Mothers by daughters - For the rain to rest…: A tribute to N. Nagalakshmi - Ramaa Bharadvaj

One year ago on May 2nd, my beautiful mother wound up her connections with this life and moved on. Today while her black and white image gazes back from inside a photo-frame, I hope her artist-spirit is trekking the land of music and dance, painting and poetry. 
My mother was born an artist but her parents didn't tune in to that. She wanted to be a dancer - but dance was not in the accepted to-do list for girls.  So she would pull a sheet over a pillow to fool her father that she had gone to bed, and run off to participate in her school dances. She collected music notations and dance images from magazines and meticulously bound them into books.  Now they are a rare collector's collection.  
She knew nothing about the grammar of music - but could bring tears to the eyes when she sang her favourite song - "mazhai iLaippaarida kuttaiyundu" (for the rain to rest there is the pond).  It ended with the words "engaL aasai iLaippaara undo idam" (for our desires to rest, is there a place?).  I have searched for that song and can find it nowhere.  Maybe it was meant only for her to sing and only for us to hear. Her family didn't find a teacher to groom her in this talent either.  It was my dance guru Kamala (“Kumari” Kamala) who appreciated her. “Aunty, if only you had learnt music methodically you would be in my orchestra touring with me. I will never let you go.”

Read the article in the site