:: Nadaswara Thiruvizha ::

This year the award was conferred on Prof. (Dr.) Saraswati Vidyardhi from Vizag. Her music is full of Bhava and is marked by excellent flow of Manodharma. She has been guiding many research scholars like Malladi Brothers, playback singer Dhanunjay and Komanduri Venkatakrishna. A M.A. (Music), Ph.D (Music), she had her initial training from her father Kulapathi Shri. IVL Sastri, later with Shri. I. Vijayeswara Rao and advanced training from Dr. Nedunuri Krishnamurthy. She is currently the Chairman of Faculty of Fine Arts, Andhra University.

On the 27 th August 2023 as part of the 125 th birth anniversary celebrations of T. N. Raja Rathinam Pillai, the Sabha felicitated nine senior vidwans for their lifetime contribution to the perpetuation of this Mangala Dhwani and for training several young Vidwans in the field. The felicitation carried a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/-, a citation, a gold coated Nadaswaram, gold coated small bronze lamp and other mementos. It was a rare occasion to see all the legends in the field assembling in the Sabha to witness the singularly major step taken to revive this dying art. The felicitation was given to

1. Shri. Achalapuram Chinnathambi (93 years)
2. Shri. Malayambakkam M. D. Mani (88 years)
3. Shri. Karikamalai K. S. Panchashatram (83 years)
4. Shri. Palani M. Shaktivel (81 years)
5. Shri. Kivalur N. G. Ganesan (81 years)
6. Shri. Kalai Mudhumani Vakkur V. A. Vaithiyanathan (79 years)
7. Shri. Thiruppandal S. Balasubramanian (78 years)
8. Shri. Mambalam M. K. S. Siva (72 years)
9. Shri. Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman (53 years)

First recipient of the Sangeetha Kala Vibhushan (Nadaswaram) for lifetime contribution to the celestial Nadaswaram.

At a glittering function held on 27th August 2023, coinciding with the 125th birth anniversary of Nadaswara Chakravarthy Shri. T. N. Rajarathinam Pillai and as part of the Nadaswara Thiruvizha, the Sabha conferred the first Sangetha Kala Vibhushan on Shri. S. R. G. Rajanna. The award carried a cash prize of Rs. 2,50,000/-, a gold coated big ornamental lamp, citation, a gold coated medallion, a gold coated Nadaswaram, a trophy and other mementos. Shri. S. R. G. Rajanna was also admitted to the Honorary Patronship of the Sabha on that day.

Son and disciple of the renowned Nadaswaram Vidwan Shri. S. R. Govindaswami Pillai (1897 – 1955), he was long associated with the famed Sembanarkoil duo, the Kalaimamanigal with his elder brother Shri. S.R.G. Sambandam who passed away in 2010.

The Sembanarkoil Nadaswaram Parampara has contributed to the rich legacy of the Art and many disciples to carry over their traditions. They belonged to a generation that has entered its seventh generation beginning from Pallavi Vaidyanatha Pillai. Discipline has been the watchword in their lives. Rakthi, which encompasses within itself beautiful intricacies of laya, is a unique masterly composition (Rakthi Melam) that brought glory to the Nadaswaram of Sembanarkoil tradition. SRG Rajanna is the living authority on Rakthi Melam. They brought Manodharma baani in Raga Alapana and Pallavi rendition for which they became trendsetters. He was awarded the Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1980, the Tagore Puraskar by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2012. The Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam conferred on him the title of “Aasthana Vidwan” of the Mutt.

The Shanmukhananda Sabha in a concerted effort to preserve and perpetuate the Mangala Vadhyam, the celestial Nadaswaram took a series of measures as part of the Nadaswara Thiruvizha held between 26th and 27th August 2023 coinciding with the 125th birth anniversary of Nadaswara Chakravarthy T. N. Raja Rathinam Pillai. It began a fellowship scheme which secures, in the ordinary course a fellowship grant of Rs. 1,00,000/- per year for three years certain for a Nadaswaram artiste who at the time of the first fellowship grant should be less than 27 years of age and should have been practicing the art for about a decade. The fellowship in addition to the grant carries a citation plaque, an ornamental garland of TNR and subscription to the quarterly magazine of the Sabha “Shanmukha”. The fellowship scheme was advertised in Tamil Nadu inviting applications for the grant. The overwhelming response resulted in a careful scrutiny of the applications and an evaluation based on the video forwarded by each applicant and a limited live performance before the experts. The awards were given on 27th August 2023.

