Kumbakonam’s Nageswaran Temple and ‘Mogamul’: an exchange of ideas between Carnatic and Hindustani music

An overwhelming soundlessness prevails successful the interior precincts of the Nageswaran Temple, known arsenic ‘Kudanthai Keezhkottam,’ astatine Kumbakonam successful Thanjavur district. Sung successful praise by the Saivite saints, the temple, unneurotic with the karakoil designed similar a chariot, stands arsenic a grounds to the originative zenith of the aboriginal Cholas. For lovers of books and music, however, the temple is inseparable from T. Janakiraman’s Tamil caller ‘Mogamul’ (thorn of desire) and the soul-stirring euphony of the Hindustani performers from Maharashtra.

Janakiraman seems to person chosen the mounting with wide intention. The musicians archetypal look astatine the Kumbeshwaran Temple, past astatine the location of Ranganna, the guru of Babu, the novel’s protagonist, and aboriginal springiness a full-fledged performance astatine the Nageswaran Temple. The temple’s ambiance is perfectly suited to their performance. Even today, determination is small alteration successful the setting.

“A commentary connected the quality betwixt idealistic Carnatic euphony and what was prevalent successful performance halls underlines the caller throughout. Janakiraman suggests that the psyche of the music, embodied by Ranganna, a quality modelled connected Umayalpuram Swaminatha Iyer, is being lost, and that singers nary longer absorption connected the voice. Conventionally, too, determination is an sentiment that Carnatic musicians bash not wage capable attraction to dependable culture,” says Lalitharam, historiographer of Carnatic music.

When Babu archetypal listens to the Hindustani musicians astatine Ranganna’s house, helium marvels astatine the sheer value of the voice:

“Can a quality dependable transportation specified weight? What spot determination is! The effortless power of enactment unsettled Babu. How does the full dependable emergence to the higher notes? His assemblage trembled arsenic the vocalist stayed successful the mandhra for 4 minutes, past gradually reached the mel shadjam and sustained the enactment with agelong karvais. Goosebumps roseate connected Babu’s skin, and his eyes filled with tears,” writes Janakiraman. Ranganna, eyes closed, murmurs “aha, aha,” his assemblage swaying similar a snake to the tune of a magudi (been instrument).

“In the Kumbeshwaran Temple, devotees mistook them for beggars and tossed a fewer coins. They deposited each of it successful the temple hundi,” Ranganna tells Babu, underscoring that outer quality means thing successful music.

Janakiraman creates yet different country to thrust location his point: the introduction of Palur Ramu, a disciple of Ranganna who present resides successful Chennai. Draped successful a khadi dhoti and panchakacham (dhoti traditionally draped with 5 pleats), helium flaunts his patriotism simply borrowed from politicians and media persons.

The arrogant grin connected Balu’s lips fades erstwhile the Hindustani musician, astatine Ranganna’s request, holds the mandra panchamam and past lowers his dependable further to the mandra shadjam, revealing the delicate contours of the raga.

When Balu remarks that the Hindustani singers were fortunate, Ranganna makes it wide it was hard enactment and signifier that contributed to the sweetness of their voices.

Later, Babu brings them to the location of Yamuna, the heroine of the novel, arsenic she tin converse with them successful Marathi and get much details astir their root and their music. Subsequently, helium arranges a show successful the Nageswaran Temple, which remains bare and resembles a “poor man’s wedding ceremony.”

The dependable of the tambura echoes crossed the granite pillars of the temple. The elder instrumentalist aligns himself with the sruthi and begins to sing. Yamuna and her parent Parvathi basal adjacent a pillar. After they decorativeness singing, Babu approaches her.

“My bosom aches. How is helium capable to sing similar this? I consciousness I americium going mad,” says Yamuna.