[1]He may be Dasettan or Ganagandharvan to the world of glitzy music reality shows. But when he reached his hometown, Adhikarivalappu in Fort Kochi on Saturday, he became the old Dasappan who rose to fame from their midst, to reach the heights of music, with his divine voice.
He walked through the same old serene stretch as thousands were waiting to meet the man who sang his way into the hearts of millions.Yesudas’ annual pilgrimage to his hometown, as part of the culmination of a month-long veneration of St Joseph, had a special shine this time as the singer has just been part of the celebrations to mark the completion of 50 years in the film industry.
Yesudas took a flight to Kochi from Dubai on Saturday morning to attend the holy feast at the St Joseph’s church at Adhikari campus in Fort Kochi. After a nap, the maestro rushed to the place that holds his childhood memories.
Thousands accompanied him as he walked through the narrow stretch that led to the cupola. First he paid a visit to his late master Barid’s house, which stands next to the cupola. After greeting his master’s family, Yesudas also accompanied the priests in a blessing ceremony of the holy feast.
He then prayed before the saint inside the cupola, before serving food for the gathering. Once again he went to his master’s house to chat with the family with whom he had his lunch. His childhood friends caught up with him and shared their memories.
He left the place after lunch and returned late in the evening to the same spot to sing in honour of his father, the late Augustine Joseph, who was a well known singer and stage actor. The maestro knew he was in the place from where he began his tryst with music.
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/31-k-yesudas-dcjpgcropdisplayjpg-004