After 18 years, the South India Heritage Programme (SIHP) officially came to a close on Sunday.
Rich encomiums were paid to TAG Corporation managing director and the programme’s curator, R.T. Chari, at an event held at TAG Centre.
Madras Music Academy president N. Murali, who released the book The Magnificent Heritage of South India, comprising details of 350 lectures and other events conducted as part of the SIHP, said the series used to be the talk of the town.
The role that the series played in heritage awareness and building camaraderie was amazing, he said.
A disciplinarian, Mr. Chari would take people off the list of invitees if they did not ensure to provide RSVP thrice in a row. Though the programme has come to an end, the experience lingers on, said Mr. Murali.
Meticulous execution
Former Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh P.K. Doraiswamy commended the meticulous way in which the programmes were planned and executed by Mr. Chari. He wanted the guests to ensure that Mr. Chari was decorated with a Padma Award for his services to heritage and culture. Former Chief Election Commissioner T. S. Krishnamurthy said the heritage series covered a wide canvas of subjects and wanted it to be continued in some form. Former CBI director R.K. Raghavan said that SIHP had enriched the community through informative and educative lectures.
Mr. Chari made a video presentation titled ‘My musical and heritage journey’. He said that he would continue interacting with his extended family through programmes on music, humour and health. He also expressed his gratitude to his staff members, who helped him put together the SIHP over the years.
S.R. Madhu, who put together the book and has compered most of the programmes, said that he really admired Mr. Chari’s energy and the diversity of subjects that were chosen for SIHP. His retrospectives on Srirangam, Kancheepuram and Ramanuja, that had five to six lectures each, an exhibition and a little booklet, were a learning experience, he said.