Tamil Nadu: PM Modi meets music composer Ramesh Vinayakam, tries Vande Mataram on Gamaka Box

Chennai : In the midst of election campaigning in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met renowned music composer Ramesh Vinayakam and his family in Chennai, where he explored the Gamaka Box Notation System and participated in a musical session.
In a post in X, PM Modi wrote, “In the midst of election campaigning, had the opportunity to meet Thiru Ramesh Vinayakam Ji and his family in Chennai. Ramesh Ji is a music composer and has devoted his life to popularising Indian music. He gave me a glimpse of his work in making the Gamaka Box Notation System. This is an innovative way to take Indian music to the world!”
Ramesh Vinayakam, who has dedicated his life to promoting Indian classical music, demonstrated the Gamaka Box Notation System, which he developed in 2009.
The system provides a modern and technologically compatible method to preserve and document Indian music, bridging traditional knowledge with advanced tools.
Explaining the innovation, Vinayakam said, “There has never been a science and technology for music. This system can be implemented to create a complete knowledge repository of all Indian music through AI and machine learning.”
During the session, PM Modi tried playing Vande Mataram on a tablet under Vinayakam’s guidance. The composer praised the Prime Minister’s enthusiasm, stating, “You have been the best student, sir.” The music composer also gifted PM Modi a pencil, a rubber, and a blank manuscript, a tradition he follows whenever someone learns from him.
The meeting concluded with Vinayakam performing a devotional composition, leaving the Prime Minister visibly delighted.
Ramesh Vinayakam’s work has been widely recognised for merging traditional Indian musical knowledge with modern technology, and his Gamaka Box system is seen as a pioneering step towards globalising Indian music.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Chennai comes ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, scheduled for April 23, where major political alliances are gearing up for a high-stakes contest.
Tamil Nadu will hold elections in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The last date for filing nominations is April 6. Scrutiny will take place on April 7, and the final date for withdrawal of candidatures is April 9.
The main electoral contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes Congress, DMDK, and other parties. Looking to unseat the ruling alliance are the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.