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Entertainment
Talent, literary and divine
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The Thevara Moovar Festival held in Chennai featured Panasai Sampoornam, who has been nurturing the traditional art of rendering Thevaram for over 50 years. SUDHAKSHINA RANGASWAMI writes.
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Panasai Sampoornam.
WITH CLASSICAL performing arts increasingly becoming the preserve of the cognoscenti, it is heartening to note that institutions are taking the initiative to popularise the lesser-known traditions through exclusive festivals dedicated to a particular theme during the eve of the music season. The 10th Thevara Moovar festival jointly hosted by the Ramalingar Pani Mandram and the Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai, recently provided scholars and artistes a platform to showcase their knowledge of Tirumurai and talent in Tamil Isai.
The Bhakti movement in the Tamil speaking land reached its zenith during the period of the Azhwars and the Nayanmars and their hymns were canonised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham and the Tirumurai respectively. The hymns set to music have since their compilation become an integral part of ritual worship in the temples, which have come to be hailed as Divyadesas (108) in Srivaishnavism and Padal Petra Sthalangal (274) in Saivism. These temples were the fount of culture nurturing both the performing arts and the literary traditions.
Among the Nayanmars, the hymns of the Nalvar (Tirunavukkarasar, Tirugnanasambandhar, Sundarar and Manikkavachagar) are popular. Tirumurai Isai is in vogue, being part of the liturgical tradition of the Odhuvars in the Saiva temples. The works of the Nalvar comprise the first four of the 12 Tirumurais — the hymns of the first three saints are known as Thevaram and those of Manikkavachagar as Tiruvachagam. Nambiandar Nambi codified the Tirumurai and set the Pann (ragas) to the Thevaram hymns, though traditionally it is acknowledged that Lord Siva Himself set the tune.
This year's festival featured a unique Thevaram recital by Vidwan Panasai S. Sampoornam who simultaneously sings and plays on the veena during her rendering. She received traditional training in Thevaram music from several well-known Odhuvars of Tirupanandal, Chidambaram, Kancheepuram, Tiruvavaduturai and special guidance from Dharmapuram P. Swaminathan. Another feather in her cap is she happens to be the first woman to obtain Vidwan degree in Tamil from the University of Madras.
A trained teacher, she devoted her time to her avocation with equal zeal by giving concerts from the age of 14 in temple festivals and in Adheenam Maths on special occasions. She has performed extensively under the auspices of many religious and cultural organisations such as the Tamil Isai Sangam, Saiva Siddhanta Perumanram, Saiva Samaya Bhakta Janasabha, Balsubramania Bhakta Janasabha, Chennai Sivanadiar Tirukootam and the Shanmukha Jnanapuram Tamil Veda Parayana Bhakta Janasabha dedicated to the promotion of Tirumurai for well over 50 years.
Sampoornam is regularly featured in the devotional music programmes of the All India Radio, the Doordarshan and other private television channels.
Many honours have come to her in the form of prizes and medals for her service to this traditional art. Not content to rest on her laurels Panasai Sampoornam has trained students in this art and featured them in programmes.
Her son, N. Sivakumar, accompanies her on the mridangam during concerts and she is training her granddaughters S. Rathna and S. Naveena in this rare art so that the family tradition will continue.
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