Music of Karnataka
Encyclopedia
Karnataka
is a state of India with a long tradition of innovation in the fields of both Carnatic
and Hindustani classical music
.
Basaveshwara, King of Kalyana, leader of the Bhakti movement
and Prime Minister of Bijjala, created his Vachanas, an integral part of the Indian classical music
's development during this period, which also saw the rise of composers like Chandraja, Shantala, Akka Mahadevi
and Allama. Later, Vidyaranya
's Sangitasara, Ventamakhin's Chaturdandi Prakashika and Chaturkallinatha's Sangitaratnakara further refined these traditions.
With the rise of Vaishnavism
and the Haridasa
movement came prominent composers from Karnataka like Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Vijaya Dasa
and Jagannathadasa. The Wodeyar
s of Mysore were great patrons of the arts.
It is estimated that only during the period of Bharatamuni (300 BC) were the theories of sangeeta documented for the first time, and this was termed as “Naatya Shaastra”. For a considerable period of time it was one of the only authoritative treatise (PramaaNa Grantha) for the whole of India. After that, independent growth of classical music occurred across different parts of India, in different forms.
irst documented work on South Indian classical music. He hailed from Devagiri, which was at the time a part of Karnataka
(but is now Daulatabad
, province of Hyderabad). Later, in 1350BC, South Indian classical music obtained a well-defined structure through the works of Maadhava and VidhyaraNya. Apart from strengthening the sangeeta shaastras (sangeeta shaastra pravartane) by writing “Sangeeta Saara”, they were also ministers of the Vijayanagara Empire, and Heads of Shringeri Mutt.
Carnatic music saw renewed growth during the Vijayanagar Empire by the Kannada Haridasa
movement of Vyasaraja
, Purandara Dasa
, Kanakadasa and others. Among the Haridasa
movement, Purandara Dasa
who is known as the Sangeeta Pitamaha (the father of Carnatic music), is credited with the founding of the system of teaching Carnatic music
. Others of the Haridasa
movement, helped shaped the music
of their time and prepared for the future by influencing some of the composers who came after them. Thyagaraja acknowledges
the influence of Purandaradasa. Tulajaji, the Maharashtra ruler of Tanjore (1729-35 A.D.), writes of the music of Haridasas in his book Sangita Saramrita, and venerates Vyasaraya and Purandaradasa as great composers.
Around 1650 AD, Raghunatha Nayaka wrote “Sangeeta Sudha”, where he has quoted a lot about “Sangeeta Saara” by Maadhava- VidhyaraNya . Govinda Deekshit, who was a minister in the court of King Achyuta Nayaka of Tanjavore, is believed to have written an introduction to "Sangeeta Sudha" . Govinda Dikshita's son was the renowned Venkatamakhin
, who is credited with the classification of ragas in the Melakarta System, and he wrote his most important work; Chaturdandi Prakasika (c.1635 CE) in Sanskrit. Kshetrajna who wrote “Shrungaara padas” (which also deals with theory of Sangeeta Shaastra) was also living at this time (1650). During the time of VidhyaraNaya, there were 15 meLakarta raagas, which became 22 during the time of Venkatamakhin
. Apart from above mentioned theorists, many other theorists like Kallinatha, Raamaamaatya, Somanatha, etc. have contributed a lot to the development of Carnatic music
.
The development of Carnatic music
in Karnataka
, from Sharngadeva to Venkatamakhin
(a duration of 650 years), resulted in further expansion and establishment of Carnatic music
.
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
is a state of India with a long tradition of innovation in the fields of both Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
and Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
.
Basaveshwara, King of Kalyana, leader of the Bhakti movement
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion among the Shaivite and Vaishnava saints. The Bhakti movement originated in ancient Tamil Nadu and began to spread to the north during the late medieval ages when north India was under Islamic...
and Prime Minister of Bijjala, created his Vachanas, an integral part of the Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
's development during this period, which also saw the rise of composers like Chandraja, Shantala, Akka Mahadevi
Akka Mahadevi
Akka Mahadevi was a prominent figure of the Veerashaiva Bhakti movement of the 12th century Karnataka. Her Vachanas in Kannada, a form of didactic poetry are considered her greatest contribution to Kannada Bhakti literature. In all she wrote about 430 Vachanas which is relatively fewer than that...
and Allama. Later, Vidyaranya
Vidyaranya
' is variously known as being a kingmaker, patron saint and high priest to Harihara Raya I and Bukka Raya I, the founders of the Vijayanagar Empire. He was the 12th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham from 1380 to 1386 A.D. He was born to and in in 1268 CE. Another account has it that he...
's Sangitasara, Ventamakhin's Chaturdandi Prakashika and Chaturkallinatha's Sangitaratnakara further refined these traditions.
