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This is an archive article published on December 31, 2019
Margazhi Kutcheri Season 2019: Rasika Ranjani Sabha has it all for a memorable concert experience
From chair lifts to ramps and lifts, Rasika Ranjani Sabha has left no stone unturned to ensure that senior citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) have a comfortable experience during concerts.
The sabha had also featured in several movies of the late director K Balachander. (Express Photo: Shivani Ramakrishnan)
It is a common sight in Chennai to see a significant number of people making a beeline to sabhas (music institutions) in the city as rasikas (culture enthusiasts) attend various cultural concerts during the annual Margazhi season.
One such sabha in Chennai which has attracted rasikas for dance, music and theatre performances for decades is the Rasika Ranjani Sabha.
Nestled in Mylapore behind the Kapaleeshwarar Temple, the Rasika Ranjani Sabha has the distinction of having provided a stage for young artistes to launch their careers in performing arts.
Read | Margazhi Kutcheri Season 2019: List of top Sabhas and events schedule
The sabha’s spacious auditorium has also been featured in several Tamil movies for dance and music concert sequences.
“We do not believe in taking part in the rat race. So instead of organizing performances only during the Margazhi season, we have concerts throughout the year. The sabha organises dance and music concerts and drama performances every month and during the Margazhi season, we organise a week-long festival of music, dance, drama and devotional performances which are relevant to the auspiciousness of the month,” R Nagarajan, the secretary of the sabha told Indianexpress.com.
Besides the cultural performances, the sabha also organises lectures and screens one movie every month.
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Also Read | Margazhi Kutcheri Season 2019: Everything you need to know
This December, the sabha has organised dance, music, drama and devotional performances for one week each to commemorate the month of Margazhi. The sabha has two auditoriums and one multi-purpose hall. While the bigger auditorium can accommodate 700 people during performances, the smaller one can accommodate 250 people.
“All concerts organised here are free of charge, irrespective of whether the artist is an amateur or senior artist,” said Nagarajan.
Read | Margazhi Kutcheri Season 2019: Top artistes to look out for
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“We have provided ramps and lifts to aid Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and senior citizens while attending concerts in the sabha. We have also installed a chair lift for one of the staircases in the big auditorium to help them reach their seats,” said the secretary.
The sabha has installed one chair lift in the big auditorium to help Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to ascend the staircase. (Express Photo: Shivani Ramakrishnan)
Given that the food offered by sabhas in Chennai is the cynosure of the eyes for all rasikas, Rasika Ranjani sabha has two canteens within the premises. “One is a rooftop restaurant which offers vegetarian food while a canteen on the ground floor offers Jain food to patrons. The canteens serve lunch and dinner to all patrons and breakfast when the occasion warrants it,” said Nagarajan.
As far as crowd management is concerned, the sabha has roped in several volunteers to manage the crowd and guide rasikas to their seats during the concerts. In addition to this, the sabha provides valet car parking facilities for patrons during concerts.
With regards to security, the sabha has several CCTV cameras within the premises and security personnel to keep an eye on proceedings and ensure that nothing goes amiss during performances.
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