How Tiruttani Swaminathan has dedicated his life to the preservation of the Tevaram hymns

Fourteen-year-old Sarangapani dropped retired of schoolhouse aft people 8 owed to fiscal constraints astatine home. It did not fuss him arsenic helium was inclined towards music. One day, vocalist Madurai Somu’s father-in-law heard him sing, and was impressed. At his proposition Sarangapani enrolled astatine the Pichai Kattalai Estate Thevara School successful Thirukkadaiyur, wherever helium studied for 5 years. After this, helium continued his euphony grooming astatine Dharmapuram Adheenam School for 2 years. It was during this play that the pontiff of the adheenam gave him a caller name. Thus, Sarangapani — until past a staunch Vaishnavite — came to beryllium known arsenic Swaminathan.

Once Swaminathan completed his training, helium began singing the Tevaram successful temples administered by the adheenam. Then followed a four-year stint astatine the Kunnakkudi adheenam. In 1975, Swaminathan became a full-time odhuvar astatine the Tiruttani temple, wherever helium served until his status successful 2000. Post this, helium taught astatine the Chidambaram Thevara Patasalai, and his students person been placed arsenic odhuvars successful temples crossed the world. Swaminathan, who has been chosen for the Padma Shri (2026), present teaches 49 students astatine Dharmapuram adheenam school. He continues to sing successful Tiruttani during the Padi utsavam and presents Tevaram during kumbabishekams successful temples.

“Vaarappaadalgal of Sangam euphony and devapani of Panchamarabu laid down rules for music, which person been followed successful the Tevaram verses. Swaminathan, who has been attending discussions of the Pann Araichi Kazhagam for 40 years, has provided invaluable inputs successful the investigation of the raga equivalents of panns,” says Bhageerathy,  a subordinate of the Pann Araichi Kazhagam of Tamil Isai Sangam.

What does the word odhuvar mean? “Odhudal means to recite. From determination comes the sanction odhuvar,” explains Swaminathan, who besides clarifies that odhuvar work is not hereditary. Asked if women are prohibited from being odhuvars, Swaminathan responds: “There are nary specified restrictions, though traditionally, lone men person been odhuvars. But present 16 women, who trained successful the Karur school, service successful assorted temples. Interestingly, the aged tunes were passed connected to posterity, acknowledgment to a woman. When Raja Raja Chola recovered the Tevaram, helium was disappointed that the archetypal tunes were lost. He aboriginal went to Erukkattampuliyur (modern sanction Rajendrapattinam), wherever Thiruneelakanta Yazhpana Nayanar lived.  Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar had played the yazh arsenic Gnanasambandar sang his verses. In the beingness of the king a woman, who was Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar’s descendant, sang the archetypal tunes, composed by Gnanasambandar, and these were noted down by Nambi Andar Nambi. These events are recorded successful Umapathy Sivachariar’s Thirumurai Kanda Puranam.  

About inscriptional grounds for the odhuvar tradition, Swaminathan says, “An inscription successful the Big Temple has a notation astir however Raja Raja Chola appointed 48 Tevaram singers, an udukkai subordinate and a kotti maddalam player.”

What instruments are utilized now? “We usage lone the talam (cymbals),” says Swaminathan. How galore panns person been utilized successful the Tevaram? “Twenty four. Thirukkurunthogai does not person a pann structure, truthful we tin sing these verses successful immoderate of the 24 Tevaram panns. There is simply a batch of involvement successful Tevaram panns among the diaspora.” He has recorded much than 50 discs of Tevaram verses, which are utilized by Tamilians overseas for learning pann isai.

“Over the years determination person been changes successful Tevaram. In concerts extracurricular the temple, we person incorporated a fewer changes. For example, we sing immoderate padhigams a small faster. But thing has changed in the mode we contiguous Tevaram hymns successful temples. The purpose is to sphere the tradition,”