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Section Synopsis (June 2006)
MAIN FEATURE
INDRA KISHORE MISHRA Dhrupad As It Once Was- DEEPAK S. RAJA
How much dhrupad is there in contemporary dhrupad? Connoisseurs with
a taste for such conundrums will find plenty of grist for their mill
in the music of Indra Kishore Mishra. While the established dhrupad
lineages re-engineer the mediaeval genre as a global brand, Indra
Kishore (born: 1957) struggles for acceptance of a style zealously
insulated against change for over three centuries in a remote corner
of India. Combating geographic isolation and generations of
oblivion, Indra Kishore has established himself, and his Bettiah
gharana (stylistic lineage) of dhrupad, on India's musical map. The
Indian dhrupad "establishment" treats him with respect. But, the
recent revival in the fortunes of the genre has, so far, left him
untouched. With the visibility gains from CDs published in the West,
he may yet ensure the durability of his unique style.
Indra Kishore's ancestors migrated from the Mughal court, in the
17th century, to the patronage of Bettiah (district Champaran in
Bihar) on the India-Nepal border....
The battle against oblivion
Mishra spoke to the author on December 22, 2002
My gharana traces its origins to two brothers-- Jasraj and Yuvraj
Mallik-- who served the court of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (17th
century) as vocalists and rudra veena players. When they accepted
the patronage of Bettiah rulers, they retained "Mallik", the title
granted to them at the Mughal court. Our family name is Mishra, and
family lore claims descent from Miya Tansen, who was Ramtanu Mishra
before conversion to Islam....
Our original patrons, Anand Kishore Singh, and his son, Naval
Kishore Singh of Bettiah, were prolific poets and cultivated
musicians.... After independence, the support of the ruling family
vanished.... Despite great hardship, my father and grandfather
remained committed to our tradition.
The repertoire of bandishes (pada-s/ compositions) in my gharana
includes bandishes by Miya Tansen, his guru Swami Haridas, even his
guru Vyasa Das, and Nayak Baiju, popularly known as Baiju Bawra. My
grandfather reportedly knew 25,000 bandishes. My father knew 2500,
and documented them with the verse, tala, and melodic notation. Of
these, he taught me about 1500, in about hundred raga-s. This is all
that remains of our legacy of compositions....
Our family has taken great pains to ensure that each generation
performs the music exactly as the earlier generations did. Willful
deviation is discouraged, and all change is inadvertent. We are
committed to the original philosophy of dhrupad as devotional
music....
We treat the bandish as the core of dhrupad....
Our raga grammar also remains rooted in tradition, and often ignores
recent changes....
Our family follows a combination of the Gauhar bani and Khandhar
bani styles of dhrupad....
I am training my son and daughters in our gharana's music....
.
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SPOT LIGHT
Sangeeta Sthalam-s - 15
Heritage Landmarks in Music
Vanamamalai -SRIRAM.V
Leaving the dust of Chennai and its environs behind, let us proceed
to sylvan Nanguneri or Vanamamalai or Tirucheeri / Sree Vara Mangai
Nanguneri-Totadri to give it its full name. This is a kshetram that
is in far away Tirunelveli and a truly magnificent kshetram it is
with a link to Carnatic music as well....
A bus journey from Tirunelveli town to Nanguneri would last around
45 minutes. It is a sleepy hamlet with the temple dominating. For
the Vaishnavites it is said to be such a holy shrine that it is
equated with Vaikuntham itself.... Nammalwar has sung in praise
of the deity here and hence the shrine also qualifies as one of
the 108 Divya Desam-s of Vaishnavite lore....
The names
Why Nanguneri? It is believed that Adi Sesha (naga) did penance
here to become the couch (anai) of the Lord and hence the place
was called Naganaicheri which became Nanguneri later. Yet another
explanation is that the sacred tank here is in reality four (naangu)
lakes (eri) which were combined together. One more explanation for
the name is that the 'eri' caters to four villages (naangu oor).
Goddess Lakshmi (Sree Vara Mangai) is said to have taken birth here
as the daughter of Bhrighu and married the Lord and hence the place
is called Sree Vara Mangai. The place was once full of forests and
with the Koorma hill close by which appears to touch the skies it
was also called Vanamamalai (Vaanamaamalai). The Lord here appeared
to be an enormous water bearing mountain-like cloud to his devotees
and hence Toya Adri which later became Totadri.
