~ 185 ~

The very term “Post-Pallavi” item is of comparatively recent origin.

Since, it has gained currency only after the Karnatak music concert

format had become established. We have evidences of the occurrences of

formal music concerts, only since Maha Vaidhyanatha Iyer’s days in the

middle of 19th century. Even at that time, practise of singing classically

less serious items after Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi had come into vogue

though these items did not get the name as “Post-Pallavi” items. “The

Biography of Maha Vaidhyanatha Iyer” authored by Tamizh Taatta U.

V. Swaminatha Iyer, gives details of some Pallavis sung by him and some

reference to some items sung after the Pallavi. They have been all

devotion oriented and naturally not as seriously classical and technical as

the Pallavis. An earnest researcher in the subject of Post-Pallavi items

should methodically start collecting details of items in use from Maha

Vaidhyanatha Iyer days. Let us also start in right earnest from the songs

sung by the most popular performing musicians of those days, towards

the end of his concerts.

U. V. Swaminatha Iyer has merely mentioned the songs sung

towards the end of the concerts as saivite hymns sung as Viruttams.

Among the authors of saivite hymns “Tirugnanasambandar”

(F¼ë£ùê‹ð‰î˜) occupies a very special place. How he became a

composer is itself an episode read with great respect. Sambandar was the

son of Temple priest at Sirkazhi, a village in Tanjore district of those

days. The father took the son for an outing, when the later was less than

five years old. They happened to cross the temple tank which was a

popular bathing place in those days. Since, it was bathing time and pooja

time the father thought of finishing the ritual of a bath in the temple tank.

He made the less than five year old son Tirugnanasambandar sit at a safe

place and went down the steps of the tank for a quick bath. The child

~ 186 ~

Sambandar got frightened to find the father missing and began crying

aloud. The mother of the universe Goddess Parvathi is said to have

chosen to come down to earth to attend to the weeping child. Such was

the Poorva Janma Punya of Tirugnanasambandar that, his crying appeal

would make the universal Goddess Herself comedown and take the child

into her hands, and she went on to make what all mothers do to appease a

wailing child.

Tirugnanasambandar thus, had the great fortune of being breast fed

by the universal Goddess Herself and this was not the mundane instance

of a crying child being breast fed by a human mother. Milk from the

divine Mother made the child attain divine virtues not heard of in this

world. The small child in Goddess Parvathi’s hands acquired miraculous

accomplishments of a full-fledged poet and great poetry in praise of Lord

Shiva poured out from the mouth of the child Tirugnanasambandar. The

song that occurred in the mouth of the celestialy blessed child was

“Thodudaya Seviyan” («î£´¬ìò ªêMò¡) which ultimately became

the favourite saivite hymns and this great instance by the grace of

Goddess Parvathi gave India the pride of possessing youngest composer

of poetry in the world. This has been recognised even by Adi Sankara

who came into this world a century or two later as an incarnation of Lord

Shiva. Since, the typical Tamil name “Tirugnanasambandar” could not

be incorporated in Sanskrit literature, Adi Sankara has referred to

Sambandar as the “Dravida Sishu” – Fó£Mì C² (South Indian child) in

his immortal Soundarya Lahari.

Apart from this youngest poet in the world, there have been many

other saivite saints who have also composed Tamil lyrics upon Lord Siva.

Most of these lyrics were sung in the Post-Pallavi part of the small

~ 187 ~

number of concerts of 19th Century. More famous among them were

viruttams like “Paalninainduttum” (𣙠G¬ù‰É†´‹) of

Manikkavachagar (ñ£E‚èõ£êè˜) and “Pittha Piraisudi” – (Hˆî£

H¬øÅ®),,,, and “Maasil Veenaiyum” – (ñ£C™ i¬í»‹) of

Thirunavukkarasar (F¼ï£¾‚èóê˜).

There was a time in Tamil Nadu when Tamil dramas and their music

was patronised more avidly than Karnatak Music. Legends like S. G.

Kittappa were prominent miraculous instances of a person not tutored

formally in Karnatak Music but could sing viruttams that could have a

mesmerising effect upon even the vidwans of those days. S. G. Kittappa

had a phenomenal voice in which he could traverse the octaves in a basic

pitch of ‘G’ sharp and could be heard in the last rows of mike less halls in

which the first row will always be occupied by leading Karnatak vidwans

like Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer, Malakkotai Govindaswami

Pillai, and Harikesanallur Muttaiah Bhagavathar etc. The viruttams like

“Kodaiyile Ilai Parri Kollum” («è£¬ìJ«ô Þ¬÷Šð£P ªè£œÀ‹) and

Javali songs like “Gandiban Maithuna” (裇¯ð¡ ¬ñˆ¶ù£), “Kaami

Sathyabhaama (è£I êˆòð£ñ£)” were in the mouths of even commener.

An interesting fact here is that there was a practice in those days that

heroes always made appearance on the stage with what are called opening

songs and these songs were all famous Karnatak Music compositions of

Tyagaraja, like “Evarani” – Devamruthavarshini, “Entaraani” –

Harikambhoji, “Mokshamugalada” – Saramathi, “Raga-sudha Rasa” -

Andolika. This was indeed an interesting situation wherein, prestigious

Pre-Pallavi items were thrust into a much lower status of drama songs.

