THANJAVUR: It was a moment to be cherished for long as a galaxy of artistes made a beeline to Thiruvaiyaru to pay musical and floral tributes to saint-composer Sathguru Thiayagaraja at the 164th Aradhana Festival.
Organised by Sri Thiyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha on the Pushya Bagula Panchami day on Monday, rasikas tuned their eyes and ears to the spiritual feast right from the morning, as an air of metaphorical sweetness and light descended on this pilgrim centre.
Special abhishekams and archanas to the idol of Thiyagaraja was performed at his samadhi. Pancharatna Kritis, the magnum opus of Thiyagaraja, was sung in chorus. The melodious and rhythmic rendition touched the crescendo and the ritualistic finale saw singing of Mangalaharathi and orchestral rendition of Sangeetha Gnanamu (Dhanyasi) on the nadhaswaram and thavil. Rendition by Haridwaramangalam A K Palanivel.
The vidwans and vidwamsinis who had assembled at Thiruvaiyaru for the occasion, included Thiruvananthapuram Krishnakumar and Binny Krishnakumar, Gayathri Girish, Sudha Raghunathan, Rudrapatnam brothers (vocal) and V Sivakumar (veena).
The Pancharatna Kritis are the most representative example of Thiyagaraja’s art as a composer. In these gems of music, he is universally agreed to have consciously summed up his talent and genius in a quintessential form to the envy of his detractors.
They are not stray pieces composed by him at random, instead they constitute a deliberate scheme of melody, rhythm and diction -- all characteristic of classicism.
The Ettugada Swaras is unique and breathtaking. Though all the five pieces are in the Adi tala, the Sarvalaghu dances merrily and sedately.
The ‘famous five’ also stand testimony to Thiyagaraja’s poetic capability in Sanskrit and Telugu. The kritis are (Jagadhanandhakaraka Naattai), Dhudukugala (Gowlai), Sadhimchane (Arabi), Kanakanaruchira (Varali) and Endharo Mahanu Bhavuluvu (Sri Ragam).