Meet Harish Raghavendra, a happening singer, one of the successful, younger breed of playback singers in the city. He typifies the changing face of the Chennaiite; traditional yet cosmopolitan; someone who remains rooted to culture, despite globe trots and exposure to the western way of life.
Generally an early riser, Harish’s day began today, as always, with his yoga session, something he is very particular about.
“I make it a point to make time for my morning pranayama session at least, even if I don’t find time for an entire yoga session,” he says. Not that he is a stranger to the western concept of ‘work outs’. Harish occasionally alternates his yoga sessions with treadmill walks.
He follows up his yoga with music practice. He then takes time over his generous breakfast, which generally consists of idlis or chappathis. “Cornflakes and continental breakfasts don’t really suit us or our climate,” he says.
But then again, Harish likes his Chinese food, and can be spotted at Chinese restaurants that have mushroomed in the city lately. But he is the kind of person who prefers tender coconut to coke.
Harish then proceeds to execute some pending administrative chores. The sight of a huge bus parked in his street irks him. “Chennai is becoming one huge parking lot.
These days, there are so many buses ferrying software professionals and college students in and out of the city all the time, not to mention the maxicabs and the tourist cabs; they are now being parked in residential areas, which makes it very cramped and inconvenient for the residents in the area. I wish the city corporation would do something about this,” he says strongly.
Dusk sets in Chennai, which is a big relief from the glare of the afternoon sun. With no recording scheduled for the evening, Harish has time on his hands and decides to pay a visit to the Parthasarathy temple in Chennai’s crowded Triplicane area. “I visit temples whenever I feel like it, not as a mandatory ritual,” he says.
For that matter, Harish visits churches and mosques too. Some weekends, he even drives down to temples in Mangalore, Tirupathi and other spots in his Toyota Qualis.
Not to mention zipping down the newly laid OMR road in the south of the city. “Driving down this road lined with gleaming software parks, you could be led to believe that you are in Malaysia or Singapore,” he comments.
Driving is a passion with Harish, “I spend a lot of money on petrol, I guess,” he says. Unlike his counterparts in other cities, Harish doesn’t shy away from admitting his belief in God and the pleasure he takes in visiting temples.
That apart, Harish Raghavendra firmly believes that our religious practices need to keep pace with the times. “I believe that we should adapt our traditions to suit modern times.
Man developed these rituals, not God,” he says. “For instance, take these temple processions, they hold up traffic without justification and create traffic snarls, making life inconvenient for commuters.”
Night creeps in slowly, and Harish decides to attend a party thrown by an industry friend. “I am not an avid party goer, but I attend parties occasionally, though I generally leave the place early,” he shares.
“The call centre culture that has now caught up in Chennai is making night life and partying an addiction for these youngsters,” he points out. “I’m not being judgmental, but talking purely from a health point of view, we shouldn’t be aping western culture. It doesn’t suit us,” he says.