The Sabha had also set up in 2013, Sri Shanmukhananda Bharat Ratna Dr. M. S. Subbulakshmi Fellowship in Music to 50 young artistes of all genres across the country in classical music including dance, theatre and other performing arts. The awards scheme is similar to the Nadaswaram fellowship. Singularly, the Sabha is the biggest institution next to the Government in granting fellowships to young musicians of the country. The various awards schemes of the Sabha provide an opportunity for musicians both of yesteryears, current and emerging to receive the awards and be motivated further to pursue their musical journey.

Nadaswaram, world’s loudest non-brass acoustic instrument is variedly known as Mangala Vadyam and Raja Vadyam (king of all instruments). Its legacy continued all through the Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Nayaka and Maratha rule in South India. It has imprinted its sheen on all the temple and marriage rituals. This instrument faces severe challenge from all pervasive electronic and electric instruments and changes in socio-cultural backgrounds and western influences. The celestial nadaswaram notes “will never stop”, they will continue to echo and re-echo for eternal times. It is a ‘heritage’ property that needs to be preserved for posterity. Civil societies engaged in furthering fine arts and Indian traditions have a significant role to play in this responsibility.

We are millennials. We try to do things instinctively. The challenge of our generation is creating a world where everyone has a sense of purpose. Finding purpose is not enough. We should have a society that measures progress not by economic metrics like GDP, but also by preserving all that is ancient and all that transformed lives in the era gone by.

Our Sabha has identified Nadaswaram as the art that would soon eclipse unless critical steps are taken to preserve it and restore its pristine glory. As a first step, the Sabha will work towards listing it as a ‘dying art’ in the list of Dying Arts / Crafts and Traditions in India. It will strive to bring about changes in the corporate social responsibility sections of the Indian Companies Act, 2013 to give primacy to preservation efforts for Dying Arts / Crafts and Traditions. The Sabha is taking concrete steps to spread the fragrance of Nadaswaram and make it a viable career option for the traditional Nadaswaram families to transfer the art to the next generation of their kith and kin and revive the glory of the practitioners of yesteryears by effective use of the digital media.

Nadaswara Chakravarthi

Thiruvaduthurai

Rajarathinam Pillai

(27 Aug 1898 – 12 Dec 1956)

King of music, Lord of his own world, Rajarathinam was a colourful character whose genius was awesome. His Nadaswaram had a dialogue with the Gods. His music was in the realm of the celestial. Quite early in his performing career, he had several heads that watched him and ears strained to catch his original tune. Raga Darbar, Begada, Usaini, Poorva Kalyani, Behag, Mandu, Peelu…….you name it, the raga delineation reached its crescendo at his hands. There was no one to equal him in rendering of the Todi and Shanmukha Priya.

For a Rasika, one could associate Nadaswaram only with the eternal music of TNR. Though belated, the Sabha now takes active steps to revive Nadaswaram by perpetuating his memory and having fellowships and awards named after him, six decades after his moving from the seen to unseen. He and his music would once again dominate classical music, if all our efforts bear fruits.

The Sabha has set up two awards in the name of Shri. T. N. Rajarathinam Pillai whose 125th birth anniversary was celebrated on 27th August 2023.

1. Sri Shanmukhananda Shriram Finance Nadaswara Chakravarthi T. N. Rajarathinam Pillai Fellowship in Nadaswaram to be given to 50 young and promising students studying Nadaswaram with an annual fellowship grant of Rs. 1,00,000/- for three years certain. The fellowship grantees were selected by a panel which comprising of eminent Nadaswaram Vidwans of present times. The grantee should not be more than 27 years of age at the commencement of the fellowship. The terms and conditions of the fellowship are no different from the Sri Shanmukhananda Bharat Ratna Dr. M. S. Subbulakshmi Fellowship in Music.

2. Sri Shanmukhananda Nadaswara Chakravarthi T. N. Rajarathinam Pillai Award. This annual award will be given to one of the leading lights of Nadaswaram with a distinguished record of performance and teaching. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 2,50,000/-, a gold coated big bronze lamp and Nadaswaram, citation and other mementos.

The inaugural award was given to the nonagenarian Sembannarkoil S. R. Rajanna on 27th August 2023. Shriram Finance Ltd. supported our efforts for preservation of Nadaswaram with an annual contribution of Rs. 50 lakhs for the years 2023 and 2024.

Other preservation measures

Network with Sringeri, Kanchi Mutt, other Mutts and Adheenams in South India to ensure that wherever they give blessings for marriages and allow the same to be recorded in the invitations, they should insist on Mangala Isai through Nadaswaram and not recorded concerts.
Create a Board of Accreditation for Nadaswaram schools, conduct certifying examinations and issue certificates.
Encourage atleast one dual education school combining Nadaswaram with mainstream education like CBSE / SSCE.
Create a separate section in our Sri Kanchi Mahaswami Sangeetha Sanghralaya for Nadaswaram for recorded concerts / interviews / lecture demonstrations, etc.
Prepare a directory of Nadaswaram artistes statewise–performing artistes, temple attached, freelancers, etc.
Extend the Sri Shanmukhananda Vayovruddha Kalakaar Masika Artha Sahaya Yojana (lifelong monthly pension) to indigent Nadaswaram Vidwans as well.

