Dear Respected Gurus, Fellow musicians and dancers and Friends,

Apologies for the long letter, but I think this issue warrants your immediate attention. As some of you may have heard, due to the recent turn of events at the DFW Hindu Temple, there is a need for us to come together and protect the regular conduct of our beloved Naadopaasana program in its current form.

To bring everyone up to speed, specifically, three issues have been identified as pain points with the Temple interference with the naadopaasana program.

1. Someone has complained to the temple that there are too many Naadopaasana programs and that all of the communities are not being represented adequately during the several programs. This complaint has led the office bearers to make a unanimous and unpopular decision to relocate the programs to either the youth center, sanskar bhavan or to the yaagashaala.

While we are still fortunate that we have the opportunity to perform at the temple, it is disappointing that we cannot perform our sangeetha seva in front of the main deities. I believe there is a certain sanctity to offer our art as a prayer to the Lord. As As far as the number of programs goes, the Dallas music and Dance community has grown by leaps and bounds, and the increase in the number of naadopaasana programs is a reflection of this healthy growth.

2. Due to the change in venue, there is a high level of uncertainty as to where each program will be held and is creating an unnecessary distraction to the artists. 

3. The office bearers have suggested that the artists being featured in the programs need to be approved by the temple management. While I welcome any feedback on specific programs, I think we need to be careful about who approves the artists. In my opinion, the current system works and it should remain so.

I seek your support in impressing upon the Office Bearers and other temple officials to oblige our request along these three lines:

1. Naadopaasana should be conducted consistently in the main sannidhanam of the temple according to the predetermined schedule. We want to also impress upon our kids and students the importance of performing sangeetha seva as an upachara, which is the main purpose of Carnatic music. Performing in the main sannidhanam, in front of the Lord, with utmost humility and devotion is, in my opinion, the only way we can truly perform the sangeetha seva.

2. The increase in the number of events, as I mentioned, is a reflection of the thriving cultural activity and thriving talent available within the Dallas arts scene. I think the temple has an obligation to keep these arts alive.

3. The current approach of selecting the artists, scheduling the artists and securing the temple premises for Naadopaasana should continue with Sri S.P. Krishnamurthy leading the effort in consultation with several of us. He does his consultations while maintaining anonymity, and I respect that. So, while I am not sure who specifically is involved in providing feedback about the featured artists, I can generally say that it is among us. I have been approached at least a few times Sri S. P. Krishnamurthy to provide feedback on new artists in Dallas and visiting artists. I think this is a proven approach and should stay as such.

If you like the naadopaasana program as it is being conducted today, have had a chance to perform sangeetha seva and would like for it to continue to provide us with sangeetha seva opportunities, please consider this letter as a personal plea and sign this petition. I am very confident that our collective word will carry more weight with the Temple management than my word alone.

Regards, 

Savitha Namuduri