A photograph of Chidambaraba Bhagavathar (middle), seen with a few others at Agarmangudi in Thanjavur.
| Photo Credit: M. Moorthy
Agarmangudi, an agraharam in Thanjavur, resembles a deserted village. Most of the houses on either side of the agraharam lie derelict, as the owners have left the village.
Among them stands a house overgrown with vegetation and which inspired awe in the field of Carnatic music. It is the house of Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavathar, a kathakalakshepam exponent, who went on to win the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy in 1937.
“The house is still owned by his descendants. There is nothing today to remember him except for an old photograph of Chidambaraba Bhagavathar, seen with a few others,” said Mahesh, a native of the village as he showed the photograph now kept in the attic.
The house of Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavathar, a kathakalakshepam exponent, at Agarmangudi in Thanjavur.
| Photo Credit:
M. Moorthy
In it, his gigantic figure could be seen in all its glory. There is an apocryphal story that he used to buy two tickets for trains in which he travelled, to accommodate his huge bulk. His disciples would carry a small bench with them, and which would be placed between the two seats, so that he could travel comfortably.
“Sacred ash adorned his forehead; he wore the rudraksha mala and the bhagavathars’ attire and he started his performances at the fixed time. When he appeared on the stage, there was excitement in the audience and even if the crowd exceeded a few thousand there would be pin-drop silence within five minutes,” writes Prameela Gurumurthy in her book ‘Kathakalakshepa: A Study’.
Bhagavathar himself, in his book, Kalakshebam Yendra Vyasam, recalls how he became a Kalakshebam exponent. He had completed his FA examinations in 1899 from the St Peters College in Thanjavur and was planning to join government service but was initiated into the kathakalakshepa arts by Poovanur Pradaba Ramaswamy Bhagavathar and Asukavi Agaramangudi Sapthagreeswarar Sastri of the village and who both saw a lot of promise in him. The book has been dedicated to them.
“He used to imitate Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavathar, a noted Harikatha exponent of the time. What started as playful activity became serious and in six months he started giving performances,” writes Duraiappa Bhagavathar in his book ‘Kalaksheba Bhagavatharkalin Charithiram’ published by Alliance Publishers.
A polyglot, Chidambara Bhagavathar had a huge collection of books in different languages. He bought the whole library of Nadukkaveri Patta Srinivasas Sastri and enriched his knowledge.
His younger brother Mahalinga Iyer accompanied him in singing. Renowned mridhangam player Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai was part of his troupe for many years. Subsequently Bhagavathar trained another brother Sesha Iyer in mridhangam, and he continued to accompany him till the very end.
“They were a strong troupe and Chidambara Bhagavathar’s performances became popular. After his brothers died one by one, Soolamangalam Sesha Bhagavathar joined his troupe as a singer, accompanying him. He also trained Sami Iyer and Thirumalai Bhagavathar, sons of his brother and Thirupoonthuruthi Viswanatha Bhagavathar,” writes Duraiappa Bhagavathar.
Prameela Gurumurthy says that while expounding on Ramayana at the Gokhale Hall in Chennai in 1932, he enthralled the audience by singing nearly 300 kritis of Thyagaraja. He had a good knowledge of current political affairs and included them to spice up his performances notes Ms Gurumurthy, who also reveals he was part of the Chinna Katchi that conducted Thyagaraja Aradhana in Thiruvaiyaru for a time, before the bickerings were sorted out.
In his presidential address to the Annual Conference of the Music Academy in 1937, Chidambara Bhagavathar said that the modern way of teaching music by swaras without the traditional Bhramara-kita method for pupils, and bringing them up in the lap of luxury is not congenial to its growth and will not help them bring out the gamakas, origais, jars and dols, the subtle and tonal graces of carnatic music. “Further each art requires 12 years of study to attain perfection,” he had said at the Academy.
He had also stressed the need for teaching languages for six years so that musicians would be able to pronounce sahityas correctly, knowing their meanings and portray the bhavas effectively.
Published – December 22, 2024 09:28 pm IST