Battle of the titans

A veena-veenu duet and a jugalbandi are going to be the highlight of the sixth consecutive year of Dakshinayan — the Carnatic music festival, conceptualised by Mahesh Babu, to promote Carnatic music in Mumbai.

Jayanthi Kumaresh (veena) and Mala Chandrasekhar (flute) will be the highlight of the festival which will be held today and tomorrow at the Nehru Centre Auditorium. “Many instruments have come into Carnatic music from the West but the veena and veenu are two instruments that are of complete Indian origin. They find their origin in Indian mythology,” says Jayanthi. 

The two instruments complement each other well. Both are associated with Indian Gods— flute with Krishna and veena with Saraswati. “Both the instruments are wooden instruments without the use of animal products like leather,” she says.