Udupi, the Temple City of Lord Krishna, in the coastal Karnataka, had great thinkers ,litterateurs, Yakshagana artistes , dramatists, painters ,besides the great saints – Sri Madhwacharya and Sri Vadiraja. But seldom classical music had any role to play with. People here were not exposed to the seriousness of this art. However top ranking artistes did visit this temple city to give their music, but the rasikas were not able to learn as there were no proper guidance available.

It was at this moment a team of young musicians and music lovers started Raga Dhana in Udupi 1988. Vidwan Sri Madhoor P Balasubramanyam, a disciple Sri Venkata Subramanya Iyer of Kanchana, as the Founder President and Prof. V Aravinda Hebbar as the Founder Secretary, entered into this venture of propagating, educating and popularizing our classical Indian Music in this remote corner of the State.. The team went from house to house, not for the collection of money, but to arrange Griha Sangeeth, infusing the host, to put himself into the shoes of Carnatic music.

Many veterans, young promising musicians ,in and outside our State, have all come to our Sabha and given recitals. Not only had they given us excellent concerts but also a full throated admiration for our genuine efforts. Even the renowned artistes took pride to participate in the concerts of our Sabha,totally ignoring the monitory aspects which they usually demand with other ordinary sponsors. All our concerts and programs are arranged free of any tickets.

A good crop of budding talents, young musicians, good teachers, young brilliant rasikas who are able to discriminate good music from the gallery music and a responsible sponsors have been growing in a very healthy way. More than five Music organizations have come up in and around the district in propagating Classical music , is yet another covetable development .

The Kanakadasa Sangeetholsavam 2014 organized by Raga Dhana, Udupi featured a Vocal concert of S Mahadevan from Thiruvananthapuram.

Starting with Pranamamyaham in Goula, Mahadevan sang the following Kannada krithis, Purandaradasar’s Harinarayana Harinarayana in Kedaram, Narayana Ninna in Suddhadhanyasi and Dasara Nindisabeda in Ragesree ; Kanakadasa’s most popular composition Baro Krishnayya which is a ragamalika ; Mysore Sadasiva Rao’s Nee Kepudu in Abhogi was selected as the main krithi for the concert. Mahadevan was accompanied by Violinist Kasargod AL Ananthapadmanabha and Mridangist Vadakara PV Anilkumar respectively.