDs and Cassettes.

He has a chapter of the Book named, Pranava Sudha to his credit.

With his dedicated efforts and the blessings of his parents and Gurus, he is looking forward to contribute something promising through this publication, which he believes can direct the art lovers towards higher levels of aesthetic consciousness.

Preface The majesty of Rhythm on Indian Classical Percussion Instrument, Mridangam, has always been charming. It is this charm that promoted my enthusiasm to take the Art as my profession and complete a thesis with deep and extended research on it.

It really arises curiosity among Artistes to know about this age old form, still sustaining,in this modern era after coming across a trendy journey. The Present status of this Mridangam Art form is the contribution of some legendary Maestros who evolved this tradition so much with their skills along with the changing demands and trends of time.

Dr. Yella Venkateswara Rao is one such Exponent who bridged such gaps between the Art and its Audiences of all generations.

Till I met my Guru Shri Yella Venkateshwara Rao Mridangam was only an Art form that was field of my passionate interest of Individual level. Then after I came to understand the impact of an Artist on the greater purpose and popularity of any Art. The way he made himself to become an ideal forall learners and Artistes of various categories is laudable. He is a great designer of the Art and Artistes of Mridangam in this 21st Century who established his artistry and led it to the benefit of many. This facthas been a powerful source of inspiration for an artist like me. My meeting with the Maestro transformed my perspectives towards the role of an ideal Artiste in culminating his Art with a fine sense of social responsibility which motivated me to do this research on his Life, innovations and contributions in the field of Mridangam playing.

Thus an elaborate study of all these aspects of his life can attract appreciations from all music lovers.

As it is often believed that a flourishing Artiste has a domain so high and hardly allows other artistes to grow up to the same level Dr. Yellastands as an exception who has encouraged so many youngsters to take up Mridangam as their profession indulged with their passion for the prosperity of Mridangam Art in the endless world of Music.

Introduction Mridangam Origin and Evolution The word "Mridangam" is a union of two Sanskrit words - "Mruth" (clay) and Anga (body or part). Earlier Mridangam was made out of hardened clay later wood replaced it.

In India music is always divine, painting and sculpture in India depict gods and goddesses holding certain musical instruments. Goddess Saraswati holds veena. Narada holds Tanpura, Lord Ganesha holds Mridangam. Other divinities representing Mridangam are Lord Shiva and Nandi.

An interesting legendary story is associated with the origin of the instrument the Mridangam. Once Lord Shiva was in deep meditation in Kailash, his consort Parvathi approached him trying to speak to him. Her gentle touch to the 'Trishul' released Damaruka tied to it and rolled down. Surprisingly enough the rolling 'DAMARUKA' produced strange sounds. Charmed by the new sounds Lord Shiva came out of his meditation and wanted to have an instrument that would produce those melodious sounds.

At the divine will the instrument mridangam took birth. Captivated by the sounds Nandi, the obedient servant of Lord Shiva, mastered the art of playing mridangam. This is the reason that mridangam has both the rhythmic elements of 'Thandava" (Dance form of Shiva) and Lasya (Dance form of his consort Parvathy). Hence forth mridangam occupied the main role in the Thandava assembled of Lord Shiva in Kailash and refered to as Deva Vadya in the Indian Mythology.

**Contents and Sample Pages**