Guru Prema Hariharan was as graceful as her music

Prema Hariharan, who passed away recently, was an exemplary guru and vocalist

On a December afternoon in 1994, I attended a concert at Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai. As I walked past the mini hall, I could hear a strong voice aligned clearly to the tara sthayi shadjam. I entered the hall and sat on a chair in the first few rows. And for the next two hours, I was soaked in pure classical music — unhurried, authentic and divine. I saw my guru for the first time that day. She was wearing a beautiful magenta silk sari and her face appeared calm. That minute I decided that I should become her disciple. When my parents approached her, she readily agreed to train me. Thus started a three decade long musical journey with my guru Prema Hariharan, one of the finest Carnatic musicians of her time.