5 months ago
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The struggle that drives the Tamil blockbuster Thillana Mohanambal is the situation betwixt dancer Thiruvarur Mohanambal and nagaswaram exponent Sikkil Shanmugasundaram. When they situation each other, the erstwhile makes a circumstantial demand: Shanmugasundaram indispensable execute the thillana connected the Pari nagaswaram, an instrumentality played exclusively astatine the Thyagarajaswamy Temple successful Tiruvarur. This important detail, however, did not marque it into the film; it appears lone successful the eponymous caller by Kothamangalam Subbu.
The request is easier said than done. To statesman with, the Pari nagaswaram is traditionally played lone astatine the Thyagarajaswamy Temple, by a azygous household that has held this close for generations. Moreover, the instrumentality is tuned to the madhyama kala sruti, requiring bonzer lung powerfulness to play — astir 3 times arsenic that needed for a regular nagaswaram — and produces an exceptionally almighty sound.
“It is played lone during the sayaratchai (evening poojas) astatine the temple. Its dependable tin beryllium heard astatine each 4 entrances of the sprawling temple complex,” says S. Palaniappan, the temple’s existent nagaswaram player, who belongs to the 23rd generation.
In the nagaswaram tradition, determination are 2 instruments: the Kumbakonam timiri (six kattai) and the Thiruvarur Pari (4.5 kattai). The timiri was replaced by the longer Pari nagaswaram, conceived by T.R. Rajarathinam Pillai, arsenic it took a toll connected the wellness of players and could not nutrient suddha madhyama.
The Thiruvarur Pari, however, has remained unchanged for centuries. Legend has it that erstwhile Thyagarajaswamy descended upon earth, helium came with 18 philharmonic instruments, among which were the Pari nagaswaram and the Kudamuzha (panchamuga vadhyam). The tube of the Pari is made of wood, portion the anusu (sound enhancer) is made of brass.
“I inactive travel the contented of our ancestors and play what they played for centuries. As it is dedicated to the Thyagarajaswamy Temple, our ancestors ne'er took it to different temples oregon places. They were fixed nagaswarams made of ivory and chromatic by the kings, and they played these astatine the temple. It is said they would portion 1 padi of ghee to summation the vigor required to play the ivory nagaswaram,” says Mr. Palaniappan.
As idiosyncratic who learnt the instrumentality from his begetter Selvaganapathy, helium explains that the philharmonic contented of the temple was established by Ramaswamy Dikshitar, begetter of Muthuswamy Dikshitar, 1 of the Carnatic Trinity. There are 2 yearly festivals held there: the 10-day Margazhi Thiruvathiri and the 27-day Panguni Uthira Thiruvizha. At nighttime connected the 23rd day, Thyagarajaswamy is taken to the Aazhi Ther, and the procession is accompanied by 18 instruments, including kodukatti, suddhamathalam, panchamuga vadhyam, Pari nagaswaram, ekkalam, thiruchinnam, panga, dakka, karna, perikai and jallari.
During the evening pooja, the Pari nagaswaram is played with the accompaniment of the thavil. The veena and flute were traditionally played from the confederate broadside of the sanctum, but contiguous lone the nagaswaram and panchamuga vadhyam stay successful use. Many of the temple’s philharmonic traditions person disappeared implicit time. The temple contented besides includes keerthanas and Pallahi Seva Prabandam, a Telugu opera by King Shahaji dedicated to Thyagarajaswamy.
Musicologist P. Sambamoorthy, who published the opera, notes that the contented had ceased galore years earlier. He was capable to grounds it with the assistance of an aged woman, Veerammal, who knew astir of the songs and abhinaya but was reluctant to sing them. However, industrialist V.S. Tyagaraja Mudaliar invited her to his bungalow. “It was a changeable of providence. She sang the songs of the opera that she knew well, and I was capable to grounds them successful notation past and there,” Sambamoorthy writes.
Mr. Palaniappan says that during the festival, the car streets of Tiruvarur are divided into 8 parts, known arsenic kodi. “There is simply a written medicine for what should beryllium played astatine each festival, during some time and night. Four nagaswarams were played during the festival. Every day, 1 padam is played successful a peculiar raga. There is simply a mallari called nivethana mallari successful 41.5 atcharam, played erstwhile nutrient is taken from the madapalli to the deity,” helium explains.
A benignant of padam known arsenic Ula, acceptable to the raga Panthuvarali, is played successful Naduvahana Theru (the cardinal street). Each time besides features a varnam acceptable to a circumstantial raga; determination are 22 varnams successful 22 ragas. The Nalvar Utcham, connected the eighth day, is marked by the Navroz raga successful the archetypal kodi and rakthi sarva lagu, a unsocial rhythmic pattern, successful the 2nd kodi. This is followed by a varnam successful the 3rd kodi. Navroz connected the nagaswaram is followed by Alarippu connected the thavil.
Todi is played connected the time erstwhile the Bhootha Vahana is taken successful procession. Sankarabharanam and Reetigowla travel the Gaja Vahana procession. The Rishabha Vahana procession is accompanied by Kamboji connected East Street and an Ada Tala Varnam connected South Street, known arsenic the Street of Devadasis oregon Ponparappiya Veedhi.
Mr. Palaniappan says Kothamangalam Subbu took inspiration for his caller aft witnessing Gnanathammal, the senior-most devadasi of Tiruvarur, creation to the euphony of 4 nagaswarams and thavils. “He erstwhile had the accidental to witnesser the performance. The nagaswaram subordinate quality Samikannu, who teaches Shanmugasundaram, successful the caller is based connected my great-grandfather Samiappa Nayanakkarar. Kodi Veetu Kuppu, the quality who creates occupation successful the novel, was really my grandfather,” helium adds.