- The sacred tank
- The sanctum
- The oil well
- The divine consorts
- Utsavam-s and celebrations
- Temple history
- Music history
Now we come to the subject we are really concerned with-- music
in Nanguneri.
Firstly, there was Nammalwar, who included Nanguneri among the few
shrines he sang on.... He dedicated eleven pasuram-s to the Lord
here....
What really puts this shrine on the Carnatic music map is a collection
of around 100 kriti-s which are generally referred to as "Vanamamalai
Jeer Sahityangal". There are two schools of thought as to whether
a Jeer really composed the songs.
As per one school of thought no Jeer of the Mutt has ever been a
composer, though many have honoured scholars and musicians. These
songs were the creation of two brothers Srinivasa Iyengar (1859-1891)
and Azhagappa Iyengar (1861-1915) who hailed from Nanguneri....
The brothers were vaggeyakara-s for they set the tune themselves
for their lyrics. Unlike compositions of other duos such as Anai
Ayya and the Sivan Brothers (Maha Vaidyanatha and Ramaswami), it
is apparently possible to distinguish the works of Azhagappa from
those of Srinivasa Iyengar. From the repeated usage of the words
Varayogi and Yogivarya in his kriti-s, it is guessed that Azhagappa
Iyengar used them as his mudra. The brothers composed in Sanskrit
on Lord Devanayaka and Goddess Sree Vara Mangai. There are kriti-s
on Nammalwar and poorvacharya-s of the Mutt. In addition there is
a ragamalika set in seven sections which summarises the Ramayana.
...The second school of thought on the subject asserts that it was
indeed a Jeer who created the compositions and that the two brothers
were merely playing the roles of scribes. The Kritimanimalai of
R. Rangaramanuja Iyengar, in its fourth volume, contains four songs
with notation. These are the four most popular ones, namely Matim
dehi, Dasaratha suta, Janaki ramana and Jaane vina.... I contacted
Dr. V.V. Srivatsa, music scholar and one of the Joint Secretaries
of the Music Academy, who in turn spoke to the present Jeer who
is a musician, scholar and linguist. The Jeer confirmed that it
was the 25th Jeer who created these compositions. He also went on
to explain that taking credit for composing was an indication of
worldliness and the then Jeer having taught the songs to his scribes
was not really interested in getting recognition for the songs.
...Some of the Vanamamalai songs that could be culled out from M.
Visalakshi's article and from Lakshman Ragde's Alphabetical Index
of Karnatak Songs are given below:
Asti jagatam - Bhoopalam
Bhaja Yatirajam - Pantuvarali - Adi
Charanam vrajeham - Nata - Roopakam
Deena janavana - Bilahari - Adi
Guru dehi mama - Chakravakam - Adi
Indivara lochana - Kambhoji - Adi
Kamalalaya - Todi - Adi
Kesava - Kedaram
Manavai Madhurakavi - Nata
Pahi Rame - Gaulipantu - Roopakam
Pahi Sree Varamange - Gauri Manohari - Chapu
Pahi Suresam - Husseni - Chapu
Palaya Balagopala - Saveri
Paripalaya - Kambhoji
Paripalaya - Malayamarutam - Adi
Paripalaya - Suddha Saveri - Roopakam
Ramakamakoti - Vasanta - Adi
Sahitam Sree Varamanga - Arabhi - Misra Chapu
Sarasiruhasana - Sankarabharanam
Sree Dasaratha nandam - Ragamalika
Sree nagari nilayam - Arabhi
Sree Vara Mange - Saranga - Roopakam
Sura vara paripalaya - Bilahari - Adi
Varijadala - Subhapantuvarali
Vasudeva - Anandabhairavi
Of these the song Sahitam Sree Varamanga is said to have a description
of the entire temple. Obviously, there is a treasure trove of kriti-s
waiting to be discovered by vidwans and restored to their rightful
place in the Carnatic repertoire. It is heartening to note that
the present Jeer indicated to Dr. Srivatsa that the songs must be
popularised and hopefully, through the latter, the Music Academy
will take interest in the matter.
