Sangeetha mummurthigal isai vizha

[Ponbhairavi]

Sangeetha mummurthigal isai vizha:

Today morning podigai telecast live the sangeetha mummurthigal isai vizha held atTiruvarur.many celebrities.plenty of vidhushis good sign.many technical interruptionsin the telecast .
Originally the idea of sangeetha mummurthigal vizha was mooted( i think by Kanchi paramacharya ) on a broader base to have a common isai festival for all the three of the Trinity. Tiruvarur was chosen as it is the common birth place. Today a placard read சங்கீத மும்மூர்த்திகளின் ஐயந்தி இசை விழா.. Today the jayanthi is only for thiagaraja. The jayanthi of the other two are different i suppose. The volunteers wore thebadge of kanchi kamakoti trust name.
The usual T pancharatna krities preceded by chetulara were sung usual samaya niki taku refrain. No ratna composition by the other two.though on the wall behind there was a common picture of the Trinity, the puja was performed only for the single Thiagaraja picture kept on table.
Ultimately,it looked as though it is one moreThiagaraja festival along with so many others being celebrated world wide.The purpose of the trust to commonly “honour”the other two of tthe Trinity does not appear to have been served.

[rajeshnat]

PonBhairavi rajagopalan Sir
I think the mummruthigal isai vizha is definitely also held in the mani mantapam of Dikshitar . I am told even in Shyama Sastri's refurbished house there are concerts held. IIRC the kanchi jeyandra saraswati initially started this isai vizha and the house of Shyama Sastri got demolished and converted to a small hall in 2003 or 2004 . At the same time mani mantapam is constructed where Dikshitar idol is put .I did attend an exclusive Dikshitar concert in tiruvarur and also visited SS house and T house.

You please check my 2010 post where I have elaborated my tiruvarur visit. There is sufficient details there.
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=12761&hilit=tiruvarur

I think for the telecast there is possibly only a censored television relay . Now where is this mummurthigal vizha that got telecast held in tiruvarur, is that kamalAmbA temple or a local school in tiruvarur? Is this the one where tiruvarur bhaktavatsalam is the main organizer?

[Ponbhairavi]

Rajesh,
Thanks for the information. I have REread your detailed report now. Very descriptive.I have visited Tiruvarur before and also after the renovation works of the houses where my daughter( Nadhasudha , a rasikas memberwho introduced me to this forum sat and sang a couple of songs in divine ambiance .In today’s telecast mridangist Tiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam was the anchor. I vaguely remember that when kanchi maha periava mooted the idea. Lalgudy and tiruvarur flute Ramani wereassigned. I think the venue was the temple premises outer prakaram.
If the intention of the Trust was to have a common festival at one place for all the three geniuses that purpose was not. Served.mummurthigal jayanthi isai vizha , as written in the borad ,seems to be a misnomer.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I have been fortunate to attend the Mummoorthy vizha a couple of times while I was working in Nagapattinam / Thanjavur area a few years back. The festival has seen many editions but certainly growing in size - I think it's now a 3 day fest.

*The man-omnipresent at the fest is Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam, also a son of the soil that gives him full ground support. He's always been the anchor for the series not only for pancharatna Alapana (like what Kunnakudi used to be at Tiruvaiyaru).

*The individual concerts that take place during the fest render full justice to the Trinity - the artists render at least one kriti each of the Vaaggeyakaras.

*The artists invariably visit the house of the Trinity . Tyagaraja bhavanam reverberates with music 24x7 of the visiting artists during the fest days. Syama Sastri's residence serves mainly as the samaaraadhana venue and Dikshitar's abode is visited to a lesser extent (as his kritis in any given concert)!

*Tyagaraja (like Aaroor Tyagesa of the Godhead) is the undisputed leader of the Trinity.(Ponbhairavi to note).

* the crowds are less at the vizha (compared to Tiruvaiyaru) but the ambience is special as it is dedicated to the Trinity.

*This year the attendance by the young brigade of musicians was very good.

[rajeshnat]

I have been fortunate to attend the Mummoorthy vizha a couple of times while I was working in Nagapattinam / Thanjavur area a few years back. The festival has seen many editions but certainly growing in size - I think it's now a 3 day fest.

*The man-omnipresent at the fest is Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam, also a son of the soil that gives him full ground support. He's always been the anchor for the series not only for pancharatna Alapana (like what Kunnakudi used to be at Tiruvaiyaru).

*The individual concerts that take place during the fest render full justice to the Trinity - the artists render at least one kriti each of the Vaaggeyakaras.

*The artists invariably visit the house of the Trinity . Tyagaraja bhavanam reverberates with music 24x7 of the visiting artists during the fest days. Syama Sastri's residence serves mainly as the samaaraadhana venue and Dikshitar's abode is visited to a lesser extent (as his kritis in any given concert)!

*Tyagaraja (like Aaroor Tyagesa of the Godhead) is the undisputed leader of the Trinity.(Ponbhairavi to note).

