Reverberating ragas of Karunbithil

Early in the morning, while children practise music lessons under the cool shade of the trees, elders relax on the red-oxide-floored verandah with hot sips of kashaya, and reflect on the highlights of the previous evening's kutcheri. Meanwhile, young volunteers set up the stage for the day's opening concert.

Soon, tuning sounds are heard in the backdrop of the resonating tambura, followed by a treat of rare ragas, beckoning music lovers to 'Karunbithil Shibira', an annual music camp held in Karunbithil, a sleepy hamlet in Nidle village in Dakshina Kannada, 10 km away from Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala. 

The serene retreat of Karunbithil Shibira offers a glimpse into the rich heritage of Carnatic classical music. The five-day-long camp is hosted by renowned violinist Vittal Ramamurthy, his family and his students, in the premises of his ancestral house for the past 23 years.

Surpassing all barriers

“The main purpose of Karunbithil Shibira is to prepare the current generation of musicians to be more receptive to the finer elements of Carnatic classical music,” says Vittal Ramamurthy. This includes music appreciation, reviewing and interacting with senior musicians. The participants understand the nuances of music through interesting exercises and lecture demonstrations by stalwarts, he adds.

The camp was started in 2000, and has been conducted every year since then, except during the pandemic. Stating that his mother Rukminiyamma is the main inspiration behind the camp, Vittal recalls how they started with barely 10 children. With an increased strength every year, the shibira now receives not less than 300 participants. Around 10,000 students have been part of the camp in total since its inception.

Students from different gurus gather under one roof and learn together at the camp. "They also get to interact with senior musicians, observe closely and learn how to prepare for a concert. There are no barriers of age, language and religion here. Music is the only criteria,” Vittal says.

Since the inception of the camp, veteran musicologists such Lalgudi Jayaraman, Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, N Ramani, M Balamuralikrishna, Bombay Jayashri, Rajkumar Bharathi, V V Subrahmanyam, T V Gopalakrishnan and Neyveli Santhanagopalan have been resource persons and performing musicians at the camp. 

Apart from the veteran artistes, the current generation's musical talents like Abhishek Raghuram and Ramana Balachandran too, have been frequenting the shibira over the years.

Ramana Balachandran, a veena artiste from Bengaluru, says it was in 2016 that he he first part in the Karunbithil Shibira. "The camp is a blessing for children who are willing to learn new things. The initiative has played a significant role in taking Carnatic classical music to the masses," he adds.

Udupi Gopalakrishna, one of the resource persons in the camp, says that even gurus like him learn from the enthusiasm and creativity of students. 

Sharing is caring

Every year, Vittal Ramamurthy’s students take over the responsibility of different aspects of the camp such as lighting, audio system, seating arrangements, remuneration for artistes, documentation and preparation of food. He also recalls the undaunted support of his wife, Chandrika, his children, students and the villagers of Nidle in organising the camp. "The people of Nidle celebrate the camp as if it was their family function," he says.

Prabhachandra Mayya, who is in charge of the food, says that the menu also makes the experience of the participants memorable. Organically cultivated and unpolished brown rice is cooked for the mid-day meal with 'rasam', 'palya', 'tambuli', 'menaskai' and curry – all prepared using vegetables directly sourced from local organic farmers. Breakfast includes local delicacies like 'pundi' and 'avalakki'.

Unlearning and relearning

Through various games and exercises based on Carnatic music, children are encouraged to practise more. Over the years, lecture demonstrations on the musical aspects of Bharatanatyam and Yakshagana have been included in the camp. Such sessions also help in cultivating the community spirit, says Vijayashri, Vittal’s daughter. 

“The camp also aims at undoing the stigma that classical music is difficult to understand and hence meant only for certain audiences,” Vijayashri adds.

The camp sees participation of students from other southern states too, as well as interest from Non-Resident Indians. 

Srinidhi Kaushik, a native of Bengaluru working in Zurich, Switzerland, participated in the camp this year for the first time. He took part with his parents, wife and his three-year-old daughter. “Through classical-music-based games, learning is made interesting for students. I took a vacation from work to attend the camp,” he says.

Swaminathan Sharma, a musician from Sri Lanka was one among the veteran participants of the camp. He is a mridangist and student of Umayalapuram K Shivaraman. He leads the Isai Archanai music group in Sri Lanka. "Karunbithil camp is an university in itself. Close encounter with senior artistes is something we do not get elsewhere and everyone is a learner here,” he says. 

Mridangam player Ananta R Krishnan from Chennai says that the music gathering at Karunbithil is a kind of utsava for music lovers. 

Adapting new ideas

Divyam Rajesh, a Class nine student from Mangaluru, says he has been applying the ideas learnt during the camp in his music. “I came across several concepts such as the importance of practice and improvisation of raga,” he says. He is a disciple of violinist Vishwas Krishna and has been attending the camp for the past couple of years.

Sughosh from Mysuru attended Karunbithil Shibira for the first time. “However, I felt I was familiar with the place and people for many years. Such was the warmth from the gurus and the organisers,” he says.

Shrivibhu Bhat Elathur from Mangaluru, an engineer by profession and a mridangam player, says he makes it a point to take a five-day break from his work to attend the camp, as it helps him to keep in touch with music and be grounded as a musician.

R K Ramakrishnan from Chennai, the proprietor of a convention centre, says Karunbithil Shibira is an ideal place for students to interact with senior artistes and to understand the magnitude of various styles.

A special association

Vishwas Krishna, founder of Kala Shaale, the art and music platform, a violin teacher and one of Vittal Ramamurthy’s disciples is connected with the camp from the past 14 years. Initially, he was one of the participants and now has been contributing towards conducting the camp smoothly.

"The camp is consciously designed to be spontaneous and to progress at a natural pace. Activities like musical games are introduced to keep the children engaged,” he says. 

Inspired by Karunbithil Shibira, Vishwas Krishna conducts monthly violin practice camps in Mangaluru.

On the concluding day of the camp, the participants bid farewell to the gurus and the undulating landscape of Karunbithil. They cherish a feeling of fulfilment, having been a part of this year's celebration with a bundle of memories, until next year.

A day at Karunbithil camp

The day at Karunbithil camp starts with a sumptuous breakfast of local delicacies. Then, they start with warm-up lessons, under the guidance of a guru, followed by a 'kashaya break'.  Later, participants learn a new composition. A concert is presented by a musician. 

Students sit in on a lecture demonstration. 

By that time, afternoon lunch awaits the participants. A special concert is held in the evening by veterans. Lecture demonstrations, quizzes and surprise kutcheris are organised in between, with no specific schedule. Participants themselves often start a random 'kutti kucheri' (a short concert) in the front yard.