With a view to ease gender barriers in Nadaswaram and encourage female artistes to come to fore, the Sabha encourages female students from Kamakoti Nadaswara Patashala in Karvet Nagar, Andhra Pradesh to participate in the Thiruvizha. The Sabha donated 30 Nadaswarams to the students. Smt. Lakshmi Mandhata, the Director of the Patashal was felicitated at the Thiruvizha on 27th August 2023. The students also performed before the sanctum of Lord Rama in South Indian Bhajana Samaj and participated in the Swami Porappadu to the Sabha.

The Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha Mumbai celebrated Nadaswara Thiruvizha between 26th and 27th August 2023 coinciding with the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Nadaswara Chakravarthy T. N. Raja Rathinam Pillai. The Sabha took several significant steps for perpetuation of this divine art. It set up a fellowship in the name of Raja Rathinam Pillai for 50 young Nadaswaram Vidwans from across the country receiving a fellowship grant of Rs. 1,00,000/- per year for three years certain, setting up the Sri Shanmukhananda T. N. Raja Rathinam Pillai National Eminence Award, Sangeetha Kala Vibhushan Nadaswaram for lifetime contribution of a veteran maestro, setting up a permanent Nadaswaram gallery of the foremost practitioners of this Mangala Vadhyam and housing in the maestros treasure original Nadaswaram of vidwans like Padmashri Sheikh Chinna Maulana. The Sabha also gave 30 Nadaswarams to the Kamakoti Nadaswara Patashala, Karvet Nagar, Andhra Pradesh for female artistes. It proposes to bring out shortly a directory on Nadaswara Vidwans and schools in the country. The high point of the perpetuation efforts was the formal function of handing over the Sengol to the Sabha’s Sangeetha Vidyalaya to perpetuate the celestial Nadaswaram and to hand over to the generation next with pristine purity of the art, a singular effort that is directed at getting the Mangala Dhwani back to temples, religious events and even as part of the classical concert circuit.

The sacred Sengol holds historical significance. It was first received by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 14th August 1947 symbolising the transfer of power from the British to India. It was accompanied by reciting of the 11 verses from Kolar Padhigam, invoking the blessings of Lord Shiva. The Sengol represents the highest moral authority to rule. The independence to the nation was brought about not by a simple India Independence Act but by a spiritual process as known to ancient India. It also emphasizes the emotional and spiritual integration of India from North to South. Infact, the Sengol was handed over to the First Prime Minister when T. N. Raja Rathinam Pillai stood and performed on the Nadaswaram during the transfer process. This year, when the new parliament was inaugurated there was a repeat of the events of 1947 and the Sengol found a permanent place in the peoples parliament.

Sengol derives its name from the Tamil word “Semmai” meaning righteousness. The Tamil tradition of handing over the sceptre to a new king when he comes to power was followed during the reigns of Cholas. Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam did the Sengol tradition of transfer in 1947. Sengol represents the link between our cultural traditions and modernity. In a larger sense, Sengol does not remain the spiritual instrument for transfer of power but transfer of any human endeavour from one generation to the next. The 10 Mahavidwans who have reached the sunset of their life and who all through their life journey have kept the art alive and have been deeply worried about the perpetuation of Nadaswaram more so because modern electronic and acoustics controlled instruments hold sway amongst the listeners and this traditional loud brass instruments has eclipsed from all sources like the temples and institutions of marriage and other religious functions, used the occasion to entrust the principal responsibility for perpetuation of Nadaswaram to Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha, one of the foremost institutions of fine arts in the country by handing over the Sengol to its rightful custodians i.e. the Sangeetha Vidyalaya.

A portrait gallery on Nadaswaram with full size portraits of the greats of Nadaswaram – Thiruvavaduthurai Raja Rathinam Pillai, Sembannarkoil Ramaswamy, Namagiri Pettai Krishnan, Sheikh Chinna Moulana, Karukurichi Arunachalama and Madurai Smt. Ponnuthayi Ammal, the first female Nadaswaram artiste was unveiled on 27th August 2023 by Dr. V. Shankar, President of the Sabha. The Sabha received the original Nadaswaram played by Sheikh Chinna Moulana on 26th August 2023 and the same was displayed in the Maestros’ gallery.