Shri Pithukuli Murugadas Fondly called as Muruga by everyone, Shri Pithukuli Murugadas was born on 25th January 1920 (Tamil year Siddarthiu, Thai Poosam day) in Coimbatore. The boy Balasubramanian was destined to devote his life singing the praise of Lord Muruga..His parents Alamelu and Sundaram Iyer of a devout brahmin family - were devoted to Bhajans. Though poor and eking out existence through public support, they were well known in the immediate surroundings since his father was generous enough to distribute water during drought period.
During childhood Muruga’s grandfather Gopalakrishna Bagavathar who was a Bhajanist and his grand mother taught him the intricacies of the Bakthi tradition. At his very tender age, in a fit of anger he was driven out of the house by his father as useless and the neighbors brought him up. May be the world would have lost a Great singer of the Bhakti tradition if Muruga’s childhood had been normal.
At the age of seven, the boy’s religious bent took him to practice yoga in the caves of Palani. He got initiated into the mantra " SARAVANA BHAVA " by a Pandaram and from then he has been on the path of divine worship. This event triggered his march towards spirituality. He was blessed by the benign blessings of the "Sridhar" Nadayogi Brahmananda Paradesiar and he learnt from him the first lessons in yoga. He was also called "Pittukuli" by that saintly teacher.
In 1931, at the age of eleven, he participated in the salt satyagraha campaign and spent some days in prison. As a member of boy’s brigade, fostered by the famous congress leader "Subri", he had to face caning by police while fighting against the use of foreign cloth.
In 1935, at the age of 15, he relinquished his family life and left the house to become a Sanyasi and started his pilgrimage. He began wandering around the country.
During 1936, while participating in the nationwide Satyagraha to protest against the Jalianwalabaug massacre he and 200 others were beaten and imprisoned for six months. He was released later as Government's gesture on the occasion of the wedding of Mysore Maharaja Samaraja Udayar.
His eyesight affected earlier while playing games was worsened by the blows he received in the Satyagraha Movement.
He practised playing Harmonium by himself at his sister’s house and with this accompaniment he sang Gods' praise. In 1939 he was deeply influenced by Swami Ramadoss of Kanjangadu Ashram in South Kanara and also received the Blessings of Mata Krishnabai. He was named as Murugadas by Swami Ramadoss as he sang mainly on Lord Muruga, During this period, his other eye also started giving trouble. One day when he was rendering Bhajan, one old lady in a frenzy suddenly got up and touched his eyes and lo! his pain in the eyes dissappeared and he started seeing well with his one eye.
In 1940, Muruga spent a few days with Avadhudha Swami Swayam Prakash at Sendhamangalam. He then went on a pilgrimage by foot and traveled through out India, when he got endeared to numerous Balayogis. When he was on yogic concentration in Vashishta caves in Nepal at a height 14,000 feet one Saintly person woke him up and said " you have several things to do in the South, get up and go."
After visit to several religious centers he started doing penance at Velliangiri Forest. He learnt many songs from Sachidananda Swamigal famous for Thirupugazh - songs in praise of Muruga. He also absorbed the various other renderings and imbibed the tradition of Brahmananda Paradesiar, Ramana Maharishi and the other great accomplished saintly persons.
In 1946, he joined Thirupugaz Mani in popularising Bhajans praising Muruga.
On India’s attaining Independence in 1947, he combined social life and service to humanity with his zeal for bhajans and for a few years was the patron of the orphanage known as Dhinabandhu Ashram at Walajapet.
In 1978 he married Devi Saroja who is an accomplished artiste in Dance, Music, Tala Vadya, Painting etc. This marriage further embellished the divine music performances.
He has been frequently going to foreign centers like Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, California, New York at the request of Indians thirsting to hear his soulful divine music. His music was greatly appreciated at the World Hindu Conference held in July 1995 at Durban, with Nelson Mandela as the Chief Guest.
Some of the titles bestowed on him are,
1956 : Sangeetha Samrat - Tile awarded by Swami Sivananda
1984 : Kalaimamani" - Title conferred by "MGR;' on behalf of Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai, Nataka Sangham.
He received the Sangeetha Nataka academy award and in 1998 - Guru Surajananda award. In 1989. The National Cultural Organisation of New Delhi bestowed upon him the THIAGARAJAR AWARD at the Tansen festival.
In London in 1994 he was given the title " Madhura Gana Mamani " and the rasikas in Seychelles conferred the title " Outstanding Isai Thewar."
Those who have heard Murugadas will always pray :
"MAY HE CONTINUE TO LIFT US BY HIS DIVINE MUSIC AND TAKE US TO THE LORD’S FEET FOREVER"
Last edited by thanjavur on 13 May 2007, 01:02, edited 1 time in total.
