The shifting of the instrument from ‘mainstream’ Carnatic music to a different music system has caused a lot of damage.
The importance of the temple in maintaining instruments like Nagaswaram and Thavil cannot be stressed enough. Of the many instruments used in temples, the Nagaswaram has the unique distinction of being conceptualized to serve a dual purpose. In addition to being played on a concert platform, it is also a medium of announcement like instruments like ekkalam and murasu. Nagaswaram, due to its melodic nature, draws attention to the performance of temple rituals and social functions. For example, playing a piece like Thaligai Mallari indicates that food is being served (naivedhyam) to the deity.
Many such aspects of the instrument were highlighted in a speech by Nagaswaram player Idumbavanam V. Prakash Ilaiyaraja and music historian Lalitaram Ramachandran (video is now available on Rasika Ranjani Sabha’s YouTube page). He explained how the Nagaswaram tradition boasts of an elaborate system of performing various types of musical pieces which are based on rituals. While it is followed in some important temples like Chidambaram and Tiruvarur, others have let it slip. “Many temples no longer have a particular Nagaswaram-Thavil group,” Lalitaram said. Ilayaraja pointed out that some temples in the villages around Jaffna in Sri Lanka still follow the tradition.
Till six or seven decades ago, Nagaswaram enjoyed a good audience, but in the last few years the interest in it has been waning. According to Lalitaram, the audience was attracted more by its sound than by the songs or ragas played earlier. Lalitharam said, “Yajpanam is a huge fan of Thavil artists like Thedchanamurthy.” “Although not all listeners understood the specifics, the reaction was due to a number of factors, including the skill of the cast and the atmosphere of the temple festival.”
Ilayaraja, the grandson of Thavil scholar Sundararaja Pillai, was initially succeeded by his father KS Vethamurthy and later by his uncle Sehgal. Renganathan in the Gurukul system. He was also mentored by experienced Nagaswaram exponent Kizhavelur NG Ganesan. Ilayaraja, Chinnamnoor A. Vijaykarthikeyan, performs and teaches extensively at the Government Music School in Tiruvarur. Ilayaraja explained that a good part of the temple repertoire of Nagaswaram is devoid of literature or song. The most performed piece, Mallari, has two forms – Chinna Mallari and Periya Mallari. The latter, known as Triputa Tala Mallari, is piece de resistance and is known for its intricate laya patterns. For this, Kalpanaswarams full of tisaram and trikalam are also played. By its design, this temple serves as a perfect fit for festivals, which are usually long-lasting events.
chanting in nagaswaram
Raga Alapana is an integral part of the Nagaswaram tradition. Alapana is intrinsically linked to temple events, as it is the mainstay during the processions of deities throughout the night, where ragas are elaborated for hours on end. Lalitharam recalled that many eminent singers like Semmanagudi Srinivasa Iyer have spoken about how they had shaped their psyche by listening to elaborate raga alpans performed by Nagaswaram artists.
Playing a raga in Nagaswaram is also a tricky exercise because the raga is not held captive through the presentation in chronological order. “There is no need to start alpana in medium stthi and then move to tara sthithi. Since alapana is a long affair, Nagaswaram artists play without any hindrances and use the opportunity to explore their creativity,” says Ilayaraja He recalled how the veteran Vandikaratheru Mani Pillai of Nagaswaram and the expert conduct of the dwijavanthi raga, which was sought throughout the night at the Vaikunthanathar temple of Mamundiya Pillai, were greeted with great enthusiasm.
The Nagaswaram temple tradition places great emphasis on using the musicality of the instrument as a means of worship. The fact that the Mallari, Rakthi and Pallavi – some of the most important forms in the tradition – do not have literature is evidence of this.
The temple has repeatedly played an important role in showcasing the power of the yantra. Ilayaraja and Lalitaram explained and showed how a Nagaswaram pair plays a raga during Paadi Yatram, the ritual of carrying a deity up a flight of stairs. Those who hold the deity pause for about half a minute on each step, when the players of Nagaswaram play long-lasting phrases in a certain raga. When the deities move to the next stage, they rapidly switch to another raga, resulting in an exciting ragamalika suit that completes the ritual aesthetically.
raga according to time of day
Another major aspect of the tradition is how Nagaswaram players follow a system of playing specific ragas during specific times of the day. Tradition divides the major ragas (and not just the commonly played Bhoopalam and Nilambari) into two-hour slots, starting before dawn and ending at midnight. Many Nagaswaram players also follow this time slot system in their concerts outside temples. They also play some ragas that are not heard in the Kacharis, such as Hemavati’s excellent Humsabhamari, which is performed for up to a day during the festival.
Lalitharam hoped that the concert goers would educate themselves about the tradition of the Nagaswaram temple and ensure that it continues and prospers. He said, ‘There should be a sense of pride in the people about the tradition. Respecting the instrument and artist by ensuring that Nagaswaram is played not only in temples but also in social and religious ceremonies will ensure that the instrument is given its rightful place in the world of music. Confining Nagaswaram to the opening of the gathering and turning it into a musical system different from ‘mainstream’ Carnatic music doesn’t help,” he said. Of course, the opportunities for Nagaswaram and Thavil performances have dropped drastically due to the pandemic, but the attitude of the audience and the organisers has also played a part.
Author . are fond of
Classical music and dance and also play the veena.
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