tyagaraja

A small town in the Cauvery delta comes alive in January each year. Carnatic musicians and rasikas all over the world turn their focus to Thiruvaiyaru (city of five rivers) in the Tanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. Many even travel from around the world to be there. Thiruvaiyaru is where carnatic composer Tyāgaraja lived and composed some of the most well-known songs of the genre. On Bahula Panchami—the fifth day of the lunar month Pushya—Jan 25 this year, five songs of Tyāgaraja, simply referred to as the “pancharatna kritis” were sung in one voice by millions of people all over…

Tyagaraja was a prolific carnatic composer. As he travelled to different places around Thanjavur he composed songs praising the deities of the local temples. When he visited Lalgudi, he composed five songs collectively known as the Lalgudi Pancharatna Krithis. These five songs are Isa Pahimam in raga Kalyani, Deva Sthree Tapa Thirtha in raga Madhyamavathi, LalitheShri in raga Bhairavi, Mahitha Pravriddha in raga Kambodhi and Gati Nee Vani in raga Thodi. Here is a video of Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman singing Gati Nee Vani in raga Thodi along with his daughter and disciple Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi.   In a collaboration with Ananya based…

"My Economics teacher is just brilliant - he makes me think outside the box!" My daughter came home brimming with excitement after her day in college. Her enthusiasm made me recollect my own experience with all my teachers. With yet another Teacher's Day coming up, I thought of some songs that describes this unique relationship of a teacher-student beginning with classical music to other genres. In Carnatic music, Tyagaraja's composition "Gurulekha" in raga Gowrimanohari is a popular song heard on the stage. In the song, the composer explains how one can never learn anything without the grace of the teacher.…

As Sivaratri is being celebrated tonight by millions of people, here are some Carnatic songs that extol the greatness of the Hindu God Shiva. Tyagaraja's Naada Tanumanisham in raga Chittaranjani, Shambho Mahadeva and Shiva Shiva Yena Radha in raga Pantuvarali, Raga Sudha Rasa in raga Andholika, Ilalo Pranatharthi in raga Atana to Dikshithar's Akshaya Linga in raga Shankarabharanam, Shri Matrubhootham in raga Kannada and Shri Vishwanatham Bhajesham Chathurdasa Ragamalika are some of the songs heard on the Carnatic platform. There are innumerable compositions on Lord Shiva in Carnatic music by different composers. Some of the popular ones in Tamil are…