Rhythmic interpreter of maladies many

When he delightfully recites ‘Ksheera sagara sayana’ in the early hours at his home to rejuvenate his mind, he resembles a veteran musician than a physician with tight schedule. For the Superintendent of Vadakara district hospital, Dr Peeyush Namboodiripad, it might be his love and passion for Carnatic music that help him create a spirited ambiance at the hospital.

“For me life is music. I use music in my own way to soothe people around me,” says Peeyush. According to him, providing an ambiance for everyone to live harmoniously is the best human service to God. “Everyday I come across several people with varied requests. Whenever I get a break from my hectic schedule, I immerse myself in music. This keeps me vibrant and energetic.”

Peeyush took charge at the Vadakara hospital in 2012 and has brought about noteworthy improvements, both in the infrastructure and treatment facilities at the institution. “At present, Vadakara government hospital is the only hospital in the state with an air conditioned OP for patients.” The Carnatic vocalist, who is popularly known as the ‘singer- physician’, fell in love with music at a tender age of four.

Learning basics in music from his father M S Namboothiripad, of Makkad illam, who was a noted social reformer, writer, musician and teacher, Peeyush excelled in all the forms of ragas.He has performed on thousands of stages including the Guruvayur Melpathur auditorium, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi. He has enthralled the music buffs in and around the state.

He has even got the opportunity to perform before eminent personalities including former President Prathibha Patil and Carnatic vocalist M Balamuralikrishna at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2009.  This was the most memorable moment to him. “I could never have imagined that I would be performing before a maestro like Balamuraleekrishna.”Peeyush is an ardent lover of Vayalar’s revolutionary poems.

He was the Kalaprathibha at the school and college art festivals during his time. “Learning several ragas will not make a good musician. He needs to understand the science in music,'' he added. Dr Peeyush, also known as a healer of social maladies, is an ineluctable name for spiritual talks.

“I believe spiritual speech can hold back social and political violence. I have never used spiritual talks to propagate religious beliefs and concept alone. To me it goes much beyond it,” he said. After completing his MBBS from the Kozhikode Medical College he went to Mumbai for specialisation in Anesthesia.He learned the basics in integral medicine from China.

(This article was published in The New Indian Express newspaper-29/03/2013)