‘Chaitanyam’ is an initiative of Carnatic musician Kalaimamani Dr. Gayathri Girish. Having carved a niche for herself in thematic multimedia presentations done in a traditional concert format, she has undertaken year-long research projects like “Myriad Forms of Lord Shiva” under the Production Grant instituted by the Ministry of Culture, New Delhi, in the year 2013. This programme was the first of its kind, exploring aspects like temple architecture and iconography of the various forms of Lord Shiva, along with lucid explanations of the nuances of the compositions and philosophical ideas governing them. The production had a wide response and was well-received by rasika-s, for the in-depth research done by her on the subject.
Her PhD thesis was titled "Journey Towards Liberation As Seen In Muthusvami Dikshitar Kritis". She has also presented a paper titled “The music of Muthusvami Dikshitar, a window into his personality” at the Swadeshi Indology Conference at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bangalore, in 2019.
