Parampara…a myth or reality ? - Dr. Ritha Rajan

Parampara…a myth or reality?

Dr. Ritha Rajan hails from a family of musicians closely associated with Veena Dhanammal and Kancheepuram Nayana Pillai.  She had  initial training in music from her mother and grandmother.  She underwent intensive training from Sri Ramnad Krishnan for 6 years, then from Smt T.Muktha and also from Sangita Kalanidhi Smt T.Brindha. Smt Ritha Rajan had also accompanied Smt. T. Brindha in her concerts. Further she had special training under Shri Maruthuvakkudi Rajagopala Iyer.

She was awarded Ph.D degree by the University of Madras for her research work on “Paatanthara-s in the compositions of the Musical Trinity”. A teacher par excellence she retired as Professor and Head of the Department of Music, Queen Mary’s college, Chennai. She is also a Member, Advisory Board of Experts, The Music Academy Chennai. 

“Samudhra” magazine an offshoot of Mudhra, conferred the prestigious tittle “Gnana Samudhra” on Dr. Ritha Rajan on Saturday the 30^th November 2019.

Prior to the award ceremony, Dr. Ritha Rajan gave a lecture demonstration on “Parampara – a myth or reality?”…….Excerpts from the lec-dem:

Parampara is a very significant word. It refers to lineage. For any family occupation that becomes a natural vocation, there is an uninterrupted continuation of generation(s). In such cases, the inherent knowledge is self generating. A reference to this context is there in a tamil proverb from the collection “Pazha mozhi Naanooru” regarding Parampara….which reads as “Kula vichai kallaamal Bhaagam padum”.Good governance, business, industry, doctors, lawyers, fine arts….etc., are some major areas where there is continuous flow of knowledge from one generation to the next.

Parampara can be divided into Sangita Parampara and Sishya Parampara.

One of the most significant lineage in Western music is that of Johans Sebastian Baugh’s lineage that runs for more than two centuries. Under the Hindustani style of music the lineage of Dagar family (Dhrupad Singers) runs to more than twenty generations.

Under the carnatic music system, the sangita parampara can be grouped under the following headings:

1. The Thiruvaarur temple Nagaswaram players’ parampara

2. Veenai Dhanammal’s sangita parampara

3. Sangita-cum-natya parampara of the Tanjore Quartet and

4. Kancheepuram family of musicians.

The Thiruvaarur temple Nagaswaram players’ Parampara was in existence much before the Musical Trinity period. Twenty four generations can be traced with the earliest known person to be one Swaminatha Aiyya followed by Krithivasan Pillai, Paavadaip Pillai, Periya Paavadaip Pillai and T.S.Latchappa in the 23^rd generation. He was associated with the Government Music College, Chennai. In this amazing genealogy we can trace the father of Shri T.S.Latchappa Pillai as one Thiruvaarur Swaminatha Nayanakkarar. He was the guru for Madurai brothers-Madurai Srinivasa Iyengar & Madurai Srirangam Iyengar, Thiruvaarur Raajaayee, Ettayapuram Vedavalli..etc., to mention a few. As he was proficient in seven languages he was given the title “Saptha Baasha Praveena”. Thiruvaarur Ramaswamy Pillai comes under this Parampara. He has composed around 50 compositions including varnams and krithis. “Jagadeeasawari” (Mohanam), “Ekkaalathilum..” (Poorvikalyani), “Sri Kamakshi Katakshi”(Vasantha) and “Vanita Ninne”(Bhairavi) are some of his very popular compositions. Shri T.V.Namasivayam is another notable descendant of this Parampara.

Krithivasan Pillai and Veedhividangan Pillai learnt music directly from Sri Muthuswamy Dikshithar. It is learnt that Sri Muthuswamy Dikshithar’s father Sri Ramaswamy Dikshithar had set the timetable for Nagaswaram playing. And the highlight of this Parampara was playing nagaswaram  EXCLUSIVELY for Thiruvaarur Thyagaraja swamy temple that went on for several generations. Based on the time table as aforesaid one could find out what ritual is being held inside the temple just by hearing the raagam played or song or the mallaari..etc like early morning pooja, abhishekam or procession of the deities.

The Thiruvaarur temple nagaswaram players kept their musical inheritance to posterity; kept it alive and also added to the legacy by associating themselves with great composers and musicians outside their family circle. Also without any inhibitions they shared their vast musical knowledge with outsiders.

To sum up, this Thiruvaarur temple Nagaswaram players’ Parampara is a Parampara in all reality and not a myth.

Veena Dhanammal Parampara

This lineage is a unique one in the way it has been named after the Veena exponent Dhanammal. The Parampara dates back to the 17^th century. Dhanammal’s lineage can be traced back to one Pappammal. Her daughter Rukmini was a musician in the Thanjavur Royal court. Her daughter Thanjavur Kamakshi was a popular dancer cum musician. Kamakshi was a disciple of Subbaraya Sastri, son of Syama sastri. She also learnt from Aanai Ayya of Vaiyacheri, Thanjavur.

Kamakshi’s daughter Sundarammal learnt music from Annaswami Sastri grandson of Syama Sastri.

Sundarammal had five children. Narayanaswamy (Violin), Kutty (Ghatam), Appakkannu (Violin), DHANAMMAL (Veena) and Rupavati (dance and music)

Initially Dhanammal and her sister Rupavati were singing together. Dhanammal learnt music from Sathanur Panchanada Iyer disciple of Sudhdhamathalam Thambiappa Pillai, a direct disciple of Muthuswamy Dikshithar. She learnt Kshetragnyar padams from Walajapet Padam Balakrishnadas. She also learnt from veena vidushi Mylapore Gowri Ammal (not to be confused with the dance exponent Mylapore Gowri Ammal).

