2012 singers to usher in the Year of Happiness in Northern Sri Lanka

2012 singers to usher in the Year of Happiness in Northern Sri Lanka

In what is seen as the most optimistic prediction and a much-needed blessing for humanity His Holiness Sri Ravi Shankar`s message for the New Year has already brought  tons of cheer and hope to millions across the world.  Sri Sri opens his New Year message on a brilliantly inspiring note thus  “ In your personal life have  a strong conviction , the faith that all is well and all good is going to happen to me”.  Putting aside the much touted doomsday story that the world is coming to an end, Sri Sri goes on to say “According to the Vedic calendar from March 2012 onwards the year is called `Nanda` meaning happiness …the year of happiness. First comes happiness and the year that follows is called victory. You will be happy and victorious, so don’t` worry. Resolve to do some good work in society”.

Inspired  by Sri Sri`s  vision  and  mission , the Art of Living Foundation in Sri Lanka is organizing a grand choir of  2012 people to sing the most revered Tamil devotional poetry called Thevaram on February 11^th and 12^th .  This program is to be held for the first time in Jaffna and Vadamarachi towns of  Northern Sri Lanka.  Several  thousand  students,  youth,  artists  and  dignitaries are expected to participate which would be the first mega public event in Northern Sri Lanka since the conclusion of the war in May 2009. 

The Thevaram is the most cherished and popular tamil devotional poetry embedded with spiritual teachings. In Tamil “Theva” means The Divine and “aram” denotes a beautiful garland, representing the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai, the twelve-volume collection of Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. All seven volumes are dedicated to the works of the three most prominent Tamil poets known as Nayanars - Sambanthar and Appar lived around the 7th century AD, while Sundarar lived in the 8th century AD. During the Pallava period these three poets travelled extensively delivering discourses and songs characterized by devotion to Lord Shiva.

“All the hymns in the Thevaram (called pathikam in Tamil) are in sets of ten. The hymns are set to music denoted by Panns and are part of the canons of  Tamil music ” shares Swami Sadyojathah, Director, Art of Living International Office. This unique event is also expected to see the participation of admirers of Tamil literature and music from Europe, Malaysia, US and India.