Gallery

Palghat Mani Iyer Puraskar Award

B Sivaraman 2019 The first ever Palghat Mani Iyer Puraskar was presented to Mrdanga vidwan Shri. B. Sivaraman under the auspices of Chennai Fine Arts on 10th June, commemorating the 107th birth anniversary of Mani Iyer. Legendary mrdanga vidwan and Mani Iyer’s contemporary, Dr T.K. Murthy presided over the function and presented the award comprising Rupees Fifteen thousand cash prize, a medal and citation to Sivaraman, who also happens to be his disciple. The award function began with the invocation sung by Shweta and Sowmya, great granddaughters of Mani Iyer. Shri. P.N. Muralidharan, Founder of Chennai Fine Arts delivered the welcome address and spoke of the significance of Mani Iyer Puraskar. “Mani Iyer, T.K. Murthy and Sivaraman are all significant performers and the venue of the award was age old where all three have performed numerous concerts”, he said. Apart from Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar Award for excellence presented by CFA in the name of a centenarian, the Mani Iyer Puraskar is another award named after a centenarian. Dr Murthy in his presidential address said how the awardee Sivaraman turns out to be a brilliant sishya capable of playing everything taught to him instantaneously. He also recalled his association with Mani Iyer, who was ten years elder to him and both learnt under Tanjavur Vaidyanatha Iyer. He said it was Mani Iyer who shortened his name from Krishnamurthy to Murthy and his name remained so forever. He also advised that a good guru should never demand money for imparting knowledge,