The heroes always started with anupallavi mainly because they were

in Tara sthayi which could more easily reach the last row admirers.

~ 188 ~

That was also a period when patronage for “Harikathas” was more

widely prevalent, than that for music concerts. Harikatha performers were

held in very high esteem and they were celebrated Gurus for many of the

vocalists of those days. The Harikatha vidwans used lot of Tyagaraja

Kritis during their musical discourses, and they managed to pose as

authorities in spite of their poor knowledge of the Telugu lyrics of

Tyagaraja.

The Aristocratic families of those days considered it as a prestige to

arrange Harikatha concerts rather than music concerts in Marriages in

their houses. Harikatha artiste had supreme influence in the music field

and the historic Tyagaraja festival of Tiruvaiyaru was started around 1907

by a group of leading Harikatha artiste like Soola-mangalam Vaidyanatha

Bhagavathar, Tanjore Krishna Bhagavathar and Harikesanallur Muthaiya

Bhavathar etc,

Famous performers of the Post Mahavaidhyanatha Iyer’s period

were Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, Konerirajapuram Vaidhyanatha Iyer and

Nayana Pillai. By their time the concert format can be said to have been

established more firmly and the musicians and the listeners readily

recognised the Pre-Pallavi and the Post-Pallavi items. Pattnam

Subramania Iyer and Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar were also composers of

repute and they have themselves propagated some Javalis in music

concerts. The concert field was entering a boom period early in 20th

Century and leading performers like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar,

Musiri Subramania Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, G. N.

Balasubramaniam, and Madurai Mani Iyer became artiste called for

performances on most days of the month. Arranging music concerts

during marriages was also on the increase, making the famous artistes

~ 189 ~

busier. Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar is considered by many scholars as the

popular musician to have started the practice of introducing a rich variety

of songs in concerts. The Pallavi still continued to enjoy an important

place in the concert format. The Post-Pallavi items too became favourites

with listeners.

A lot of Post-Pallavi songs gained recognition as stamps of famous

musician and vaishnavaite hymns like “Thiruppavai” (F¼Šð£¬õ)

become the selling points for Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. He had taken

pains to set all the 30 Thiruppavais of Andal, to tune in traditional ragas

and some Thiruppavais like “Oruththi Maganai” (弈F ñèù£Œ),

“Ongi Ulagalantha” (æƒA àôè÷‰î), and “Male Manivanna” (ñ£«ô

ñEõ‡í£) became extremely popular. It should be noted here that, it

had struck Ariyakudi’s fancy to choose ragas like Behag, Kuntalavarali,

Sindubhairavi etc., confirming a strong place for these ragas in the Post-

Pallavi stage. Musiri Subramania Iyer was another icon of this period and

he became an extremely popular vocalist for his rendering of

“Nagumomu” in Abheri raga which again is a raga with its Hindusthani

counter part of Bhimplas was an item more suited for the Post-Pallavi

part. Musiri was also famous for his viruttams like “Virittha Senjadai

Ada” (MKˆî ªê…ê¬ì Ýì) and some of the down to earth folk music

items, all of which enlarged the Post-Pallavi repertoire.

By for the most popular musician, who contributed to Post-Pallavi

items was G. N. Balasubramaniam, who grew to become Number 1

among performing musicians in the middle of 20th

Century. G. N.

Balasubramaniam as he was popularly known reached great heights as a

popular musician and whatever he sang in his concerts was in the

humming of the millions of the young admirers of his. All the more

~ 190 ~

popular were his Post-Pallavi items like “Velan Varuvarodi”,

“Kannanai Kanbadeppo” and “Radha Sametha Krishna”. It was G. N.

Balasubramaniam who made the slokam “Venda Maataram Ambikam”

very popularly sought after slokam.

The boom period for music concerts coincided with the period of

freedom struggle in India, which attained freedom in 1947. Songs in

praise of National Independence had been imagined many days before the

freedom movement by poets like Subramanya Bharatiyar whose

compositions like “Aduvome Pallu Paduvome” (Ý´«õ£«ñ ðœÀ

𣴫õ£«ñ) came in handy for vocalist during the Independence Day

period and famous musicians like D. K. Pattammal attained immense

popularity by singing these songs not only in concerts but also in

Gramophone records. Mahatma Gandhi was the Hero of the

Independence struggle and poet Subramanya Bharatiyar had composed

the song “Vaazhga ni emman inda vaiyattu naattil” (õ£›è c â‹ñ£¡

Þ‰î ¬õòˆ¶ ®™) upon Mahathma Gandhi, that proved an

extremely popular Post-Pallavi items in concerts of many artistes

including M. S. Subba-lakshmi.

