Once, a nagaswaram player Dasari was engaged to perform at temple festival in Thiruvaiyar (a village near Thanjavoor) in which Thyagaraja lived. One night, as the procession turned towards the South Mada Street, the nagaswaram player stopped at the junction of Thirumanjana veedhi in which Thyagaraja’s house was located, and played the kriti Darini Telusukonti, a composition of Thyagaraja himself in Suddha Saveri ragam, prefacing it with a brief alapana. The stillness of the night, the beautiful music, sparkling sangatis of the masterpiece, all made a tremendous impression on the listeners. Thyagaraja who was listening to the piece from his house was so touched by the brilliant performance that, coming out of his house, he walked up the distance and congratulated the performer.
