R ama Kausalya’s musical journey began in Thillaisthanam. It began because of Thillaisthanam. Dr. Rama Kausalya talks of the culturally rich life that Thillaisthanam offered in her growing years. Every evening, the village children would assemble on the pyol of Sanskrit scholar Thirumalachariar’s house, to learn slokas. Kausalya reels off the names of 18 musical instruments mentioned in the Sita Kalyana Churnikai, which Thirumalachariar taught her. “That’s the advantage of learning something when one is young,” she says.
THANJAVUR, TAMIL NADU, 22/08/2016: Rama. Kausalya, Managing Trustee, Marabu Foundation, Thillaisthanam in Thanjavur. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam
Most children in the village also went for music lessons to Venkatasubrahmanyam, grandson of Narasimha Bhagavatar, a disciple of Thillaisthanam Rama Iyengar, in turn a disciple of Tyagarajaswami. “The fee was two rupees for group singing and four rupees if he came home to teach.”
As for her decision to study music in college, in a sense, it was Thillaisthanam that helped her make up her mind. The Thiruvaiyaru Music College had been established a year before she finished school, and Kausalya gravitated towards the college, because of its proximity to Thillaisthanam. Principal Chittoor Subramania Pillai wanted Kausalya to take up vocal, but when she heard K.P. Sivanandam and Sarada play the veena, she fell in love with the instrument. “I would practise veena for many hours everyday,” says Kausalya. She learnt many intricate pallavis, suladis, prabandhams, thayams from Srivanchiyam Ramachandra Iyer. When she took the Siromani exam, she was placed first in Madras University, winning the Dr. A.L. Mudaliar medal. She joined the Thiruvaiyaru college as a tutor soon after.
THANJAVUR, 15/05/2010: Children performing “Oorukku Nalladu”, a theatre production at the Valedictory function of the workshop on “Theatre” conducted by Marabu Foundation, in Thillaisthanam, Thanjavur district on May 15, 2010. Photo: M. Srinath
Her spare time was spent reading. The village Panchayat library was well stocked, and it was here that she read Tamil translations of Shakespeare by Seshachalam Iyer (father of author Marina). Sambasiva Iyer, father of author Thi.Sa. Raju, used to lend her books too.
There are tears in Kausalya’s eyes, as she remembers Govindachariar, who taught her Divya Prabandham. “He was a great scholar, who shared his knowledge unstintingly,” she says.
Tamil scholar T.N. Ramachandran kindled Kausalya’s interest in Saivite literature, and threw open his vast library to her. Her professor R.V. Krishnan encouraged her to view music from a researcher’s angle. Chellam Iyer, (now 97 years old), organiser of religious rituals at Thiruvaiyaru during the Tyagaraja Aradhana, took Kausalya to meet musicians and musicologists. “Musicologist T.S. Parthasarathy gave me a lot of study material,” says Kausalya.
Kausalya did a Master’s in Tamil, before enrolling for her Ph.D in music at Bharatidasan University. Her Ph.D thesis was on ‘Musical forms in ancient Tamil literature.’ What were the works she studied for her Ph.D? “Many works, but mainly Pancha Marabu, and Sangita Choornikai.”
Kausalya later became Principal of the Thiruvaiyaru Music College. After retirement, she wanted to give back something to the village. But Thillaisthanam had changed. There was hardly any music heard in the village, and village arts like kummi and kolattam were slowly fading away. So Kausalya decided she would try to recreate something of the past that had enriched her life. Thus was born Marabu Foundation, with the twin objectives of mentoring underprivileged village children and also fostering research in music. I meet the children of Thillaisthanam, who address Kausalya as ‘athai.’ “Athai arranged for us to be taught Photoshop,” 14-year-old Raja tells me. “Athai has taught us bhajans,” says Sadhana. “Bombay Jayashri akka also teaches us through Skype,” says seven-year-old Surya. After a long gap, Javandarai — a kolattam festival, has been revived in Thillaisthanam by Kausalya, and the children participate in it.
Pinnal Kollattam
“Traditional children’s songs are appealing because of their inbuilt layam, and the simplicity of the words,” says Kausalya. “These songs also have valuable messages. ‘Kai veesamma,’ which is in Adi talam, tells you to swing your hands when you walk. And isn’t that what doctors tell you to do? There are songs about birds and about the uses of trees. A child who learns these songs will never throw a stone at a bird, or cut down a tree.”
THANJAVUR, 15/05/2010: Children performing “Oorukku Nalladu”, a theatre production at the Valedictory function of the workshop on “Theatre” conducted by Marabu Foundation, in Thillaisthanam, Thanjavur district on May 15, 2010. Photo: M. Srinath
As for the research aspect of Marabu, Kausalya organises workshops in Thillaisthanam, in which trained musicians are participants. The focus is on rare compositions. The next workshop will be on ‘sindu.’ Kausalya says that vazhi nadai cindus are very interesting.
There is one that talks of how trains first came to Tiruchendur; there is another about travel on the Cooum river up to Mahabalipuram.
It’s almost as if life in Thillaisthanam has come full circle.
Dr. Rama Kausalya will present the following lecture demonstrations:
Dec 21: On ‘Sangeetha Chandrika’ at The Music Academy.
Dec. 30: ‘Kaalanthorum Paadu Porul’ at Indian Fine Arts Society.