M.S. Subbalakshmi’s popularity in singing National songs upon

living luminaries and also wide contacts in the political field procured her

the biggest National honour “Bharatha Ratna”. M. S. Subba-lakshmi’s

husband Sri. T. Sadasivam was an expert careerist and he chose

appropriate songs upon political luminaries of strategic importance for

prestigious broadcast and gramophone records by M.S. Subbalakshmi

who was already a famous film personality. Not only among human

beings but even among Godheads, T. Sadasivam chose the most saleable

God “Lord Venkateswara” of Tirupati, upon whom the songs composed

~ 191 ~

by Tallappakkam Annamacharya in 17th century had become a rage with

devotees of 20th Century. Annamacharya’s compositions did not merit

classical supremacy, but could accommodate any level of frivolity even

below folk music and the illiterate devotional folks patronised them

extremely liberally, showered the exploitations of this situation for top

commercial gains was the brainwork of Mr. Sadasivam who made M. S.

Subbalakshmi’s compact disc of “Sri Venkateswara Suprabatham” ring

in the pooja rooms of almost all South Indian households.

By for, the most internationally famous Post-Pallavi song is

“Mythreem Bhajatha” sung by “Bharatha Ratna” M.S. Subbalakshmi,

as the concluding piece in her concert for an international audience at the

United Nations centre in New York. Everything about this song happens

to be international. The very theme of this song is one eulogising

universal brotherhood and peace. There could have been no better avenue

for this song than the United Nations function, which was basically

International. Thus the theme, the venue, the audience and everything

about this song was International in charactor and no wonder this song

made M.S. Subbalakshmi an artiste of International acclaim, proving that

a Post-Pallavi item too can achieve International recognition. No wonder

M.S. Subbalakshmi was subsequently honoured with “Bharatha Ratna”

the highest civilian award in our country.

Other musicians who followed this tactics with much less success

were, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and the oldest living musician - Sripada

Pinakapani, When thousands of Annamacharya songs were unearthed in

the world famous Tirupati Temple of Lord Venkateswara. The devotional

accent in the lyrics proved extremely popular with the legion of Lord

Venkateswara’s devotees. Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and his Guru

~ 192 ~

Pinakapani rose-up to the situation and published books of

Annamacharya songs tuned by them. The songs were innumerably large

in number, but very few of them, perhaps not a single one of them, could

shine in the Pre-Pallavi portion of the music concerts.

The language used in the song like “Adigo Alladigo” and

“Brahmmamokkate” was extremely pedestrian proving popular with

totally illiterate Andhra folks. Annamacharya is celebrated as a great

devotee of Lord Venkateswara but he has not hesitated to compose

Jaavali style in Pachi sringara (too openly romantic) lyrics, in many songs

like “Paluku Teenela Talli” in raga Bimplas.

Another composer whose songs enjoyed high ranks among Post-

Pallavi items was one more Pre-Trinity composer Bhadrachala Ramadasa

again from Andhra Pradesh. He is said to have been a Government

revenue official in Nizam’s Government of Telengana Andhra Pradesh.

His original name was Goppana but because of his pronounced Rama

Bhakti, he came to be called and known as Ramadasa of Bhadrachala

where he lived. His Rama bhakti is of a special kind because he gave all

his attention and devotion to the idol of Lord Rama in Bhadrachala

Temple and considered nothing else as almighty. This unidirectional

bhakti is in sharp contrast with the bhakti of Muthuswamy Dikshitar, who

readily sang up on innumerable Gods during the kshetragna covering

wide areas from - Capecomarin to Banaras.

Bhadrachala Ramadasa’s devotion for the idol of Rama in the small

hill temple grew boundlessly and he wanted his idol to be established in a

big temple. He had no money to build the temple but did not hesitate to

use Government money. Being a revenue official himself, he could easily

rotate government money to build the Rama temple of his dreams. Gross

~ 193 ~

misuse of government’s money came to light soon and Ramadasa was

arrested and imprisoned for 12 years. He has sung many songs accusing

Lord Rama who had rewarded him with the imprisonment in responce to

the divotees services of building a temple for Him. Songs composed

before and after his imprisonment are soaked in devotion and were

frequently sung as part of poojas more often by household women.

Saint Tyagaraja’s mother is said to have initiated the bard of

Tiruvaiyaru into music and devotion with Ramadasa’s tunes, during the

childhood days of the later. Tyagaraja, in turn has expressed his regard

for Ramadasa in some songs like “Ksherasagara Sayana” in

Devagandari and “Emidova Balkuma” in Saranga and “Kaligiyunta

Gada” in Keeravani. During early days of her upward career, M. S.

Subbalakshmi has sung the Bhadrachala Ramadasa’s song “Ennaganu

Ramabhajana” Pantuvarali in Gramophone records with neraval and

Kalpana swaram giving a Pre-Pallavi status to that song. But that

situation did not last long and Bhadrachala Ramadasa’s songs like

“Nannu Brovumani Cheppave” - Kalyani “Paluke Bangara-mayana” -

Ananda Bhairavi, “O Rama Neenama” - Poorvikalyani where popularly

sung in the Post-Pallavi part of the concerts by many musicians.

Nama Sankeerthanam congregations had their own following all the

time and the famous singers in the field enjoyed the title as Bhagavatar.

