Wedding day gift and Mohanam raga krithi
When I saw the Tanjore painting portrait of great composer - saint - Naadha bhramam Thyagarajar my eye spilled tears.
Walajapettai is 35 minutes travelling from Kanchipuram towards Vellore is stud with 350 years old house of the saint's disciple Venkata Rama Bahavathar.
He belongs to Sowrastrian weaving family who weaves sarees and still I can see few weavers.
Bahavathar takes his materials to Amma Pettai near Tanjore for sale. He came to know about Thyagarajar and became a ''maanaseega disciple'' even though he did not have a good voice to sing.
When the saint stayed in his home for 3 days Bahavathar painted his divine form in Tanjore art style with his disciple who knew Tanjore painting.
The place where he was seated for his bajans and discourses is now being converted as pooja hall and allowed for public.
Out of many legendary events with the saint singer and Walajapettai disciple, I experienced a tears spilling one today.
The family showed me the ancient Tanjore painting work of Sri Kodhanda Rama.
I was stunned to have that in my real vision.....
That portrait has a great flash back........
When Thyagarajar's only daughter Sithamma Mahalaxmi cannot get married because of dowry, a simple family who respected the saint came forward to marry her. Still their family is in Tanjore.
He was Subbaiaayh who had great respect for Sath Guru and his musical skills.
But he asked one dowry - Thyagarajar's family wealth - The idol of Rama.
Our saint cannot bare that but he accepted for his daughter's future and mentally prepared to depart from his most beloved life stud Rama.
***
Thiruvaiyaaru
Wedding occasion...rituals are happening;
Thyagarajar is not worried about departing the only daughter but his Rama
His wife also understood that and she was helpless
The saint was searching for our Venkata Ramana and asked Bahavathar's son about him
''Appa will come Gurudev!'' - answer
***
Suddenly Thyagarajar saw Rama walking towards wedding home
''Is it dream?''
''No! how come Rama with bluish complexion and golden garments with arrows and Sitha come?''
''Ho! it is Venkata Ramana who holds a Tanjore painting of Rama and walking.....''
Venkata Ramana, ''Gurudev! Please accept my humble gift for you. I know that you cannot physically separate your Rama, daughter will take him soon by evening...please hold him, he is for you''
In that context Thyagarajar's awareness was blossomed into the excellent, well known Mohanam Raaga krithi, ''Nannu paalimpa nada chi vach chi dhi vo, naa praana naadha?''
[We have to listen to Dr.M.L.Vasanthakumari....]
This portrait is now back to Bahavathar's home after saint attained samadhi.
As Thyagarajar describes, ''neela mani varna deha - bluish body, sara kodhanda - arrows and long bow, most beloved of Sitha...'' the painting talks about the saint.
In my mind out of emotion I asked, ''Dear portrait can you just reflect the image of the saint in your glass?''
When I prepared to sing the song my voice got choked out of compassion and for few minutes I cried and then set the sruthi and completed with the prayers for all. Every day I sing this thinking of this event and today I saw the painting which was the cause for that composition. So let us have always positive thinking and dreams.....
Every particle on this Earth has a vibration and we have to connect to it and feel.
Dr.Madeswaran.M
Madras, 25.5.2015 for History of Tamil Nadu Music.
