Mumbai: Over 75 musicians from Mumbai participated in the 179th Aradhana festival of —one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music—at the Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha, Sion, on Wednesday.
The festival featured Carnatic music performances, including the singing of Thyagaraja's Pancharatna Kritis, also called the “five gems.” These were performed in the ragas Nattai, Gowlai, Arabhi, Varali, and Sri, sung in unison by music lovers from all over Mumbai. The five songs are ‘Jagadanandakaraka’ (Nattai), ‘Dudukugala’ (Gowlai), ‘Sadhinchene’ (Arabhi), ‘Kanakanaruchira’ (Varali), and ‘Endaro Mahanubhavulu’ (Sri), all set to Adi tala. Aradhana Day marks the day when the saint attained samadhi.
Sri Thyagaraja: Devotion to Lord Rama and the Rich Legacy of 22,400 Compositions
Sri Thyagaraja was devoted to Lord Sri Rama. Out of the 22,400 songs said to have been composed by him—a figure equal to the number of slokas in Valmiki’s Ramayana—only about 725 kritis have been recorded today, mostly in his mother tongue, Telugu. However, a few are in Sanskrit, including the masterpiece ‘Jagadanandakaraka,’ which narrates the 108 names of Lord Rama. Thyagaraja composed his first song to the deity, ‘Namo Namo Raghavaya,’ when he was merely 13 years old. Along with Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, the saint is part of what is considered the Trinity of Carnatic music.
Life and Musical Genius of Thyagaraja: Birth, Death, and Enduring Influence on Carnatic Music
The saint was born in 1767 in Thiruvarur in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. Thyagaraja passed away in 1847, and this year also marks his 258th birth anniversary. The saint is considered one of the musical geniuses who laid the foundation of Carnatic music in India; in fact, he is considered an avatara of Saint Valmiki. Thyagaraja's compositions are rich in devotional and philosophical content. They are noted for their superior structure, superb handling of raga lakshanas, and apt choice of ragas and lyrics.
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