99-hour Sai music festival begins

Thiruvananthapuram: In honour of the 99th birthday of Sathya Sai Baba, a 99-hour Sai music festival was kicked off on Friday at Thonnakkal Saigramam with a grand rendition of Thyagaraja Pancharatna Kritis. Musician K Omanakutty led the performance, which featured an impressive assembly of 207 musicians from all across Kerala.
The event drew participation from notable musicians, including P R Kumar Kerala Varma, Thamarakkadu Govindan Namboothiri, and Chenkotta Harihara Subramaniam, among others. Students from various institutions also joined the event, which was dedicated to the revered figures of Tyagaraja Swami, Sathya Sai Baba, and Shirdi Sai Baba.
The birthday celebrations at Saigramam began on Friday and will include a series of events in the coming days, such as Carnatic music concerts, bhajan festivals, and dance performances. The festivities will culminate on Nov 23 with a mass wedding ceremony.