They were not trained for classical music and they grow up in the bhakti

cult. Saint Tyagaraja composed songs of a rich variety from serious

classical music to Nama Sankeerthana hymns. Tyagaraja is said to have

been regularly conducting Ekadesi Bhajans in his house wherein, Nama

Sankeerthanam songs were religiously sung. Bodendra Swamigal and

Sadasiva Bhramendra were highly acclaimed leaders in Bhajanai

~ 194 ~

Sampradaya and some compositions of Sadasiva Bhramendra gained

fame in the Post-Pallavi part of music concerts also. Famous songs in this

cadre were “Pibare Ramarasam”, “Bhajare Yadhunatham”, and

“Kelati Mamahrudaye”. Musicians took liberty of singing these songs in

their own tunes and the tunes of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and Dr.

Balamuralikrishna proved to become widely popular.

Jayadeva and Narayana Theertha were leading advocates of Bhajanai

Sampradaya. The words Bhajana and Bhajan often get confused but they

denote much different kinds of music. The term Bhajana means,

congregational singing while, Bhajans are mainly by North Indian

composers and they are sung in the closing parts of both Karnatak and

Hindusthani music concerts.

The Karnatak music Trinity are now universally known for the

collective name given to three great epoch making composers,

Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Syamasastri, all of whom were

born at Thiruvarur, Tanjore district of those days. Hardcore Tamil

enthusiast who were always fighting the cause of Tamil language found

that none of the Karnatak music Trinity composed in Tamil, and they

promoted the term Tamil Moovar (Tamil Trinity) and drew parallel to the

original Trinity Saying that all the three composer of the Tamil Moovar

hailed from Siyazhi. This Tamil Trinity consisted of Arunachala

Kavirayar, Muthuthandavar and Mari Muthapillai. It took lot of time

even for influential organisation like Tamil Isai Sangam to establish

Tamil songs in the Pre-Pallavi status and the Sirkazhi Moovars songs had

to struggle a lot for that status. Of the Tamil Moovars, Arunachala

Kavirayar has himself admitted in the preface of his book that he was not

knowledgeable enough in music and all his compositions were set to

~ 195 ~

tunes by two of his Iyer friends. Also the theme for all his songs was

Ramayana and the story has been woven into long list of songs called

“Ramanatakam” (ó£ñ ï£ìè‹). Each song in the series will relate to

some episode or other of Ramayana. Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar took

interest in these songs and sang them in the closing part of his concerts. A

few of these songs like “Anta Rama Soundaryam” (܉î ó£ñ

ªê÷‰î˜ò‹) in raga Kedara-gowlai, “Yean Palli Kondeer Ayya” (ã¡

ðœO ªè£‡¯¬óò£) in Mohanam, “Kanavendum Laksham Kangal”

(è£í«õ‡´‹ ôþ‹ è‡èœ) in Suriti, and “Ramanukku Mannan

Mudi” (ó£ñ‚° ñ¡ù¡ º®) in Hindolam gained wide popularity.

Muthu Thandavar’s (ºˆ¶ ìõ˜) compositions are often

wrongly referred to as “Muthu Tandavar Padams” but none of his

compositions will qualify to be called a “Padam” as the word is

popularly used by vidwans. With no trace of relationship to Padams of

Kshetragna and mostly in Bhakti rasa, Muthu Thandavar’s compositions

could at best earn only a Post-Pallavi treatment. Muthu Thandavar,

however, specialised in Nidha Stuthi songs which have satirical

references to Lord Nataraja “Edukku Ithanai” (ⶂ° Þˆî¬ù) in raga

Suruti was one of his compositions often heard in music dance concerts.

Marimuttha Pillai was a lesser known composer in the Tamil

Trinity. But some of his compositions “Orukkal Siva Chidambaram”

(异裙 Cõ Cî‹ðó‹) in Arabhi raga Adi tala and “Kaalai Thookki

Ninradum Theivame” (裬ô É‚A G¡ø£´‹ ªîŒõ«ñ) set in Yadu-

kulakambhoji raga Adi tala become popular among Post-Pallavi items.

Gopala Krishna Bharatiyar was another famous composer of Tamil

songs of those days. Some of his songs managed to frequently occur in

Pre-Pallavi portion of the concert. Musiri Subramaniya Iyer made

~ 196 ~

“Thiruvadi Charanam” (F¼õ® êóí‹) Kamboji of Gopala Krishna

Bharathi immensly famous. Gopala Krishna Bharati is said to have had

opportunities to interact with Saint Tyagaraja with whom there was

mutual admiration. In one of his visits to Tyagaraja’s place, Gopala

Krishna Bharati happened to listen to Tyagaraja’s famous kriti being

composed in Abogi raga “Manasunilpa” and inspired by it. He spent a

sleepless night and composed a new song in the same Abhogi raga

starting with the word “Sabhapathikku Veru Deivam” (êð£ðF‚° «õÁ

ªîŒõ‹) and presented the song before Tyagaraja the next day and earnt

his approval and appreciation. Gopala Krishna Bharati was a very rare

instance of Tamil composers, whose creations got entry straight into the

Pre-Pallavi part of concerts. His Composition like “Aadum

Chidambaramo” (Ý´‹ Cî‹ðó«ñ£) gained popularity as Post-Pallavi

attractions also.