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MAIN FEATURE
Tiruvengadu Subramania Pillai
(1906 - 1986)
The Charmer Of Tiruvengadu-
Editor SRIRAM.V
Tiruvengadu or Swetaranyam was one of the great shrines of the
Tanjavur-Kumbakonam area which fostered nagaswaram within its
sculptured halls and corridors. In its heyday, it boasted of three
separate 'peria melam-s' or nagaswara ensembles and the raga-s that
were to be elaborated on in each of the sanctums were rigidly
codified and followed. That was an era when time was available in
plenty and nagaswaram music was enjoyed and savoured.
The man who made Tiruvengadu well known for nagaswaram music in the
last century would have turned 100 this month. Tiruvengadu
Subramania Pillai or Pillai as we will refer to him in the rest of
this chronicle was born on April 26th, 1906. The birth took place at
Tirunangur near Sirkazhi, which was the family's ancestral village.
The shift to Tiruvengadu took place when Pillai was young and for
long the family home at Tiruvengadu was referred to by the locals as
Nangurar Illam. Pillai was the only child of nagaswara vidwan
Paramanatha Pillai and Sundarambal....
Within a few years of his birth, Pillai had the misfortune to lose
both his parents. He was taken care of by his father's younger
brother Samidurai Pillai and his wife. Pillai was sent to a
conventional school till he was in the fifth grade. He appears to
have been tutored in Sanskrit and Telugu as well. But it was in
music that he received his real education.
Samidurai Pillai was also a performing nagaswara artist.... There
are differing accounts as to at what age exactly Pillai began his
training under his uncle. Some have it as seven, others as nine. But
all sources agree that by the age of 12, he was perform-ing in
public with his uncle.... Samidurai Pillai passed away soon after
Pillai began performing on stage. Pillai became a solo artist from
then on....
Besides his uncle, Pillai, according to a write up in The Hindu on
24th May 1996, also acknowledged that his music had been influenced
by stalwarts such as Manpoondia Pillai, Umayalpuram 'Ghatam'
Sundaram Iyer, Kanchipuram Naina Pillai, Kumbakonam Azhagianambi
Pillai, Palani Muthiah Pillai and Pandanainallur Meenakshisundaram
Pillai. The same article also states that he honed his performing
skills by listening to Koorainadu Natesa Pillai, Sembanarkoil
Ramaswami Pillai, Chidambaram Vaidyanatha Pillai and Nagore Subbiah
Pillai.
By the time he was 17, Pillai was a very popular performer in the
region. He was known as TPS- short for Tiruvengadu Paramanatha
Subramania Pillai. He had also grown up to be an exceedingly
handsome young man....
Pillai's rising popularity brought him to the notice of the reigning
monarch of nagaswaram, namely Tiruvavaduturai N. Rajarathnam Pillai....
For sometime, Pillai also paired with his brother-in-law in
nagaswara performances and the duo was exceedingly popular. Later
each went his way, though their relationship was extremely
affectionate and close (see TPS & TNR: Brothers-in-Law)....
Pillai's concert schedule had become so hectic by the early 1930s
that he was away from home for months on end (see Pillai's Concert
Locations)....
Finally, in the 1930s, Pillai decided to shift base from Tiruvengadu
to Mayavaram.... For many years he lived in a house on Iyarrappan
South Street. In 1947 he built a large and comfortable residence
next to it and named it 'Nada Mahal'....
With the 78 rpm boom of the 1930s, Pillai became a busy recording
artist. Most of his "plates" were released by the Hutchins
Gramophone Company and HMV which suggests that he may have been a
contracted artist for the firms (see Pillai On Record). The success
of his gramophone releases further enhanced his reputation in the
field.... The stream of patrons and admirers grew from a trickle to
a full flood and he could count Adheenam-s, Zamindar-s, well heeled
businessmen and lawyers among his fans (see Pillai's Patrons And
Friends). Notable among these was the pioneering film director K.
Subrahmanyam (see Sruti 239, August 2004).... Pillai was to "act" in
two films of Subrahmanyam's (see Pillai In Filmland)....
In Mayavaram, Pillai began the practice of observing the
Arunagirinathar Tiruvizha, in honour of the creator of the
Tiruppugazh. Spending his own money for it, he conducted the
festival for ten days each year, till his death.... It involved
music concerts every day.... The last day featured annadaanam for
which again Pillai spent his own funds. He funded the construction
of a mandapam for Arunagirinathar in Mayavaram in which a statue of
the composer was installed. After his demise, the statue was taken
to Tiruvengadu where it remains even now.
