"I am lucky to have Vinayakram for my husband …"
– Chandra Vinayakram

The newly-found ‘Light Foundation’ of Kalyanamalai honored the couple ‘Gatam’ Vinayakram and Chandra Vinayakram under the banner “Save the value of family system” that dwelled on the importance of the concept of ‘family’ with the aim of impressing upon the members of the present generation the old values governing the institution of marriage. The reputed ‘gatam’ (pot drum) artist Vinayakram, known for his great achievements in the field of music, who has conducted concerts around the globe and has been a recipient of many awards including Padmashree and Grammy, firmly believes that his loving wife Chandra is behind all his successes! During the interview for Kalyanamalai, the couple set an example for unity expressing their views in one voice.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Please describe your career in the music field as ‘Before marriage’ and ‘After marriage’ …

A:There’s no doubt …my career catapulted to great heights after marriage only. I was not really keen in getting married. My ‘guru’ was my father Harihara Sarma himself. And, he was my guide too who took me along the right path. He used to show me the correct way whenever I was on the horns of a dilemma. He selected a girl for me for marriage. But I rejected her. He did not get angry with me for my refusal, he only asked me the reason for rejecting the girl. When I told him that I was not interested in marriage, he explained to me the meaning and importance of marriage. He told me that every man required a life partner for sharing his joy and sorrow and that while selecting the girl, more importance should be given to the nature and family background of the girl. He gave me a shock by telling that he would not talk to me till I gave my consent for marriage. For me, to remain without talking to my father was a thing which I couldn’t bear even in my dreams. I pondered over his words and felt that he was right in his stand. At this point in time, another proposal came our way. The girl was distantly related to us. On the advice of my father, I gave my consent to marry that girl. And, she is my wife Chandra.

We’ve three sons and one daughter. The first, Selvaganesh is a ‘ganjira’ player; the next, Umashankar is a ‘gatam’ artist; the third Umamahesh is a vocalist. My only daughter Sangeetha is also a vocalist. All my children are well-placed in their career as well as in life.

I realized the full meaning of my father’s words only later in my life. When I got a good family life and a good career, I realized the full depth of his words. (Turning to his wife) Do you want to say anything …?