Very good brief article about Sri. Pithukkuli Murugadas. He is really an yogi. I got the opportunity to move with him for the last 45 years. He is a Divine person who wants to inculcate Bhakthi to all sorts of people. He wants even remote villager (who doesnt know about God, rituals, prayers etc) should chant Holy names of God. Lord Muruga is in his tongue.The way he sings spontaneuously all the songs with his own lyrics creates vibration in the whole crowd and in the whole town. When he sings songs on Muruga and Devi Kanyakumari, tears will come. He is the person who created interest in me for bhajans. He comes to Trivandrum every years to Skantha shashti bhajan at Saiva Prakasa Sabha. My elder brother Prof. B.A.Ram who is an ordained follower and captivated by Murugadas bhajans, arranged bhajans in Trivandrum thosed days. There will be heavy rush for his bhajans. In order to listen his bhajans and for singing namavalis, I request Murugadas to allow me to play Sruthibox. He will also gladly agrees and I play Sruthibox and I get good chance to lsiten his bhajans. The bhajans will continue for 3-4 hours and my hands will be tired in pressing the sruthibox bellows. Suddenly it goes off. Muruga turns back and see me, then I will start sruthi again. I wonder how he plays Harmonium continuously keeping in his lap, singing for 4-5 hours without any trace of tireness. Without Divine power it is impossible. Now he is above 80 and still gives bhajan programs. It is a common truth that any singer well trained in music start loosing his voice quality after age 60-65. Most bhajan singers this will be an exception, as they are singing on Lord doing Namasangeerthanam, not for commercial motive. If you listen to Murugadas songs today at this age, you can find the same voice without any un balance of sruthi, thalam etc.
Many people come to know about Arunagirinadhar's Thiruppukazh and Bharathiar, Vallallar songs, Oothukkadu Venkata subba iyer through Murugadas bhajans only. He sings songs of great Tamil poets, Hindi bhajans and other songs of Telugu and Kannada. Many people does not know the real truth that Sri. Pithukkuli Murugadas only made the famour Arathi song, which is "Jaya Jaya Jaya Sakthi, Om Sri Jaya Jaya Jaya Sakthi, Jaya Jaya Audhinam Padippaninthom Jagam Engum Amaithiye thaa, Om Sri Jaya Jaya Jaya Sakthi". This song is his ocomposition and tune which he did it 65 years back. Now this song is so popular and famous and translated in many languages with the same tune. Many singers of all categories are singing Oothukkadu's Krishna songs like Alaipauthe kanna, Aadathu asangathu, Madhura madhura, Makara kundalam aaduthe, Palvadiummugam etc songs. But these songs being sung by Murugadas still be masterpiece for many music lovers. They prefer to listen these songs sung by Murugadas in his own bhajan style embedded in Bhakthi. Once I asked Murugadas how he knows all these Carnatic Ragas. He said, he dont know anything about Ragas and once he touch the Harmomonium, Divine sakthi makes him to sing in a particular ragas.
Those who have seen Murugadas, holding the Harmomium in his shoulders and sings bahajans alongwith the crowd in Thirutthani, Swamimalai,Pazhani,Trichy Uchipillayar koil, Thiruchendur Soorasmaharam function, will never forget their wonderful experience. It will be a good memory of Divinity for them.
Sri Murugadas had personal association with lot of Saints, whom we normally see in the photos only. Sri Sadhguru Gnananandhar, Sri Haridhosgiri, Sri.Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ramdas of Kanchanamgad, Sri Abhedananda of Trivandrum and many more. Sri Murugadas, apart from a Freedom fighter of those days did lot of sacrifices in creating equality among human beings. For Murugadas, he wants all sorts of people irresespective of caste, creed, religion should involve in the Namasangeerthanam. There he sees unity among all the people, not like current politicians who talk caste, religion equality and on the other hand create the administrative things by caste related.
Murugadas does yogasanas, pranayamam, meditation etc even at this age. There were times, he sits alone in the Pazhani caves and many places, meditated for more than a month. Few people remember his interview in Sun Tv Vanakkam Thamizhakam few years back. Muruga, a loving name called by his close devottees, is a very jovial person. When you talk with his he will narrate his experiences in a witty way. He has got very good sense of humour. His wife Devi and her family is highly devoted in music. She is an excellant dancer, a kunnakkol specialitst, play mridangam, dolki, harmonium etc. They are organising every week (why every week, it is almost all the days) performing Sri Lalitha Sahasranama pooja in their house in Chennai. Navarathry festival celebrations, which Murugadas organise for last several years inviting all the leading singers, bhajan oreinted people is a great memorable one even today.
The freedom fighter Sri.Kovai Subri, whom somebody mentioned in the earlier posting (where Murugadas was assoicated) is my wife Chandrika's grand father. Muruga's life is full of Divine experiences.Murugadas is a philanthropist and and helping needy people through his Trust. I wish somebody get his life experiences and publish an autobiography, it will be a great asset for the future generation.
Murugudas had given bhajan programs in South Aftrica, Sri Lanka, Mauritious, Singapore, Malysia, Dubai, Abudhabi, Kuwait and many other countries. He has got lot of devottes and well wishers. What I have narrated is very few. Those who has got faith in Namasangeerthanam bhajan are indebted to Sri Pithukkuli Murugadas for his involvement in the Divine path.
If Bharath Retna award is given for Bhajan singer, I strongly recommend Sri Pithukkuli Murugadas for his Life time achievement towards probagation of Bhakthi among all masses.
With Namaskarams
B.Ganesan (Ganesh)
Abu Dhabi
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