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        Making a mark in a particular field is a distinction, excelling in more than one is an achievement. P Vasanthi belongs to the second category. It's three-in-one (musician, artist and beautician) for this pious and soft-natured homemaker, who juggles in three different areas — not to mention her other service activities.

        Her heart was for art (painting) during childhood at her native Thittakudi in Cuddalore district, but young Vasanthi had to take to music after taking the right note from her mother Indirani. Even at an early age, she was imbibed by Periyar's ideologies since her father Kuppusamy was a staunch follower then.

        Witnessing her exhilarating skill while imparting training in painting and music to inmates of an orphanage, Periyar gave her the title Suttippenmani when Vasanthi was just 10 years. Years rolled on and Vasanthi was married to Palaniandi, a civil engineer in the '80s. Seeing her varied interest, her husband asked her to continue her line of interest. Thus, she obtained the Isai Mani and Isai Selvam diplomas from Tamilisai college. Her taste in was so much that she joined B A Music at Madras University and came out with flying colours.

        'I feel proud to be the disciple of D K Pattammal from whom I learnt a lot about music', she said and added that the music exponent was very considerate in giving an insight into the intricacies of music without any differentiation or discrimination of who approached her. That much is her magnanimity.

        'With encouragement from my husband, I learnt various arts at Kothari Institute and obtained gold medal in painting', she recalled.

        Her ethnic art work needs special mention and her art pieces are on sale in most of the art galleries besides Victoria Technical Institute, Landmark and most retail outlets. Though she had given life to different characters through her art, her most fascinated sketch is on Muralidhara swamigal drawn within an hour during a Satsangam.

        The splash of colours lured her into the beautician domain where she got a three year training in herbal treatment with specialisation in 'Treatment with parlour'. Vasanthi, now renders service on bridal make-up.

        On the spiritual side, hyms and bhajans are a regular feature at her Ashok Nagar residence every month. Residents nearby and friends participate in large numbers, she said. Vasanthi is also an active member of the Saidapet Ladies Club.

        Vasanthi's husband and her son Saravanan, a mechanical engineer are working in Dubai while her daughters — Santhalakshmi is doing her CA, Sanmitha is a six month-old baby. Vasanthi's brother S V Pravin is a noted guitarist and keyboard player.

        Vasanthi and her family members make it a point to celebrate festivals at orphanages and oldage homes since they had the strong belief in the dictum—be happy and make others happy.