4 months ago
2
What is the communal thread linking ragas specified arsenic Mohanakalyani, Hamsanandi, Valaji, Karnaranjani, Pasupathipriya, Gaudamalhar, Sarangamalhar, Vijayanagari, Vijayasaraswathi, Budhamanohari, Sumanapriya and Niroshta? The reply lies successful 1 of the astir important contributions of Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (1877–1945) to Carnatic music: helium was the composer who archetypal gave signifier and beingness to these ragas done his kritis.
Erudition, an affluent inheritance and a commanding beingness placed him among the elite successful the philharmonic world. He was the archetypal instrumentalist successful India to beryllium awarded a doctorate (in 1943), and is credited with astir 500 kritis composed crossed Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada.
To people Muthiah Bhagavatar’s 148th Jayanthi, the Gurukrupa Trust — nether the mentorship of maestro T.N. Seshagopalan — organised an grant ceremonial and a lecture-demonstration connected the musician-composer, Sanskrit scholar, vaggeyakara, musicologist and Harikatha exponent astatine Ragasudha Hall recently.
While violin virtuoso M. Chandrasekaran was honoured with the ‘Gayaka Shikamani Dr. Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar Award’, determination could not person been a fitter presenter for the lec-dem than Seshagopalan himself — a nonstop philharmonic descendant, being a disciple of Ramanathapuram C.S. Sankarasivam, whose guru was Muthiah Bhagavatar.
T.N. Seshagopalan accompanied by R.K. Shriramkuamr (violin), and Trichur C. Narendran (mridangam). | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A multi-faceted instrumentalist himself, T.N. Seshagopalan has popularised scores of Bhagavatar’s compositions and has adjacent acceptable chittaswaras for astir 15 of them. He began with Bhagavatar’s Sriranjani kriti ‘Sakthi vinayaka’ followed by his ain shloka ‘Manda smitha mukhamboruham’ extolling his paramaguru’s personality. He regaled the assemblage with absorbing anecdotes and insightful snippets from Bhagavatar’s life, weaving them unneurotic with his tongue-in-cheek humour. Seasoned accompanists R.K. Shriramkumar (violin) and Trichur C. Narendran (mridangam) provided admirable support.
Orphaned earlier property nine, Muthiah Bhagavatar was raised by his maternal uncle Lakshmana Suri, begetter of musicologist T.L. Venkatarama Iyer. Grounded initially successful the Vedas, helium past underwent rigorous philharmonic grooming successful Thiruvaiyaru. He returned to Harikesanallur astatine 16, hailed arsenic a ‘Maha Gayaka’ and earned the patronage of Moolam Tirunal of Travancore erstwhile helium was hardly 20.
Seshagopalan dismissed the conception that Bhagavatar turned to Harikatha astatine 27 owed to a fading voice, explaining that helium sought a wider assemblage amid its increasing nationalist craze. In doing so, helium innovatively enriched its repertoire by incorporating forms specified arsenic kavadi chindhu, Nondi chindhu, kili kanni, themmangu, virutham and shloka. He noted, with a interaction of humour, that vocalists of that epoch possessed ‘mayakku (mesmerising) voice’ dissimilar today’s reliance connected amplified ‘mic voice’.
Bhagavatar’s discourses, peculiarly connected ‘Valli Parinayam’, ‘Tyagaraja Divya Charitram’ and ‘Tyagaraja Ramayanam’, gained immense popularity; and helium adjacent delivered 1 praising the British rule, reflecting the era’s complexities of patronage. He besides introduced caller ideas and songs for circumstantial situations successful his performances. The ‘English Note’, aboriginal made celebrated by Madurai Mani Iyer, was 1 specified improvisation arsenic helium sang it successful ‘Rukmini Kalyanam’ and ‘Subhadra Kalyanam’, utilizing its rhythmic thrust to musically mimic a speeding chariot successful abduction scenes. He besides adopted it for the Durvasa Bhiksha episode, varying the tempo to suit the situation.
Seshagopalan said that the tana varnam ‘Manamohana’ successful Mohanam was created by Bhagavatar for the Arangetram of his disciple Sankarasivam. He demonstrated however the 3rd muktayi swara therein tin beryllium interpreted arsenic sahityam also. Similarly, helium highlighted the daru varnam ‘Mathe’ successful Khamas wherever the full last charanam is an illustration of masterful swarakshara sahityam.
Bhagavatar’s enactment successful Varanasi and his vulnerability to Hindustani music, peculiarly raga Sohini, resulted successful his Hamsanandi kritis, and Pasupathipriya was an inspiration from raga Durga. His originative acumen was recognised nationally erstwhile helium composed the Vijayanagari-based signature tune for All India Radio. He besides composed astir 10 thillanas.
According to Seshagopalan, crediting idiosyncratic with ‘inventing’ oregon ‘creating’ a raga is simply a misnomer. He asserted that a raga tin lone beryllium discovered, and ne'er created due to the fact that its constituent notes person ever existed.
No communicative connected Bhagavatar’s euphony could beryllium implicit without notation to his ingenious kriti ‘Rajaraja Radhithe’ successful Niroshta. The raga is formed by the 5 notes that bash not impact articulator question (excluding ma and pa). The prefix ‘Nir’ means ‘devoid of’ and the noun ‘Oshta’ refers to lips. In a stunning parallel, the full lyrics — not conscionable the swara operation of the raga — shun labial consonants, not requiring the lips to property together. Seshagopalan said helium composed a thillana successful the raga, inspired by his paramaguru.
The engaging presumption concluded with Bhagavatar’s ‘Mangalam bhavatu’ successful Pantuvarali.
