Bhakti & Karnataka Sangitam — Can Our Music Tradition Remain Relevant Sans Bhakti?

A provocative examination of whether Karnataka Sangitam can survive and remain relevant without its foundational element of Bhakti. Published in the 17th Annual Souvenir of the Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego, the article argues that the increasing commodification and competition-driven approach to Carnatic music risks severing it from the devotional tradition that gave it life and purpose. Drawing on centuries of saint-composers from Purandara Dasa to Tyagaraja, the author makes a compelling case that Bhakti is not merely an ornament of Carnatic music but its very soul.