Muthiah Bhagavatar
Encyclopedia
Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (November 15, 1877 - June 30, 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's
famous twentieth century composers. He also created about 20 raga
s.
district of Tamil Nadu
in India
, into an affluent family. He was exposed to music from a very early age, as his father was a patron of musicians. He lost his father at the young age of six years, and his maternal uncle M. Lakshmana Suri took over the responsibility for his education, initiating Muthiah into Sanskrit
and Vedic
studies. However, the love of music that had been implanted in him led Muthiah to leave his hometown of Harikesanallur
, Tamil Nadu when he was only ten years in search of a teacher. He found the gifted teacher Padinaindumandapa Sambasiva Iyer at Tiruvarur
, who recognized Muthiah’s talent for music. Sambasiva Iyer was the father of T.S Sabesa Iyer, a contemporary who also went on to win the prestigious Sangeetha Kalanidhi
award from the Madras Music Academy
. During the nine years he spent with Sambasiva Iyer, Muthiah cultivated this talent and made his name as a Harikata Vidhwan. His rich voice and excellent tanam singing made him one of the era’s most highly coveted concert artists.
composers, that included many different types of Varnam
s as well as Kriti
s and Thillana
s. The songs were on a number of the Hindu pantheon, his patrons. He composed them in four languages - Telugu
, Tamil
, Sanskrit
and Kannada
.
Some of the ragams that owe their existence today to this great composer include Vijaysaraswathi, Karnaranjani, Budhamanohari, Niroshta
and Hamsanandhi. They are melodious ragas that make one wonder how it was not attempted prior to Muthiah Baghavatar's times. He also popularized Shanmukhapriya
and Mohanakalyani
. When someone asked if he could compose something that would appeal to Westerners, he composed the English notes (later popularised by Madurai Mani Iyer
).
In 1934, Muthiah composed music for Tamil Nadu Talkies then owned by S. Soundararaja for their Lavakusa, a film based on the Uttara Ramayana
. Bhagavathar initially was very reluctant but was later persuaded by Raval Krishna Iyer, a budding contractor of Madras. Muthiah travelled to Bombay where the film was being made at the Ranjit Studios. He composed 63 songs for the film resulting in the film being renamed as Sangeetha Lavakusa.
and Mridangam.
In addition to musical talents, his theoretical knowledge was also vast. He wrote a treatise on musical theory, Sangita Kalpa Drumam, and regularly gave lectures on musicology at the Music Academy. He was the first musician to be awarded a doctorate in India when the Kerala University
awarded him the D. Litt. for his Tamil treatise in 1943. He was also the first principal of the Swati Tirunal Academy of music started in Trivandrum in 1939. Muthiah Bhagavatar has also authored a Sanskrit poetic work called Tyagaraja Vijaya Kavya. T. N. Seshagopalan, who was taught by Ramanathapuram
Sankara Sivam, a disciple of Muthiah Bhagavathar, said "He was also the first to introduce the practice of nagaswara
vidwans playing during the puja time at the Thiruvananthapuram temple
."
He lived like a king, but was as magnanimous as he was rich. The Harikesanjali Trust (promoted by his descendants) has been established to propagate his compositions.
, he was appointed court musician at Mysore. At Mysore he composed 115 kriti
s in Kannada in praise of Chamundi devi, the matron goddess of the Mysore dynasty. Later he was invited to the court of Travancore
by the Maharaja Mulam Tirunal where he studied Swatitirunal
kritis and wrote the book Sangeeta Kalpadruma, which won him an honorary doctorate. Muthiah Bhagavathar was the first President of the Annual Conference at the Madras Music Academy
and was awarded the most prestigious award in Carnatic music
, Sangeetha Kalanidhi
title in 1930. He was conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Kerala in 1942.
s (for example [Sohini] and Saarang Malhar) and creating approximately 20 new ragas of his own, such as the famous Mohana Kalyani. He ensured that his legacy would live on with such compositions as Bhuvanesvariya and also through his disciples, the most famous of which was Madurai Mani Iyer
.
Muthiah Bhagavatar's legacy of music lives on in his granddaughter, veena
expert Smt. Rugmini Gopalakrishnan
.
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...
famous twentieth century composers. He also created about 20 raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s.
Early life
Muthiah was born on November 15, 1877, in Harikesanallur, a small village in the TirunelveliTirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
district of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, into an affluent family. He was exposed to music from a very early age, as his father was a patron of musicians. He lost his father at the young age of six years, and his maternal uncle M. Lakshmana Suri took over the responsibility for his education, initiating Muthiah into Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Vedic
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
studies. However, the love of music that had been implanted in him led Muthiah to leave his hometown of Harikesanallur
Harikesanallur
Harikesanallur is a village in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India.Harikesanallur is a village in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India....
, Tamil Nadu when he was only ten years in search of a teacher. He found the gifted teacher Padinaindumandapa Sambasiva Iyer at Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur is a town and a municipality in Tiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruvarur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvarur district. Tiruvarur is one of the oldest towns which has been popular as cultural head quarters for many centuries...
