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Music with missionary zeal
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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Thirupoonthuruthy Venkatesan refused promotions to stay in Thanjavur.
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He thinks of nothing but Narayana Tirtha, of aradhanas and the saint’s annual festivals. — Rajalakshmi Venkatesan
Photo: K.V. Srinivasan
Total dedication: Thirupoonthuruthy Venkatesan with disciples.
Mridangam maestro Palghat Mani Iyer did not merely accompany the youngster. He took the trouble to mentor him in kriti, niraval and swara singing. Thirupoonthuruthy Venkatesan recalls this period in his life with poignant emotions. With his voice ric
h enough for mikeless concerts, Venkatesan did perform, but worked in the Railways, retiring in 1982 as Chief Commercial Inspector.
But Mani Iyer guided a man of heritage, not a newcomer. Venkatesan’s musician great grandfather Ghanam Tirumalai Iyer adorned the Thanjavur court. Maharaja Serfoji gifted him with seven velis of land for the feat of keeping intact a purnakumbham through a singing session. The stream (and bus stop) in his native village still bear the veteran’s name.
Grandfather Radhakrishna Iyer, a salt sub inspector, earned the title of ‘Kannadikarar,’ for his bespectacled scholarship. Star Harikatha exponent Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavatar was his uncle, with father Viswanatha Iyer as his disciple and assistant. (It is another story that the hardships he underwent made Iyer ban music as a profession for his son).
The boy grew up with music in Thirupoonthuruthy, a village by the Kudamurutti river, named for its profusion of flowers, guarded by the lyrically named deities Pushpavaneshwarar and Saundaryavalli. It was one of the seven halts (sapta sthana) for the Tiruvaiyaru deity on annual procession.
Venkatesan remembers his father’s expertise in the complex Harikatha measures, and even more, the paternal knuckles banging his head when the youngster missed the usiyadi beats. This happened seldom, as both mother and son imbibed everything the father taught his gurukula disciples. Mother knew enough to correct the boy. Venkatesan also practised a lot with Tirupazhanam Mani, a disciple of Palghat Mani Iyer, when he came to his village during the saptasthanam festival.
Long cherished prize
Venkatesan’s first, long cherished prize in music was for Thevaram singing at the Tirupanandal Matam. His orthodox upbringing had the boy flaunting his tuft even in college where he managed to wade through physics, chemistry and maths. Sometimes his oiled locks were pinned up in the S-kattu of those times!
His job interview in Vijayawada coincided with the death of Potti Sriramulu. “I saw the railway station reduced to a mess.” Venkatesan came out of a week’s hiding to accept a post in the Railways with a changed hairstyle. The father’s fury took long to cool.
Music did not desert him. The voice rejected as unsuitable by AIR Madras was rated B High by Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar in Vijayawada. Venkatesan eventually became an A Grade artist with recitals broadcast on 26 radio stations. He enjoyed friendship with senior vidwans like M. Balamuralikrishna and T.R.Subramaniam, and active stints in music associations.
“Because of my music (and by refusing promotions) I was able to convince my superiors to post me in Thanjavur. I refused promotions to stay there for 26 years.” In 1973, he won the Best Junior Vidwan award from the Music Academy.
Meanwhile, Palghat Mani Iyer suggested that Venkatesan hone his style under Alathur Srinivasa Iyer. “I’d finish night shift and go to Tiruchi with a kavuli of tender vetrilai for him. He overlooked my having been with the Tiruvaiyaru faction that engaged in a legal battle with his side. But he’d never let errors get by. How he terrified me with his growl in mid concert when once I made a mistake in ‘Antakaari’ (Entara - Harikhambodi)!”
Venkatesan did not perform as much as he could have, but he has no regrets. “I learnt a lot, I teach students even today, and have the goodwill of vidwans.” A Chennai resident now, he is researching into Narayana Tirtha’s Krishna Lila Tarangini with a senior fellowship from the Government of India.
The passion for Narayana Tirtha was sown in 1964 when Sanskrit scholar Dr. Raghavan told young Venkatesan to propagate the works of the saint whose jivasamadhi is located in Thirupoonthuruthy.
A predecessor of Tyagaraja in the Bhakti marga, Narayanatirtha is one of the namasiddhanta proponents in the Thanjavur belt. Little was known of his works beyond the bhajana circuit, when Venkatesan launched an annual music festival for him at the Samadhi grounds. The participation of frontline vidwans ensured its success.
Only two artistes gave all-Tharangam recitals - M.S.Subbulakshmi and Yesudass. Clearly, it was vital to propagate the saint’s songs. And, with valuable help from musician Seetha Rajan, Venkatesan published the tarangams set to music by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.
Wife Rajalakshmi interjects, “He thinks of nothing but Narayana Tirtha, of aradhanas in Krishnashtami and Maasi Sukhlashtami, of the Saint’s annual festivals in Tirupoonthuruthy, Chennai and Kazha. Kazha awarded my husband the title ‘Tarangagana Sironmani’ for having worked for the national recognition of the saint born in their Andhra village.”
Daughters Neela and Lakshmi follow other professions, son Viswanathan is a mridangam player, but all three are united in supporting their father’s efforts.
Many helped Venkatesan to realise dreams — from sabha secretaries R. Krishnaswami, N.V.Subramaniam, friends L. Balasubramaniam, B. Natarajan, A. Ramji, R. Krishnan...
Today, as Managing Trustee of the Narayanatirtha Swamigal Trust, Venkatesan can look back on the fruits of personal investments of time, money and energy into establishing a tarangam school in Thanjavur, building the Nama Sankirtana Manimandapam and the Tarangini Mahal in his native village.
“Of course I want to do more!” exclaims the young 74-year-old vidwan, his eyes on the portrait of the serene saint that dominates his home — and his life.
(A fortnightly spotlight on music gurus, musicologists and representatives of different schools who have enriched Carnatic music.)
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
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