Dharmapuri Subbarayar, Patnam Subramanya Iyer, Thiruvottriyur Thyagayyar and Thenmatam Narasimhachariar and his brother Varadhachariar were frequent visitors to Dhanammal’s house. Thirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer, Mridangam Narayanaswami Appa, M.A.Kalyanakrishna bhagavathar Thiruppambaram Nataraja Sundaram Pillai and Jalatarangam Ramanaiah chettiar were some of the great vidwans who admired Dhanammal’s music.

The famous Hindustani musician Abdul Karim Khan learnt few Thyagaraja krithis from Dhanammal and has also given gramophone re3cords of “Rama nee samaanam evaru” in Karaharapriya and “Ente nerchina” in Saveri.

Dhanammal had four daughters-Rajalakshmi, Lakshmirathnam, Jayammal and Kamakshi and a son Sundararajan.

Jayammal’s daughter is Bharathanatyam exponent Balasaraswathi and her sons T.Ranganathan is an accomplished Mridangam playerand T.Viswanathan  the famous flautist.

Kamakshi’s daughters were T.Brinda, T.Muktha and Abhiramasundari.

Lakshmi Rathnam’son is T.Sankaran of All India Radio. Lakshmi Rathnam used to sing well. She was greatly respected by veterans like Pudukkottai Dakshinamoorthy pillai, Mannargudi Pakkiriya Pillai and Malaikkottai Govindaswamy Pillai. She had learnt music from Mysore Krishna Iyengar, Veenai Krishnamachari and Appakutty belonging to Tanjor Quartet. She also learnt from Thiruvottriyur Thyagayyar and Kanchipuram Naina Pillai. She also learnt Western music. Lakshmi Rathnam also learnt Hindustani music from Abdul Karim Khan.

Both Vadhyya dharma and Gaathra dharma will be well balanced in this Parampara. Instrumental, vocal and dance interpretation runs in this family.

Dhanammal Parampara had been a very vibrant one that enriched its repertoire from time to time.

The Thanjavur Quartet

Ponnaiah Pillai, Chinnaiah Pillai, Sivanandam Pillai and Vadivelu Pillai formed the famous Thanjavur quartet. They hailed from the dance lineage of thanjavur Brihadeeswara temple. They had composed many varnams, swarajatis, ragamalikas, Padams, javalis and tillanas. They had training in music from Sri Muthuswami Dikshithar. Around eight generations from this Parampara were in dance and music field. This Parampara is known as Sangita Natya Parampara. Oldest ancestor was an Odhuvaar from Tirunelveli settled in Thanjavur. Gangamuthu Nattuvanar and Ramalingam  who composed the Navasandhi Kouthuvam and Pancha moorthy Kouthuvam belonged to this Parampara and  were patronized by Thanjavur, Travancore and Mysore samasthanams. The quartet Ponnaiah,  Chinnaiah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu were Gangamuthu Nattuvanar’s grandsons.

This Parampara was a multifaceted Parampara. 

  

Kanchipuram family of musicians

Ancestors of this Parampara lived in Mettu street of Periya Kanchipuram. Earliest ancestor detail available is one Visalakshi a famous musician of Kanchipuram who had a daughter by name Kamakshi. Kamakshi had a daughter by name Dhanakoti. Her sister’s son was Naina Pillai. Many of Thyagaraja krithis belonging to Wlajapet tradition were brought to limelight by this Parampara.

Thaanam singing was popularized by this lineage.

All these Paramparas followed oral tradition. A deep involved study of the Sangita Paramparas and also some genuine attempt to interact and associate with the Paramparas firmly establishes the fact that they are not myth. They are reality. An emotional bond runs as an undercurrent in these Paramparas.

They are the Pride of our Music, Culture and Nation.

About the Author:

SHANKAR VENKATRAMAN, a practising company secretary by profession, hails from a family with musical lineage. On the maternal side, his mother’s great grandfather Nemam Subramania Iyer was one of the last disciples of Saint Thyagaraja Swamigal. His maternal grandfather Nemam Nataraja Bhagavathar was the disciple of Mahavaidhyanatha Sivan and an Asthana Vidhwan of Sringeri Samasthanam. His son “Kalaimaamani” Prof N.S.Ramachandran was the Director of different  Kendras of All India Radio and the  Dean and Director of Music Department, University of Delhi. He had composed many kruthis out of which “Sri Chandrasekhara Yatheendram Aashrayae”on Sri Kanchi Paramacharya in Sankarabharanam popularized by Dr.M.S.Subbulakshmi and “Sree Maha Ganapathae..” in Aabhogi an evergreen hit of M.L.Vasanthakumari are very popular.

Shankar Venkatraman’s father (Late) K.V.Venkatraman, son of Kanjanur-Kottur S.Vaithyanatha Swamy Iyer was an ardent devotee of Sri Kanchi Paramacharya and had served as the Correspondence-in-charge for Sri Paramacharya while Shri Periyavaa was camping in Kumbakonam during 1930-31(When Periyavaa was referred as Kumbakonam Periyavaa). Sri Sengalipuram Anantharama Deekshithar is Vaithyanathaswamy Iyer’s maternal cousin.

Shankar did his schooling at Vidya Mandir, Mylapore (1968-1982) Chennai and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Loyola College, Chennai. He did his Company Secretary course from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, Chennai-600034.

(*The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of Music of Madras.)