A new book explores the musical traditions of Indian cities and their social impact

I am walking down a street off Cathedral Road in Chennai when the sound of someone singing at a small Krishna temple stops me in my tracks. “Nayakanai nindra…” The voice, melodious and unhurried, floats out into the morning air. A few feet away from the temple entrance, I pause. The scent of fresh jasmine from a flower cart behind me drifts upward, mingling with the devotional melody of Andal’s verse from the Thiruppavai. For a moment, the city feels like it is singing directly to me.

I am here for the December music season – as both performer and listener – and everywhere I turn, the city wears its festival mood. Billboards of Carnatic musicians loom over busy intersections. Umpteen sabhas buzz with activity, hosting lecture-demonstrations in the morning and concerts from dawn to late into the night. Temporary canteens spring up inside these venues, serving steaming tiffin items that are as much a part of the season as the ragas themselves. In December, Chennai becomes one of the world’s largest music festivals – an eight-week celebration of sound woven into the fabric of everyday life.

My husband has his own carefully curated concert list, complete with harikathas, particularly those of...

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