With the prefix Bharati, there was another composer of those days

with the name Kavi Kunjara Bharathi. He has authored popular dance

operas like “Kutrala Kuravanji” (°Ÿø£ô °øõ…C) with some popular

compositions with classical seriousness to his credit. He does not seem to

have ventured into highly classical area but succeeded in authoring

folkish creations like “Kummis and Kolatams” (°‹I «è£ô£†ì‹).

Kavi Kunjara Bharati’s Grandson Koteeswara Iyer turned out to be

a composer of extraordinary merit. At a time when the 72 Melakartha

scheme was still unfamiliar even to reputed performing artiste, Kotiswara

Iyer undertook the arduous task of composing songs on Lord Muruga in

all the Melakartas ragams. The Vivadi Melas were too heavily classical

even for performing artiste and Kotiswara Iyer had no time left for to

trying Post-Pallavi items.

~ 197 ~

The Dasakuta composers were flourishing in their own land of

Karnataka, right from the 15th Century but the classism level of music had

not effectively entered the Karnataka area though Purandara dasa of the

15th and 16

th Centuries is celebrated as “Karnataka Sangeetha

Pitamaha”. He is credited to have framed the Sarali varisai – Janta

varisai, Alankaram, Geetham method of initiating a person into

Karnatak music. It is not clear, why Purandaradasa chose Maya-

malavagowlai scale for the lessons. Mayamalavagowlai has rishabam too

close to the sadjamam and gandharam too far away from rishabam.

Modern children find these distances too difficult to manage. Some

musicologist say that the sa ri ga ma alignment is very much like the pa

da ni sa alignment in Mayamalavagowlai, and that should be within the

easy reach of learners, but that can be comfortable to instrumentalists,

particularly violinist. Vocalist will still have difficulty in managing the

vast differences between Sa ri and Ri ga. Notes of a mela like

Kharaharapriya might have been comparatively easier for beginners to

comprehend and it is surprising why Purandaradasa did not think of these

possibilities while choosing Mayamalavagowlai scale for 1st lesson in

Karnatak music.

The Dasakuta composers of around 16th

- 17th Centuries were

concentrating upon chorus singing of devotional music, since music

concerts had not yet taken the consolidated shape by that time. No

wonder, almost all the creations of Dasakuta composers fitted in naturally

for Post-Pallavi part of the concert. Presenting Kanada compositions in

concerts that had become common in Tamil Nadu came as a ready

explanation, why Dasakuta compositions became part of Post-Pallavi

items. But even as part of Post-Pallavi items some songs like “Krishna

ne Begane” and “Jagadodharana” became extremely popular both in

~ 198 ~

music and dance concerts. The original tunes in which the Dasakuta

composers would have sung their compositions is not available at all and

musicians of the later centuries took liberties in singing the dasakuta

compositions, in tunes that occurred to them. Even in this course of

events songs like “Jagadodharana”, “Krishna nee Begane” managed to

emerge as primary listener’s request. Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar tried

to raise some of the Dasakuda compositions like “Nambikketavar Illaro”

(ï‹H‚ªè†ìõ˜ Þ™ô«ó£) Kalyani to Pre-Pallavi status not with much

success.

Purandara dasa alone is said to have composed about four lakhs

and seventy five thousands of Devarnamas. And in one of his song he has

himself given a statement of how many he had composed upon Lord

Siva, how many on Lord Vishnu, how many on other Godheads and so on

to reach a total of nearly five lakhs of compositions. Religious minded

people would not doubt this phenomenon and would readily deify

Purandaradasa. But a rationalist growth of 20th

century would raise the

question whether Purandaradasa was left with time for any avocation

other than composing Devarnamas, in hardly 40 years of his life as a

composer.All said and done a large number of Purandaradasa’s

compositions are sung by performers in South India mostly in the Post-

Pallavi part.

Another reputed Tamil composer of 19th

century was Vedanayakam

Pillai, who was a Christian and Government official. His straight

forwardness in office landed him in trouble, because of the manipulations

of corrupt officials around. The circumstances were paining and he

expressed his pain at heart in sarcastic songs portraying the vulnerability

of righteousness in those days.

~ 199 ~

He wrote songs depicting the loop holes in social customs and the

language had a telling effect on the listener. This could not be achieved

by classically serious music and Vedanayakam Pillai songs naturally

found a welcome place in the Post-Pallavi part. Songs like “Punniyam

pol Paapam” (¹‡Eò‹ «ð£™ ð£ð‹) were made popular by

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. Being a Christian he was not able to address

Hindu Gods, but he intelligently addressed God Almighty and one such

song starting with the words “Karunalaya Nidhiye” (è¼í£ôò GF«ò)

in Hindolam was made famous by G. N. Balasubramanyam.