, who recognized Muthiah’s talent for music. Sambasiva Iyer was the father of T.S Sabesa Iyer, a contemporary who also went on to win the prestigious Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.-----Sangeetha Kalanidhis:-External links:*...
award from the Madras Music Academy
Madras Music Academy
Madras Music Academy, or simply Music Academy, is one of the premier and early Music Academies in the South Indian city of Madras, now Chennai. It plays an important role in encouraging and promoting primarily the Carnatic Music south Indian art form. It also played an important role in revival of...
. During the nine years he spent with Sambasiva Iyer, Muthiah cultivated this talent and made his name as a Harikata Vidhwan. His rich voice and excellent tanam singing made him one of the era’s most highly coveted concert artists.
Composer
He had to his credit almost 400 musical compositions, the largest among the post-TrinityTrinity of Carnatic music
The outstanding group of composer-musicians of Carnatic music which included Tyāgarāja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, are commonly referred to as the Trinity of Carnatic music....
composers, that included many different types of Varnam
Varnam
Varnam is a form of song in the Carnatic music repertoire. A varnam is a relatively long piece and can range from 30 minutes to up to an hour. It is usually set to Aadi or Ata tala. It is the center piece in a recital of a Bharathanatyam dance. It is a tradition to start a recital in Carnatic...
s as well as Kriti
Kriti
-Structure:Kritis typically contain three parts#Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.#Anupallavi. The second verse, which is sometimes optional....
s and Thillana
Thillana
Thillana is a rhythmic piece in Carnatic music, from which the Hindustani tarana originated, generally performed at the end of a concert and widely used in dance performances. A thillana uses tala-like phrases in the pallavi and anupallavi, and lyrics in the charanam...
s. The songs were on a number of the Hindu pantheon, his patrons. He composed them in four languages - Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
.
Some of the ragams that owe their existence today to this great composer include Vijaysaraswathi, Karnaranjani, Budhamanohari, Niroshta
Niroshta
Niroshta is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is a pentatonic scale . It is a derived scale , as it does not have all the seven swaras ....
and Hamsanandhi. They are melodious ragas that make one wonder how it was not attempted prior to Muthiah Baghavatar's times. He also popularized Shanmukhapriya
Shanmukhapriya
Shanmukhapriya is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is the 56th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Chāmaram in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub...
and Mohanakalyani
Mohanakalyani
Mohanakalyani is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is a janya rāgam from the 65th melakarta scale Mechakalyani. It is a janya scale, as it does not have all the seven swaras in the ascending scale...
. When someone asked if he could compose something that would appeal to Westerners, he composed the English notes (later popularised by Madurai Mani Iyer
Madurai Mani Iyer
Madurai Mani Iyer was a Carnatic music singer, who was famous for his unique style. He was one of the most highly celebrated carnatic vocalists during the first half of the 20th century. He was renowned for his adept skills at singing kalpana swarams, neraval, and raga alapana...
).
In 1934, Muthiah composed music for Tamil Nadu Talkies then owned by S. Soundararaja for their Lavakusa, a film based on the Uttara Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
. Bhagavathar initially was very reluctant but was later persuaded by Raval Krishna Iyer, a budding contractor of Madras. Muthiah travelled to Bombay where the film was being made at the Ranjit Studios. He composed 63 songs for the film resulting in the film being renamed as Sangeetha Lavakusa.
Artist
He was adept at playing both the ChitraveenaGottuvadhyam
The chitravina The chitravina The chitravina (also known as chitra veena, chitraveena, chitra vina, hanumad vina, or mahanataka vina, is a 20 or 21-string fretless lute Carnatic music played mainly in South India today, though its origins can be traced back to Bharata's Natya Shastra, where it is...
and Mridangam.
Kerala University
The University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is an affiliating university located in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. It was established in 1937, long before the birth of the state of Kerala in India...
awarded him the D. Litt. for his Tamil treatise in 1943. He was also the first principal of the Swati Tirunal Academy of music started in Trivandrum in 1939. Muthiah Bhagavatar has also authored a Sanskrit poetic work called Tyagaraja Vijaya Kavya. T. N. Seshagopalan, who was taught by Ramanathapuram
Ramanathapuram
Ramanathapuram , also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district.-Tourism:...
Sankara Sivam, a disciple of Muthiah Bhagavathar, said "He was also the first to introduce the practice of nagaswara
Nadaswaram
The nadaswaram, also spelt nadhaswaram, and also called nagaswaram , is one of the most popular classical musical instruments in the South Indian culture and the world's loudest non-brass acoustic instrument...
vidwans playing during the puja time at the Thiruvananthapuram temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
."
He lived like a king, but was as magnanimous as he was rich. The Harikesanjali Trust (promoted by his descendants) has been established to propagate his compositions.
Awards and recognitions
Having impressed the Maharaja of MysoreMaharaja of Mysore
Maharaja of Mysore was the principal title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in India.The Wodeyar dynasty founded a feudatory principality in 1399, which grew into the Kingdom of Mysore...
