உதயா உதயா உளறுகிறேன்.. விரிவடையும் திசையெங்கும் தொடர்கிறது ஒரு மௌனப் பயணம்!

-வ. துர்காதேவி

When Music Takes the Mountain Road – The Quiet Magic of “Udhaya Udhaya Ularugiren”

விரிவடையும் திசையெங்கும்

தொடர்கிறது 

இப்பாடலின் மௌனப் பயணம்;

திரும்பி, பாய்ந்து,

சற்று இளைப்பாறி,

மீண்டும் எழும்பிச் செல்கிறது—

முடிவே இல்லாததொரு

மலைப்பாதையின் வளைவுகளைப் போல!

உதயா உதயா உளறுகிறேன்.. இந்தப் பாடலைக் கேட்காதவர்கள், ரசிக்காதவர்கள், அதில் லயித்துப் போகாதவர்கள் இருக்க முடியாது.. காலையில் மீண்டும் வந்து காதைத் தழுவிச் சென்ற அந்த இனிய பாடலின் அழகை உங்களுடன் பகிர்கிறார் வ. துர்காதேவி.. இனி அந்த அழகிய அனுபவத்தை அவரது வார்த்தைகளிலேயே நாமும் ரசிப்போம்.

For someone who has lived for years within the musical universe of Ilaiyaraaja, music slowly becomes more than an art form. It becomes a silent companion that walks beside us through the routines of life. Even on the busiest days, when work fills every moment and thoughts move in restless circles, a melody quietly slips into the mind and continues to play somewhere within.

For a long time, that inner world may belong almost entirely to Ilaiyaraaja. His music has that rare ability to become part of one’s breathing. Yet, as time passes, the ears slowly begin to open to other musical landscapes. That is when one discovers the distinctive magic of A. R. Rahman — a composer whose music often feels less like something composed and more like something discovered, as though it already existed somewhere in the air waiting to be heard.

Among his many creations, one song that returns again and again to the heart is “Udhaya Udhaya Ularugiren” from the film Udhaya. The song does not begin loudly. It enters quietly, almost like the first light of dawn spreading across the sky. And with its opening lines, it gently takes hold of the listener:

“Udhaya udhaya ularugiren

Uyiraal unaiye ezhuthugiren…”

There is something deeply intimate in these words. It feels as though the singer is not merely calling out to a beloved name, but slowly dissolving into it, writing that name again and again with the ink of his own life.

Listening to this song feels very much like travelling along a mountain road.

The journey begins slowly — calm, unhurried, and filled with a quiet sense of space. It is like a car moving through the mist-covered hills in the early morning, when the world is still half-asleep and the air carries a gentle chill.

Then, without warning, the road bends.

The music shifts its direction, emotions deepen, and the song suddenly reveals another shade of feeling. It is like encountering an unexpected curve on that winding hill road. Yet the movement never feels abrupt or harsh. The music flows with a natural grace, as though it knows the road far better than the listener.

That is where the subtle brilliance of A. R. Rahman reveals itself. When the mind prepares for one emotional direction, the music quietly turns and takes us somewhere entirely different.

At the heart of the song lies a beautiful paradox of love:

“Ennai thulaithuvitten, en unnai adainthuvitten

Unnai adainthathanaal, en ennai tholaithuvitten…”

In those lines lies the strange truth of deep affection — that in reaching the beloved, one begins to lose oneself. The words carry both fulfilment and surrender, like a river finally dissolving into the vastness of the sea.

Another line opens the emotional horizon even further:

“Kaadhal theendavae

Kadal thaagam theernthathae…”

Love here is not a fleeting emotion. It is vast and immeasurable, like an ocean finally quenching an ancient thirst.

Yet the true enchantment of the song lies in the voices that breathe life into these words.

The voice of Hariharan flows with remarkable gentleness. Listening to him sing feels effortless — almost like honey slowly dissolving on the tongue. Every word emerges with grace, smooth and luminous, carrying emotion without the slightest strain.

Then comes the voice of Sadhana Sargam — soft, radiant, and almost celestial. Her voice enters the song like a beam of moonlight slipping through a quiet window. It lifts the melody upward, giving it a delicate brightness that feels both tender and serene.

Together, their voices weave something rare — a musical space where the listener forgets time and simply drifts within the melody.

One of the most beautiful aspects of “Udhaya Udhaya Ularugiren” is that it does not demand any knowledge of music. One need not understand technical structures or musical theory to feel its beauty. The song simply asks the listener to surrender — to sit quietly, close the eyes, and allow the music to lead the way.

And it does lead the listener through many landscapes of feeling.

At one moment it feels like travelling through mist-covered hills.

At another moment it feels like standing beside a waterfall rushing down from the mountains.

Sometimes the music seems to pause in mid-air, as though time itself has briefly held its breath.

And then, quite suddenly, it moves again — flowing forward with quiet grace.

That is the gentle magic of “Udhaya Udhaya Ularugiren.”

It is not merely a song that plays and fades away. It is a melody that lingers, returning to the mind unexpectedly — in the middle of a busy day, during a quiet evening, or while travelling alone on a long road.

For someone who has grown up immersed in the music of Ilaiyaraaja, discovering such moments in the work of A. R. Rahman does not replace that earlier love. Instead, it gently widens the horizon of music itself.

And somewhere within that widening horizon, this song continues its quiet journey — turning, flowing, pausing, and rising again — like a winding mountain road that never truly ends.

(வ துர்காதேவி, பட்டதாரி ஆசிரியர், அரசு உயர்நிலை பள்ளி-நெசல், திருவண்ணாமலை)