Other less famous composers of those days were Tacchur

Singrachari and Tiruvotriyur Tyagaiyar. Tacchur Singrachari’s mother

tongue was Telugu and he tried his luck with a variety of compositions

including kritis, Javalis, Padams and only few of his compositions like

“Vani Joli inkelane” – Behag Jaavali caught the attention of musicians

and listeners. Tiruvotriyur Tyagaiyar is a worthy son of Veenai

Kuppaiyar was brought up in an atmosphere of classism and his

compositions were all of classical heaviness expected in Pre-Pallavi

items. We have by now come to 20th century in which period the

Karnatak music concert format has become well settled.

Papanasam Sivan was the most famous composer of 20th century

and he composed songs mainly in Tamil and sometimes in Sanskrit. His

compositions were accepted in both his spheres Post and Pre-pallavi,

though his flair was for serious classical music, in spite of the fact that he

started his carrier as a composer in film field. But being in Tamil was a

ready reason for some of his compositions to be preferred in the Post-

Pallavi area. There is a rare example of a Sanskrit composition

~ 200 ~

“Sivaganga Nagara Nivasini” in raga Punnagavarali of Papanasam

Sivan made famous as a Post-Pallavi item by D. K. Pattammal.

Another highly reputed composer of the 20th century was

Subbarama Dikshitar, Grandson and adopted son of Muthuswamy

Dikshitar. He concentrated upon classical music - naturally Pre-Pallavi

items like kritis, padavarnams etc. A few of his Tillanas have earnt a

respected place among Post-Pallavi items.

RAGAS THAT READILY ACCOMODATE POST-PALLAVI MOOD

Raga is the staple food for Indian Music and the concept of a raga as

it is treated in Indian music does not exist anywhere else in the world.

Our ancient text mention the word “Ragaswarupa” indicating the image

or the personification of a raga, as though it were a human entity and

Dhyana Slokas depicting the personality of some ragas are available in

the antiquated palm leaves in Saraswathy Mahal library in Tanjore.

There has been hard core traditionalist who visualised every ancient raga

as a particular human entity. Such concepts of an ancient period when

recognising divinity was the first step while entering the music world

might have existed in Lord Krishna’s days, but ragas are approached even

today with a respect we give to celestials. Lot of variety in ragas have

since come to vogue. There are ragas recommended for different seasons,

different parts of the day, different occasions, emotions and so on.

Expecting some ragas to be allotted to the Post-Pallavi items is therefore

not unnatural, and certain ragas with a ready tinge of light classical

music, at the first instance have justly become very popular for the Post-

Pallavi section. There is a rich variety of ragas in Karnatak Music and

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some ragas accommodate more than one level of classicism. One and the

same Thodi raga has been chosen by Muthuswamy Dikshitar for the

Dhyana Kriti among Navavarna Kritis, (Kamalambike) and for the Javali

“Balimiyela Balamani” by Thirupanandal Pattabhiramayya. The richly

traditional raga Bhairavi has been used for the immortal Varnam

“Viribhoni”, “Bala Gopala” of Muthuswamy Dikshitar and also for the

sparkling Javali “Elaradayane”. There are also ragas with a confirmed

light classical label like Sindhu Bhairavi, Maund, Yamuna Kalyani,

Behag etc., singing Sindu Bhairavi (known as Bhairavi in Hindusthani

Music) as the last item in a music concert is a custom that is being

observed even today. In Karnatak Music concerts also items in Sindhu

Bhairavi are taken up only towards the fag end and many Ragamalikas

have chosen Sindu Bhairavi as the last raga. In the hands of genuine

experts, one and the same raga can shine in any part of the concert and

some famous musicians like Dr. Balamurali-krishna and Prof. Shri. T.

R. Subramaniam, have successfully even sung Ragam-Thanam-Pallavi

in ragas like Kapi and Bimplas etc., in recent times. The famous Post-

Pallavi item like Tillana has also acquired an enhanced status in the hands

of eminent contemporary composers among whom Lalgudi Shri.

Jayaraman will rank first. His Tillanas in ragas like Desh, Bageshree

and even in Thumri style in Pahadi have created history in the realms of

Post-Pallavi items.

A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF RICH CONTRIBUTION TO POST-PALLAVI

ITEMS BY LEADING PERFORMERS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

It has been already observed that folk music would have come in to

vogue much earlier in civilisation, than classical music in all parts of the

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world. The element of classicism was a much later addition to cultural

expressions of mankind. It is an established fact that Post-Pallavi items

indulge in a compromise in the level of classism and by this level of

argument, we can say that a concert or any form of exhibition of art of

earliest human civilisation must have at one time been made entirely of

items the like of which have subsequently earnt the name Post-Pallavi

items. But the Post-Pallavi items as a consolidated variety of

compositions can be set to have come into vogue from the 19th century

during Maha Vaidhyanatha Iyers days. We will now study this subject

period after period.

