In December 2015, Chennai was hit by torrential rains and flooding caused by breach of reservoirs. I volunteered for flood relief work, and tried to help in my own small way. I also did not accept any honourariums for concerts in that season – requesting organizers to add it to the honourariums of my accompanying artistes (who were affected by the floods, and suffered damage to property) instead.

As a prayer for the abatement of floods, I composed a Pallavi in Raga SuddhaDhanyasi – “Taapamtanindayo, Varuna? Arul paarayo, Tuyarteerayo” (meaning: Has your fury been quenched yet, Varuna (God of water)? Won’t you show us grace, won’t you alleviate our suffering), and sang it in that music season.

I choseSuddhaDhanyasi to present this prayer for the rains to abate, because the non-achalaswaras (Ga, Ma, Ni) of SuddhaDhanyasi are all opposite/complimentary to the non-achalaswaras of Amritavarshini(traditionally considered the raga for invoking rain).