Pillai was a Gandhian and a staunch Congressman. In later years, he
would be dressed mostly in khaddar and khaddar silk. He also
recorded a number of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite pieces for the 78
rpms. On August 15th 1947, Pillai celebrated India's Independence
with gusto.... Later Pillai contested an election for, and became a
councillor of, the Mayavaram municipality and served two terms in
office. He also made recordings of the national anthem and a number
of Subramania Bharati's patriotic songs.
The 1950s saw Pillai moving further into the outfields of Carnatic
music. His fans were in countries such as Burma (now Myanmar), the
Federated Malay States (now Malaysia), Singapore, and Ceylon (now
Sri Lanka). He embarked on a concert tour of the Far East in the
first week of November 1955 and returned six months later....
In the 1950s, Pillai along with K. Subrahmanyam, who was by then
President of the Nagaswara Vidwans' Association, waged a relentless
battle for the introduction of a nagaswara course at the Central
College of Carnatic Music (now the Isai Kalluri).... Pillai was also
actively involved in the Tyagaraja Aradhana celebrations at
Tiruvaiyaru and he was Secretary of the Tyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha
from 1971 to 74....
He shifted back to his native village, though he retained the house
he had built in Mayavaram.
In 1966, Pillai's 60th birthday was celebrated in style at his
native Tiruvengadu....
Given the fact that he led his life with great discipline and care
(see Pillai's Tips For Good Health) it would not have been
surprising had Pillai led a long and healthy life, performing on his
nagaswaram till the end. But that was not to be.... He suffered a
stroke on Pongal day in 1976 and the family decided to rush him to
Madras for medical treatment. Unfortunately, that was a day when
trains were all over booked and Pillai, his first wife Rajambal and
son Sundaranathan could get into the train with great difficulty....
By the time the group arrived in Madras and could take him to the
hospital, he had lost control of his right hand and leg. Lack of
medical treatment during the proverbial Golden Hour after a stroke
had inflicted permanent damage....
After medical treatment in Madras was completed, Pillai returned to
Tiruvengadu where his life was largely wheelchair bound. Even then,
honours continued to come in search of him and once in a while when
the occasion warranted it, he made a public appearance....
Pillai's end came on 18th February 1986 at Tiruvengadu. He was
survived by his wives and three sons. He was cremated on the 19th in
the same town. His end brought to a close an era of great nagaswaram
and tavil vidwans who once dominated the field of Carnatic music.
A Much Feted Man
Pillai received many honours and titles during his lifetime.
He was asthana vidwan of the Dharmapuram Adheenam for 12 years. In
addition he received regular honours from the other Mutt-s such as
Tirupanandal and Tiruvavaduturai. As mentioned elsewhere (see
Pillai's Patrons And Friends), Pillai was given the title of "Swetaranya
Punnaga Nadamani" by the Paramacharya of Kanchi, Chandrasekharendra
Saraswati.
During his overseas tour of 1955/56, Pillai was to reap a rich
harvest of titles. Inaugurating the aradhana of Tyagaraja on 12th
February 1956 at the Vivekananda Tamil Pathashala in Kuala Lumpur,
he received the title of "Isai Nada Jyoti" from Cho Ratna Sarma,
secretary of the Tyagaraja Aradhana committee. He also received the
title of "Isai Ulaga Swara Raga Nada Tilagam" during the same tour.
Prior to this, he had received the title of "Sangeetha Bhooshana
Ratnakara Nadaswara Raja" from the citizens of Sri Lanka. Besides he
also had, on another occasion, received the titles of "Nadaswara
Kesari" and "Maha Maho Isai Nada Sarasara Mannar". Today these
titles may sound outlandish, but those were the years when T.N.
Rajarathnam Pillai would be offended if his name was not prefixed
with "Akhila Ulaga Nagaswara Eka Chakradhipati". And less than a 100
years earlier one had Kunrakudi Krishna Iyer who sported the title
of "Murukku Meesai Ghana Naya Desya Rettai Pallavi".
Interestingly, a poster for Pillai's Malaya tour of 1955 declares
that he was honoured by Jawaharlal Nehru and Babu Rajendra Prasad.