Maha Vaidhyanatha Iyer’s days- In the meagre number of Karnatak

Music concerts in this period, Post-Pallavi items seem to have enjoyed

modest recognition since the listening public were not of detailed

knowledge in music. Singing of Tamil lyrics with a religious tinge was

usually the Post-Pallavi period of these days. Knowledge of music

gradually improved in subsequent generations and Padams and Javalis

appeared in the scene in music concerts of the days of Poochi Srinivasa

Iyengar who was known for his captivating rendering of Javalis like

“Vaddani Nenanti” in Behag raga “Dheem Dheem Tanana” Tillana in

Todi. Post-Pallavi items gathered further popularity in the next generation

of performers like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar in the first half of 20th

Century. Variety in Post-Pallavi items got enlarged by this time and

audiences were familiarised with Slokam and Viruttam singing and the

presentation of items like Tirupaavai and Naattu Padalgal. “Maangaai

Paalundu” was one of the folk song that was in popularity. Musiri

Subramania Iyer was a star performer of those days and his renderings of

Tamil Ragamalikas like “Viritha Cenchadaiyaada” (MKˆî ªê…ê¬ìò£ì)

gained immense popu-larity. Next came the days which can be called

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“Golden period for Post-Pallavi items”. Shri G. N. Balasubra-manyam

was a sensational performer of unprecedented popularity in this period

which can as well be called “Golden age of music concerts”. Post-

Pallavi items gained enormous recognition in the first half of 20th century,

when Shri. G. N. Balasubramanyam was ruling the roost. This was also a

spectacular period during which performers of the fair-sex established

their worth in the race to fame in the concert field. A good number of

artistes like M. S. Subbalakshmi, D. K. Pattammal, and N. C.

Vasanthakokilam attained new heights of fame with their involvement in

the film field. Even veterans like Musiri Subramanya Iyer and

Maharajapuram Vishvanatha Iyer and Chembai Vaidhyanatha

Bhagavathar tried their hands with film field. In films like “Bhakta

Tukkaram” and “Nandanar”, the films did not prove to be commercial

successes and but the artiste’s image in the music field rose to dizzy

heights. The profession of a musician attained a new level of glamour

which was expected to be presented in their music concerts also. Post-

Pallavi items are more closely associated with glamour and no wonder

this era proved to become the golden period for Post-Pallavi items. Songs

like “Radhasameta Krishna” attracted even musically illiterate people,

who rushed to concerts of G. N. Bala-subramanyam and there were trade

mark items like “Aaduvome Pallu Paaduvome” (Ý´«õ£«ñ ðœÀ

𣴫õ£«ñ) for D. K. Pattammal, “Vellai Tamarai” (ªõœ¬÷ î£ñ¬ó),

“Kandan Karunai Puri Vadivel” (è‰î¡ è¼¬í ¹K õ®«õ™) for

Madurai Mani Iyer, “Kurai Ondrum Illai” (°¬ø å¡Á‹ Þ™¬ô) for

M. S. Subbalakshmi, “Baro Krishnayya” for M. L. Vasanthakumari and

so on. This was actually a period when the opening lines of some Post-

Pallavi items were in the mouths of listeners even more than the very

names of the artiste. The G. N. Balasubramanyam era can thus be

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remembered as a period of Himalayan glory to Post-Pallavi items. There

have been musicians of all ranks in all the periods with sprinkling of

sensational stars now and then. Dr. Balamurali Krishna proved to be a

sensation in the next generation. He too was actively associated with film

field. He was the light music composer with All India Radio for several

years. The very word “Light” will immediately bring Post-Pallavi items

to our minds. Dr. Bala-muralikrishna’s expertise in light music helped

him to attain big fame for the Post-Pallavi items in his concerts.

Balamuralikrishna’s mother tongue is Telugu and his Telugu

renditions were received well among all classes of listeners.

Compositions of Annamacharya have emerged to claimed great attention

in the current decade. Annamacharya was a great devotee of Lord

Venkateswara and his compositions composed around 15th Century which

have been kept in hiding in copper plates in some room of Lord

Venkateswara temple were accidentally unearthed in this century and the

compositions have gained some popularity. Lord Venkateswara is the

most popular Godhead and compositions of Annamacharya in praise of

him have attained unprecedented popularity. The original tunes of

Annamaiya compositions are not easily available and musicians are

singing these compositions in attractive tunes of their own imagination.

Dr. Balamurali Krishnas rendering of Annamayya’s composition like

“Bhramha Kadigina Paadamu” have become highly popular Post-

Pallavi items. Many Annamayya songs in actual folk music style like

“Bhramamokate” have become a rage with listening folks and female

stars of today like Sudha Raghunathan include such songs in the Post-

Pallavi portion of all their concerts.

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Annamacharya songs are ideally suited for light classical singing.

This trend is so vehement that one secretary of a leading Sangeetha Sabha

in Andhra Pradesh is actually wailing that the popularity of

Annamacharya songs has blinded the eyes of Andhra Musicians and

listeners in entire Andhra Pradesh to the solemn heights of truly classical

music.

