Profile - Guru Udupi Laxminarayan - Compiled by: Lalitha Venkat

Apprenticeship under Ellappa was a marvelous learning experience for Laxminarayan. In the 7 years of Gurukulavasam, he had to observe everything that his guru taught his students. His guru took him to watch programs of luminaries like Balasaraswati. All this was his training and inspiration. Apart from dance, his guru taught him Tamil; the importance of enunciating and understanding the lyrics of a song properly; the need to apply his mind to the meaning of the songs; and the art of nattuvangam and the skills needed for it, especially how to utter the jatis with the proper intonation and the appropriate stress on 'vallinam' and 'mellinam.' Even during his learning period, Laxminarayan had opportunities to practice what he had learned, for Ellappa would send him as a substitute to conduct the recital of one or the other disciples whenever he himself could not do so. 

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