* the crowds are less at the vizha (compared to Tiruvaiyaru) but the ambience is special as it is dedicated to the Trinity.

*This year the attendance by the young brigade of musicians was very good.

SRK,
How long is each of the artist individual concert. Is it the same as tiruvayaru where 20 mins is given where the relay to TV and radio is what makes most artists come? Do they ever publish atleast the paper schedule do you have some scanned copy ? Is the 3 days same fixed days in a year ? Is the festival held inside the outer prakaram ?

I dont think PB is challenging who is the undisputed leader but he only asks why call mummoorthy vizha and again render T's pancharathna ?

PB Sir,
I am conjecturing in trinity the only possible,feasible and prevalant gosthi gAnam is pancharatna and without goshti ganam will we ever have TV coverage ? IN modern world media force fits and decides content.

You have your bhairavi sabha , you can off the TV and just conduct three 3 hour concerts focussing each concert on one trinity in your sabha sir . Atleast you can dictate content and really show more mummoorthy unfragmented bhakthi.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Rajesh,
* the afternoon slots are of shorter duration and the evening prime time concerts extend to 1 hr or more depending on the artist.
* I don't know the present duration of the fest
* conducted in a pandal on the outer prakara
* inaugural and valedictory sessions are there.
* all evening major concerts are recorded by AIR Trichy

Regarding the choice of kritis for group singing, the only set of compositions that could strike a balance among a cross section of artists/singers of carnatic music is the 'Tyagaraja gem(s)'. In that regard only I hailed Sri Tyagaraja (in a lighter vein).

[Ponbhairavi]

Thanks Rajesh. I am eighty plus and I hardly go out if not to see my doctors.Music in TV and in you tube are my passtime at home besides writing occasionally.

[Ponbhairavi]

My first post reporting the telecast of the event is mostly negative. Taking the post by Rajesh as an instigation
to something constructive, here are my imaginary proposals.
Sangeetha mummurthigal isai vizha. (Jrayanthi dropped )
- the uncha vrithi to start from the house of SS( 1762 seniormost ). Passing in front of the house of T and D reach the temple venue.
- Ajaba dance by thyagesar being unique for Tiruvarur, the concerned mallari in nagaswaram Would commence the event , instead of chetulara by flute.Dr Vedavalli who has expertise in mallari would be requested to chose the apt one.
A committee of stalwarts consisting of R . Vedavalli, Suguna Varadachari and NSG would be formed and requested to chose one best gem of a krithi of each one of thetrinity.once selected the three gems would become the permanent of மு ம்மூர்த்திகளின் மும்மணிகள். Therefore if necessary more broad based consultations may be made withother maestros like Balamuralikrishna,PSN,TNS, Ravi kiran etctill a consensus is reached. ( or even an secret opinion survey during a december season). The ultimate final resort would be to have a small baby draw lot in front of the picture of the Trinity concerned.
Since our three member committe are senior teachersthey will be requested to train about at least 6 disciples for eacg song. There will be chorus rendering of the mummani keerthanangal bythe trained group.
The order of rendering will be first Ss thenT and then D. All Persons knowing the song could participate in chorus singing.
As the concludingpiece of chorus singing there will be a krithi on the greatness of music in general ( as for example nAdha thanumanisam or. So billu saptaswara..etc. )by oneof the trinity this is again to be selected by the experts committee.iAfter every song there will be karpoora harathi to the concerned trinity.
Taking into consideration the events in the life of the trinity or the utsav schedule of the temple ( the day of the tiruvarur chariot . Or theppam. .)the experts committe would find a day. ( by star or thithi etc which will be adopted for ever as the day of the mummurthigal isai vizha every year
All this if I were younger by thirty years.

[rajeshnat]

Ajaba dance by thyagesar being unique for Tiruvarur, the concerned mallari in nagaswaram ....

Ponbhairavi Sir,
Reading Ajaba dance in your post ,I thought you were just joking with your own trademark humor. But there is indeed AjabA dance that I saw in this youtube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w83KmIHN4o

Looking at the shake , it appears none of the trinity songs or even a TNR or Karukurichi mallari may also not fit in . We have to bring some Italian Soprano singer or Late Nusrat Fateh Ali khan qawali singer for such earthquake AjabA shakes.

[rshankar]

Reading Ajaba dance in your post

Rajesh - the concept of ajapa naTanam is rather more complex, if I understand it correctly. Here is an attempt to explain this complex philosophy. It certainly is not some weird movements (or shakes as you call it) of the utsava mUrti.

[vineyan]

All the trinity houses were purchased with proceeds of concerts given by the one and only MS. The famous Kamalambike thodi song by MS circulating in You Tube was from her concert in Dikshitars mani mantapam way back in 1980s

[RSR]

All the trinity houses were purchased with proceeds of concerts given by the one and only MS. The famous Kamalambike thodi song by MS circulating in You Tube was from her concert in Dikshitars mani mantapam way back in 1980s

Wonderful to always remember that. Sri.Sadasivam has specifically mentioned it in his reminiscences on MS in 1966. Thank you very much.