But there are no records of a national honour being conferred on him
during that period. Perhaps it refers to a memento given during the
Avadi Congress session, though the President of India would not have
been present.
Pillai became the first nagaswaram artist to receive the Tamilnadu
State Sangeeta Nataka Academy's (later the Eyal Isai Nataka Manram)
award in 1965. He was also the first nagaswaram artist to receive
the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi's Fellowship in 1978.
Pillai served as honorary Principal of the Nagaswaram Colleges at
Palani and Tiruvaiyaru. On 24th March 1984, he became the first
nagaswara artist to receive a doctorate. This was awarded by the
Tamil University in Tanjavur. The award
was given away by the Governor S.L. Khurana and Pillai, by then
wheelchair bound, was wheeled on to stage by his son to receive it.
A grand ceremony was held at Tiruvengadu on 20th April in honour of
Pillai receiving the doctorate. Minister Nedunchezhian participated
and honoured the vidwan. The event had several nagaswara vidwans
participating and performing by way of honouring Pillai.
After his death, a programme to commemorate Pillai was organised on
4th March 1986 at Tiruvengadu. His portrait was unveiled on the
occasion by RM Veerappan, then the Minister HR & CE, in the presence
of Kunrakudi Adigal (see photo). The minister also announced that a
nagaswaram festival would be organised every year in Pillai's
memory. But then, this too went the way of all resolutions of men
and mice. This was also the occasion when the State government's
annual T.N. Rajarathnam Pillai memorial awards for nagaswara and
tavil artists were first announced. These, happily, continue to be
awarded.
Similarly, a festival was held on 10th August 1996 to commemorate
Pillai's 90th birth anniversary. A souvenir was released on that
occasion and the articles it contains are the main source today for
anyone wishing to do research on Pillai and his music.
Pillai's birth centenary is being celebrated under the auspices of
the Dr. Tiruvengadu Subramania Pillai Trust on 26th April in
Chennai.
Pillai On Record
Tiruvengadu P. Subramanyam
OMH 3533 - HUTCHINS - Alapana - Shanmukhapriya
OMH 3534 - SN501 - Pt. 2
HMV N8979 - (same as above)
OMH 3530 - HUTCHINS - Pallavi - Ragamalika
OMH 3535 - SN502 - Pt. 2
HMV N8980 - (same as above)
OME 3364 - HUTCHINS - Pallavi - Ragamalika
OME 3365 - SN602 - Pt. 2
HMV N8986 - (same as above)
OMH 3531 - HMV - Rama ninne - Husseni
OMH 3532 - N8981 - Kanaka saila - Punnagavarali
OME 1693 - HMV - Magudi
OME 1694 - N8982 - Pt. 2
OME 3358 - HMV - (label illegible)
OME 3359 - N8989
OME 4949 - HMV - Paripalayamam - Reetigaula
OME 4950 - N18969 - Sarasa samadana - Kapinarayani
OJT 624 - HMV - Ninu vina namadi - Navarasakannada
OJT 625 N98019 - Enta vedukondu - Saraswatimanohari
T.P. Subramaniam Pillai
OJT 1269 - HMV - Vatapi Ganapatim - Hamsadhwani
OJT 1270 - N98036 - Seetapatey - Khamas
(Courtesy: V.A.K. RANGA RAO)
Other recordings of Pillai, details of which are not
available with us, are:
Sarasijanabha - Nagagandhari; Neekela daya - Neelambari
Aadum Chidambaramo - Behag; Sree Subramanyaya - Kambhoji
Raga Simhendramadhyamam - in 2 parts
One Kutcheri Set of six 12" records
RPG's Two audio cassettes and CD with Vatapi Ganapatim -
Hamsadhwani, Seetapatey - Khamas, Manasa sancharare - Sama,
Sree Shanmukha, Magudi, Pallavi - ragamalika, Rama nannu
brovara - Harikambhoji, Chalamelara - Marga Hindolam, Maye -
Tarangini.
Ramdhun - Raghupati Raghava Rajaram, Vaishnava janato,
Aaduvome pallupaduvome, Parukulley nalla nadu, Santamoorti
and the National Anthem.
TPS's Vaishnava janato was often played in those days at the
beginning of the programme 'Gandhi Anjali' relayed by AIR
and Radio Ceylon.
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