Darshanam Mogulaiah, a revered Padma Shri awardee renowned for his revival of the rare musical instrument ‘Kinnera’, has found himself in dire circumstances, working at a construction site near Hyderabad to make ends meet. Despite receiving a significant grant of ₹1 crore from the Telangana government, the 73-year-old maestro has been grappling with financial difficulties, largely stemming from family emergencies and steep medical expenses.
Mogulaiah, who judiciously allocated the state grant to fund his children’s weddings and acquire land for constructing a home, now finds himself in a precarious situation as his resources have been depleted. The construction of his residence came to a standstill due to insufficient funds, compounded by the delay in the allotment of a promised 600-square yard plot in the Rangareddy district, near Hyderabad.
The veteran artist, a father to nine children, revealed that one of his sons suffers from seizures, requiring approximately ₹7,000 per month solely for medication, in addition to routine medical tests and other essential expenditures. His financial strain intensified with the abrupt discontinuation of a ₹10,000 monthly honorarium by the state, the reasons for which remain unclear to him.
The plight of Mogulaiah came to light through the efforts of senior journalist Sucheta Dalal, who brought attention to his struggles on social media platforms. The narrative swiftly captured the interest of KT Rama Rao, a prominent leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), who pledged personal intervention to alleviate the artist’s hardships. “Thanks, Sucheta Ji for bringing this news to my attention…I will personally take care of Sri Moguliah’s family. My team @KTRoffice will reach out to him immediately,” Rao assured in a tweet.
Despite the accolades and honors bestowed upon him, including the prestigious Padma Shri award recognizing his invaluable contributions to Indian folk music, Mogulaiah’s current ordeal serves as a poignant reminder of the precarious circumstances faced by artists in India, particularly those rooted in traditional and folk domains. His predicament prompts a critical examination of the sustainability of support mechanisms for artists who serve as custodians of India’s diverse and vibrant cultural heritage.
