Chembai music festival begins

Thrissur: The 48th edition of Chembai music festival began at the Melpathur auditorium before the Guruvayur Temple on Friday evening after ceremoniously placing thet Thampuru used by the legendary departed musician Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar on the festival stage. The minister for devaswom affairs K Radhakrishnan inaugurated the festival, which is being held annually in connection with the Guruvayur Ekadasi festival, falling this year on December 3. The Minister also presented the ``Sree Guruvayurappan Chembai award’’ of the Guruvayur Devaswom to Mridangam maestro Thiruvananthapuram V Surendran, at the function presided over by the Devaswom chairman V K Vijayan. The Devaswom managing committee members Mallissery Namboodirippad and C Manoj and administrator K P Vinayan were among those who spoke on the occasion.