Vagyakaras

[nprkrishnan]

I would like to refer to some messages on the Late Nurani Parameswara Bhagavathar the Asthana Vidwan in Maharajah Swathi Thirunal's court under the caption Vaggyakaras in your web site. I know that N.P.Ramaswamy, my cousin, has sung some of his compositions I am not sure whether he has all the compositions with him.

Although I am the direct descendant of the Asthana Vidwan, as my father the late Parameswar Iyer was the son of Ramakrishna Bhagavathar, the second son of the late Nurani Prameswara Bhagavathar , I have no record or evidence of the Vidwan's compositions except two which my father told me. One sung by the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar in Kapi Raga - Hara Shiva Sambho Mahadeva - and another sung by Balmurali Krishna in a film. Perhaps NPR has other songs of the Vidwan and it would be most useful if he can release it in the form of a booklet so that, especially the Kerala Rasikas, would be able to appreciate the Late vidwan's contribution

Though I belong to the Bhagavathar family I am not well versed in our classical carnatic music. I am merely a rasika and my father R.P.Aiyer was a clerical staff in the administrative service in Singapore. He was well versed in the science of carnatic music but his voice was not suitable for concert standard and thus he sought his living in the clerical field and came to Singapore in the early 1920s. I was brought to Singapore after my birth in 1928 in early 1929. Since then with short visits to India, the longest being from 1942 to 1949 because of the Japanese occupation of Singapore. From 1950 I have been in Singapore so my knowledge of our heredity and our lineage is what I have heard from my father who passed away in 1990 in his 94th year.

My knowledge of the late Nurani Parameswar Bhagavthar, my great grandfather, was gained by reading about him in Sruthi Vani as well as from Prof Sambamurthi's articles.

My father explained to me our family tree but more details of my Great Grandfather was told to me by my maternal grandmother, she was 74 years in 1942 when I first met her; some of his compositions she used to sing which was taught to her by him when he visited Nurani.

For those who would like to know more about this great Vidwan and various anecdotes about him, I would like to urge my Bhagavathar kinsman to contribute whatever information they have as decendants of this illustrious ancestor of ours.

I am 81years and a widower and a citizen of Singapore. All my children were born in this country, educated, and employed as well. My only daughter is in the states and is settled in the midwest. Recently I had been there and was with her for nearly 2 months. This in brief is my profile. I retired as a principal of a private college in Singapore.

Perhaps, some of the doubts will be cleared in this message but there are some grey areas of which I am not clear still. Perhaps some of my kinsman who are scattered around the world can elucidate.

N.P.Ramakrishnan
Singapore
Tel (65) 64821483

[mohan]

This post would be better moved to http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... vatar.html