With the rise of Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
and the Haridasa
Haridasa
The Haridasa devotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual...
movement came prominent composers from Karnataka like Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Vijaya Dasa
Vijaya Dasa
Vijaya Dasa or Sri Vijaya Dasa was a prominent saint from the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka, India in the 18th century. Sri VijayaDasaru is an amsha of Sri Brighu Muni; the very same muni, who was the nimmita for the eternal kshetra Tirumala ! Sri Krishna himself in BG 10.25 says "maharsinam...
and Jagannathadasa. The Wodeyar
Wodeyar
The Wodeyar dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947, until the independence of India from British rule and the subsequent unification of the Indian dominion and princely states into the Republic of India.The spelling Wodeyar/Wadiyar is found in most...
s of Mysore were great patrons of the arts.
Development
In earlier times, Sangeeta Shaastra followed the “Guru-Shishya” tradition, and there did not exist any written text. First classical music began as abhyasa, and it was only later that shaastras were formed.It is estimated that only during the period of Bharatamuni (300 BC) were the theories of sangeeta documented for the first time, and this was termed as “Naatya Shaastra”. For a considerable period of time it was one of the only authoritative treatise (PramaaNa Grantha) for the whole of India. After that, independent growth of classical music occurred across different parts of India, in different forms.
irst documented work on South Indian classical music. He hailed from Devagiri, which was at the time a part of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
(but is now Daulatabad
Daulatabad
Daulatabad , is a 14th century fort city in Maharashtra, India, about 16 kilometers northwest of Aurangabad...
, province of Hyderabad). Later, in 1350BC, South Indian classical music obtained a well-defined structure through the works of Maadhava and VidhyaraNya. Apart from strengthening the sangeeta shaastras (sangeeta shaastra pravartane) by writing “Sangeeta Saara”, they were also ministers of the Vijayanagara Empire, and Heads of Shringeri Mutt.
Carnatic music saw renewed growth during the Vijayanagar Empire by the Kannada Haridasa
Haridasa
The Haridasa devotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual...
movement of Vyasaraja
Vyasatirtha
Vyasatirtha , also called Vyasaraja or Vyasaraya or Vyasraja swamin, was acclaimed as one of the three spiritual lights or munitrayam of dvaita Vedanta, i.e., Sri Madhvacharya, Sri Jayatirtha and Sri Vyasatirtha. He was a scholar of very high order with a judicious defence of the Dvaita Vedanta...
, Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dāsa is one of the most prominent composers of Carnatic music and is widely regarded as the "father of Carnatic Music". Purandara Dasa addressed social issues in addition to worship in his compositions, a practice emulated by his younger contemporary, Kanaka Dasa...
, Kanakadasa and others. Among the Haridasa
Haridasa
The Haridasa devotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual...
movement, Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dāsa is one of the most prominent composers of Carnatic music and is widely regarded as the "father of Carnatic Music". Purandara Dasa addressed social issues in addition to worship in his compositions, a practice emulated by his younger contemporary, Kanaka Dasa...
who is known as the Sangeeta Pitamaha (the father of Carnatic music), is credited with the founding of the system of teaching Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
. Others of the Haridasa
Haridasa
The Haridasa devotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual...
movement, helped shaped the music
of their time and prepared for the future by influencing some of the composers who came after them. Thyagaraja acknowledges
the influence of Purandaradasa. Tulajaji, the Maharashtra ruler of Tanjore (1729-35 A.D.), writes of the music of Haridasas in his book Sangita Saramrita, and venerates Vyasaraya and Purandaradasa as great composers.
Around 1650 AD, Raghunatha Nayaka wrote “Sangeeta Sudha”, where he has quoted a lot about “Sangeeta Saara” by Maadhava- VidhyaraNya . Govinda Deekshit, who was a minister in the court of King Achyuta Nayaka of Tanjavore, is believed to have written an introduction to "Sangeeta Sudha" . Govinda Dikshita's son was the renowned Venkatamakhin
Venkatamakhin
Venkatamakhin also known as Venkateshwara, was a prominent musicologist and composer of Carnatic music; renowned for his Chaturdandi Prakashika in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas...
, who is credited with the classification of ragas in the Melakarta System, and he wrote his most important work; Chaturdandi Prakasika (c.1635 CE) in Sanskrit. Kshetrajna who wrote “Shrungaara padas” (which also deals with theory of Sangeeta Shaastra) was also living at this time (1650). During the time of VidhyaraNaya, there were 15 meLakarta raagas, which became 22 during the time of Venkatamakhin
Venkatamakhin
Venkatamakhin also known as Venkateshwara, was a prominent musicologist and composer of Carnatic music; renowned for his Chaturdandi Prakashika in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas...
. Apart from above mentioned theorists, many other theorists like Kallinatha, Raamaamaatya, Somanatha, etc. have contributed a lot to the development of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
.
The development of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, from Sharngadeva to Venkatamakhin
Venkatamakhin
Venkatamakhin also known as Venkateshwara, was a prominent musicologist and composer of Carnatic music; renowned for his Chaturdandi Prakashika in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas...
(a duration of 650 years), resulted in further expansion and establishment of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
.