Documentaries on reviving the divine veena

New Delhi Apr 15 (UNI) Concerned at ''the slow death'' of classical music in contemporary times, an ardent Veena lover-turned-filmmaker has sought to revive the divine musical instrument through two short documentaries which speak volumes.

Rajeshwari Anand's labour of love ''Music in the Woods'' and ''Making of Veena in Tanjore'' seek to rejuvenate the importance of the classical musical instrument which has been revered through the ages.

Both documentaries were screened as part of the four-day Veena Festival -- underway at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts here. ''The films seek to present the entire spectrum and development of the Veena and its current status,'' Ms Anand said.

The films in Tamil with subtitles were made for the Central Institute of Indian languages and focus on educating the viewers about the instrument deemed central to Indian heritage of music ''representing the confluence of the science of musical sounds and Indic philosophy of harmony and tranquility'', she added.

Through the films one could comprehend that the Veena was not just a musical instrument but was rooted deeply in Indian mythology -- as Lord Shiva created this enchanting stringed instrument to express his eternal love for Goddess Parvati.

The Veena's origin can be traced to the Vedic period. The 'yajnas', rituals and chanting were accompanied by playing of different kinds of Veenas. The two popular Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, also contain episodes in which the Veena figures prominently.

Legends of classical Carnatic music S Balachandran, E Manishankar and Chitti Babu have further enriched the film through interviews as they spoke about the importance of the National classical musical instrument, the 'Saraswati Veena'. The festival is focussing on this particular instrument from South India.

UNI