A Tamilian counterpart for Annamacharya of Andhra Pradesh is

“Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi” (ሶ‚裴 «õƒèìèM) of nearly the

same period. His compositions too did not see the light of the day for

more than a century and they were traced and propagated with

vehemence and towards the end of the 20th Century. The Tamil

compositions of Oothukkadu were a rage with performers, particularly of

the fair-sex and Tamilian audiences everywhere. With all their popularity,

the Oothukkadu compositions could still find a prominent place only

among semi classical compositions and they continued to be frequent

rendered often in Post-Pallavi part of concerts and devotional

congregations. The craze for Oothukkadu songs today can be said to be of

a lower key compare to that of their days of emergence, but they have the

stuff to remain in currency in the coming times also. Oothukkadu

Venkata Kavi has been a prolific composer of songs in Tamil and

Sanskrit and also songs for marriages and various other religious

occasions. Some of his compositions like “Alaipayude” (ܬô𣻫î), in

raga Kanada, “Kuzhaloodi” (°öÖF) in raga Kambhodi attained

maddening fame and one film producer tittled his film as “Alaipayude”.

Other comparatively recent additions to the Post-Pallavi items are

Bhajans and Abhangs. Bhajans of leading composers like Meera Bhai and

Tulasi Das are all in Hindi language and Abhangs are in Marati. Both the

~ 206 ~

languages are alien to listeners and singers in South India, but the music

of the both the items has charmed South Indian listeners widely, and

these items have earnt prominent place among Post-Pallavi items today.

After studying the change in scene and situations from yester years

to today we can conclude that Post-Pallavi items continue to command

the respect they earnt in the G. N. Balasubramanyam’s era and artiste of

the succeeding generation have talents of an appreciable level with which

they can contribute to the glory of all items of Karnatak music for a long

time to come. There was a time when specialist of Pre-Pallavi and Post-

Pallavi items considered each other as rivals. Broad views have since

dawned and practitioners and listeners of Karnatak music have learnt to

respect the merit in music of all classes and both Pre-Pallavi and Post-

Pallavi items and the great Karnatak music in general is sure to have a

prosperous future.

THE FINAL BENEDICTION-MANGALAM

Mangalam is a Sanskrit word adopted as such in Tamil and Telugu

languages. It is a word indicating auspiciousness and it is also used for

auspicious ending of any activity. Songs indicative of mangalam are in

use right from the days from the evolution of music concerts. Tiyagaraja

was a great composer with deep insight into the feature. He seems to have

had an idea and the needs of music concerts that were to develop many

decades after his days. He composed songs that would fit in almost all

parts of the concerts, perhaps except the varnam. He foresaw the need for

a mangalam at the end of each concert. There is nothing wrong if the

concluding mangalam is one and the same song for all concerts.

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Tyagaraja has composed six or seven songs as mangalam one of which is

sung as the last song in every concert after the Post-Pallavi items.

Tyagaraja himself had the need for composing mangalams for the two

operas authored by him – “Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam”, “Nowka

Charitram”.

The mangalam of Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam starts with words “Ni

naama rupamulaku” with four or five charanas. This mangalam is in

widest use in music concerts and it is usually starts with the first

charanam “Pavamana sutudu pattu” which is wrongly pronounced even

by leading vidwans in Tamil Nadu as “Bavamaana suthadu pettu”.

“Pavamana sutudu” indicates Anjaneya whose most favourite activity is

waiting at the feet of Lord Rama. The wrong Tamilian pronounciation

gives room for the devastatingly wrong meaning that “Anjaneya placing

his legs on (Lord Rama)”.

The mangalam at the end of any human activity particularly religious

ones is the indicative of total surrender of the human being at the feet of

God almighty (Saranagathi). Mangalam is sung as an important

concluding item after devotional congragations and most other religious

festivities. Just before the mangalam another important ritual is gone

through that is called “Anjaneya Utsavam”, a token of regard for the

foremost among devotees of Lord Rama, Anjaneya.

Tyagaraja’s illustrious contemporarys and the composers of the

succeceeding generation have not taken pain to compose songs sounding

as mangalam.

The raga madhyamavati is religiously sung at the close of the music

concerts. But the famous mangalam “Pavamana sutudu pattu” and other

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mangalam songs are in ragas other than madhyamavati. Musicians

therefore sing or play a flash of madyamavathi as the final song even

after mangalam with slokams like “Mangalam Kosalendraya” which

starts and ends with the words Mangalam. Another raga used at the end of

concerts is suruti in which Tyagaraja’s mangalam “Maakulamunaku”

(Nowka charitram) is handily composed. Artist who are very particular

about madhyamavati sing Purandara Dasa’s “Bhagyada Lakshmi

Bhaaramma” in that raga. Vijaya Gopala has composed mangalams and

“Madhava Bhavatute Mangalam” is the concluding song of the Todaya

Mangalam group of songs in Bhajana Sampradaya. “Sri

Ramachandranukku Shubha Mangalam” (Madhyamavati) is a Tamil

song popular in devotional singing. This song has advantage of being

sung in Madhyamavati, which is considered the most auspicious ending.

The habit of singing a mangalam as final benediction exist only in

Karnatak music world and not in Hindusthani or any other system of

music. But Hindusthani artist have the habit of choosing Bhairavi

corresponding to our Sindu Bhairavi as the raga for the concluding piece.

Singing mangalam is an auspicious ending for any musical activity

and mangalam songs are sure to remain as the crowning part of Post-

Pallavi items for all times to come.