Best Raaja Song IM(Not so)HO

Finally, after years of exasperation and indecision I found out my favourite Raja song. And not surprisingly, it is not a very popular song among the masses. But critics have always spoken high of this song. The song being Illanjolai Poothatha Enna Jaalam from Sivakumar, Nathiya starrer Unaakaga Vaazhikeren.
To quote this guy Lakshminarayanan Srirangam Ramakrishanan:
"illam cholai is one of the mile-stones in his career. I would say that it is one of his top bests. It has been sung by S.P.B. He starts lke Ma2 Pa Sa (illam cholai) Sa Ri2 Sa Ni3(poothadhaa). He prolongs the kaakali nishadham and beautifully gives a gamakam and then travels down to panchamam. Initially he uses tabla for accompaniment and then in the charanam there is wonderful mridhangam, the usage of which is very typical of him."

Now if you find the references to Nishadam and the Panchamam, Greek and Latin, you have company. But then I can appreciate the beauty of the mridangam joining the tabla after a few lines. And so can I appreciate the absolutely stunning aalap by SPB in the beginning.

So why is ths my favourite song? I never believed that a song can actually uplift a person's mood. This song proved me wrong. It is really an experience to listen to this song. Wonderful music, beautiful lines(who was the lyricist?) and brilliant emotional rendering;the song takes me to a different world each time. I am remain awestruck at the beauty of this song. Somehow given my liking for Indian music, it seems fitting that a good Dharmavati with heavy usage of the Tabla, a quintessential Hindustani instrument be my favourite song.

I will stop here. After all the eulogising, I feel like listening to the song again.