, he was appointed court musician at Mysore. At Mysore he composed 115 kriti
Kriti
-Structure:Kritis typically contain three parts#Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.#Anupallavi. The second verse, which is sometimes optional....
s in Kannada in praise of Chamundi devi, the matron goddess of the Mysore dynasty. Later he was invited to the court of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
by the Maharaja Mulam Tirunal where he studied Swatitirunal
Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharaja of the state of Travancore , in India. He reigned under the regency of his mother Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi from 1813 till 1815 and henceforth under the regency of his aunt Maharani Gowri Parvati Bayi from 1815 till 1829...
kritis and wrote the book Sangeeta Kalpadruma, which won him an honorary doctorate. Muthiah Bhagavathar was the first President of the Annual Conference at the Madras Music Academy
Madras Music Academy
Madras Music Academy, or simply Music Academy, is one of the premier and early Music Academies in the South Indian city of Madras, now Chennai. It plays an important role in encouraging and promoting primarily the Carnatic Music south Indian art form. It also played an important role in revival of...
and was awarded the most prestigious award in 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...
, Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.-----Sangeetha Kalanidhis:-External links:*...
title in 1930. He was conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Kerala in 1942.
Legacy
When he died in 1945, Muthiah Bhagavatar had written over 400 kritis and changed the entire landscape of Carnatic music by introducing many Hindustani ragaRaga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s (for example [Sohini] and Saarang Malhar) and creating approximately 20 new ragas of his own, such as the famous Mohana Kalyani. He ensured that his legacy would live on with such compositions as Bhuvanesvariya and also through his disciples, the most famous of which was Madurai Mani Iyer
Madurai Mani Iyer
Madurai Mani Iyer was a Carnatic music singer, who was famous for his unique style. He was one of the most highly celebrated carnatic vocalists during the first half of the 20th century. He was renowned for his adept skills at singing kalpana swarams, neraval, and raga alapana...
.
Muthiah Bhagavatar's legacy of music lives on in his granddaughter, veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
expert Smt. Rugmini Gopalakrishnan
Rugmini Gopalakrishnan
Rugmini Gopalakrishnan is a Saraswati veena artist in Carnatic music from India.-Profile:Smt. Rugmini Gopalakrishnan was born in Tamil Nadu, before moving to Kerala with her family as a young girl. She is the granddaughter of Gayakashikhamani Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar...
.
Varnams
| Composition | Raga Raga A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made... | Tala Tala Tala may refer to:* Samoan tālā, the monetary unit of Samoa* Tala , a DC Comics supervillainess of the Phantom Stranger* Tala , the goddess of stars in Tagalog mythology* Tala , a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music... | Language | Audio Links | Other Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mAtE malaya dhwaja pAnDya sanjAtE | khamAs | Adi | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rx6AO1KLVkSudha Raghunathan Sudha Raghunathan Sudha Raghunathan is a Carnatic music singer from South India. She was awarded a Padma Shri for excellence in singing. She was born in Bangalore and went to Good Shepherd Convent. She did higher education at Bangalore, Karnataka and obtained a Masters Degree in Economics.She started singing at... ] |
|
| "sree raja mathangi" | "sudha dhanyasi" | "Adi" | "Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... " |
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Other Krithis
| Composition | Raga Raga A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made... | Tala Tala Tala may refer to:* Samoan tālā, the monetary unit of Samoa* Tala , a DC Comics supervillainess of the Phantom Stranger* Tala , the goddess of stars in Tagalog mythology* Tala , a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music... | Language | Audio Links | Other Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amba vANi nannu AdarimpavE | kIra vANi | Adi | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
T N Seshagopalan | |
| asTAdasha supIThasthE | simhEndra madhyamam | rUpaka | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
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| gam gaNapatE namO namah | hamsa dhwani | rUpaka | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgH1Puih0TcNithyasree Mahadevan Nithyasree Mahadevan Dr. Nithyasree Mahadevan, also previously referred to as S. Nithyashri, is an eminent Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. Nithyasree's paternal grandmother, D. K. Pattammal, and her granduncle, D. K... ] |
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| himagiri tanayE hEma latE | Shuddha dhanyAsi | Adi | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgH1Puih0TcS. Sowmya S. Sowmya S. Sowmya is a Carnatic music singer. She learnt music initially from her father Dr. Srinivasan, and later from S. Ramanathan and Smt.T. Muktha. In 1998, Sowmya co-founded Carnatica - an online institution dedicated to classical music & dance instruction, archival, talent search and other related... ] |
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| rAja rAjArAdhitE | nirOshTa | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
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| sakti gaNapatim bhajEham | nATa | rUpaka | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
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| siddhi vinAyakam sEvEham | mOhana kalyANi | Adi | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
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| sudhAmayI sudhA nidhE | amRta varSiNi | rUpaka | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
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| vijayAmbikE vimalAtmikE | vijaya nAgari | Adi | Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... |
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