By Sudha Pandalai, Cincinatti, OH     e-mail:  sppandalai@yahoo.com

Editor: Sudha P. Pandalai grew up in the Pittsburgh Metro area. Her family and the Madhavs have been friends for many years.

Dr. Ashok and Mrs. Shobha Madhav, long-standing members of the Pittsburgh Indian community, recently moved to Silver Springs, MD to begin a new chapter in their lives. Their friends in Pittsburgh will miss them but wish them well in this next phase.

In the early days of the Indian community in southwestern Pennsylvania, the Madhavs enriched the lives of their colleagues and friends in ways large and small. They have a diverse circle of friends from their fifty-years of living in the Pittsburgh area.

Both have been highly active at the Sri Venkateswara Temple and other local religious and cultural institutions through the years, and have been strong enthusiasts of classical Indian performing arts (both dance and music). Since the 1970’s they have encouraged many artists, both those established, and those who were just beginning their careers, through arranging concerts and hosting them.

Additionally, Dr. Madhav has contributed to the Karnatic music repertoire by composing kritis in all of the 72 Melakarta (parent) ragas. His deep grasp of music theory and history, in topics ranging from Karnatic music Janaka and Janya ragas, to Thaats in Hindustani music, and to taalas, has made Dr. Madhav sought-after by many professionals, and students of music, wanting to clarify finer points in Indian classical music. (Editor’s Note: In the very first issue of the Patrika, Dr. Madhav reviewed “Purush”, a dance program with an all-male ensemble, led by Bharatanatyam Maestro C. V. Chandrashekhar and Kathak Maestro Birju Maharaj)

Mrs. Madhav has been a vital part of the community. She is noted for her skill in public speaking, and through the years, she has been a popular emcee at various functions. These include public programs at the Sri Venkateswara Temple and private functions such as many Arangetrams performed by dance students in the area.

With the move further east, the Madhavs will enjoy being closer to their daughter Anita, her husband Jim and their children; and being nearer to their son Nitin.  In October close to fifty friends of the Madhavs gathered at the Tamarind Restaurant in Green Tree to bid them farewell. Their friends in Pittsburgh thank them for their years of friendship, wish them well in their new home, and promise to visit them in DC.  ♣

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