CHENNAI -- Seated cross-legged, and dressed in a white silk veshti (ethnic attire resembling a sarong), a vocalist performs a song based on Carnatic music, one of India's two main ancient musical traditions. The song, which is about Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god, opens the singer's kutcheri (musical performance) in a hall packed with lovers of the country's ancient classical music.
The event is taking place in Mylapore, the cultural neighborhood of Chennai, the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The Madras Music Season, also known as the Madras Music Festival and the Maargazhi Utsavam, has been held on this site every December and January for 97 years, except during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was presented online. (Madras is a former name for Chennai.)
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