Performed harikatha across the country

Like any mother, Gayatri used to tell bedtime stories to Varsha when she was toddler and she would listen to them intently. Gayatri then began narrating to her stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. By age six, Varsha's interest in stories, particularly from the Puranas and the two epics grew so much that she not only spent a lot of time listening to them but also enjoyed reading books on them and began narrating them flawlessly0. With both parents being performing vocalists (father Sreyas Narayanan is an A grade AIR artiste), Varsha also began learning music. One day when Gayatri came to know of Harikatha exponent T. R. Kamala Murthy's visit to the city took Varsha to seek her blessings. But the veteran was so impressed by Varsha's talent that she decided to take her as her disciple that very moment. Thus began Varsha's classes in harikatha. Quick on the uptake, she was soon well-versed in the various aspects of vedic literature and gained enough confidence to stage harikatha performances. It's fascinating, says the 11-year-old. And how do her friends, many of whom might be Justin Beiber fans, react to her passion. Oh, it's their parents and grandparents who attend my performances,she smiles. How does she feel about the audience's cheers and applause? I donot focus on that much because I would then get distracted, says the youngster, who reads everyday books on the spics including Amar Chitra Katha that helps her visualise the scenes.