The OMR sabha: How Chennai’s OMR is celebrating Margazhi

Rasikas having dinner after a kutcheri at ‘OhMaRgazhi Festival’, at APL Global School, Thoraipakkam
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Hymavathi Raghuraman’s first day of the Tamil month of Margazhi (December 16) was quite eventful. At 4pm she boarded a special bus from outside her residence in Sholinganallur’s Ramaniyam Pushkar. Accompanying her were 20 other residents from her apartment – they headed to APL Global School, located around nine kms from their residence, for the first day of the ‘OhMaRgazhi festival’.

They were treated to bhajans by popular vocalist Sivasri Skandaprasad, followed by the conferment of the Lasya Choodamani award to noted vocalist Bombay Jayashri. And of course, some good food, keeping in tune with the Margazhi sabha culture in Chennai.

“It’s great that we have such a musical celebration in our locality itself. We’re looking forward to the evenings this month,” says Hymavathi.

Anyone familiar with Chennai’s OMR will have stories to tell about traffic towards the Tidel Park junction and other adjoining stretches, which has now accentuated due to the ongoing Metro Rail construction. Hence, OhMaRgazhi Festival aims at bringing the “Mylapore experience to OMR”.

“No one needs to travel long distances for kutcheris anymore. This festival allows people from these neighbourhoods to experience sabha culture,” feels Sivasri Skandaprasad.

For Sivasri, this is also a chance to spread her art form to newer audiences. “We are looking forward to seeing excited, newer faces, apart from our usual audience base,” she says.

While music, dance and theatre are the main attractions, there are more reasons to head to OMR. If snacks before the concert include dishes like aloo bonda, sambar vada and kara paniyaram, for the post-event dinner, sambar rice, curd rice along with chapathi is served. Layam Catering Services, based in Pallikaranai and in-charge of the food department, also serves no-onion, no-garlic options, considering the crowd that might come in.

Singer Bombay Jayashri with the organisers of the ‘OhMaRgazhi Festival’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

All this is free of cost with a simple registration process that can be done online. “I hope this sabha will foster the arts,” opines Bombay Jayashri, “With many residents moving to the OMR, this might slowly become the cultural hub of the city.”

The festival, hosted by Ramaniyan Builders’ non-profit project Lasya in partnership with the Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA), aims to celebrate the spirit of Margazhi and bring more cultural and social activities to enrich life on OMR. For a substantial number of guests coming to the festival from a single apartment complex there are car-pooling and bus services available too for pick-up and drop-off. “It is heartwarming to see so many rasikas enjoying the culture and heritage that they have been missing ever since they moved to the suburbs. Life cannot be all about work and fighting for amenities.. We’ve got to “live” life too,” explains Harsha Koda, co-founder, FOMMRA.

This Margazhi, they certainly are.

OhMaRgazhi Festival is on every evening till December 30, from 5pm onwards at Janaki Ammal Audiorium, located in APL Global School, Thoraipakkam. Entry is free, but registration is mandatory. For details, log on to www.ohmargazhi.com