Swarabath Instrument (Art work done by Shreya Dongre)

CHAPTER 5

Impact on the Current Scenario

5.1 The Demise of the Maharaja

“An artist among the Princes and A Prince among the Artists’’ very aptly quoted by K. S. Ramaswami Sastry perfectly describes his personality. His profound knowledge of literature, music and administrative intelligence made him popular all over the country. His fame was not limited to the region of . He filled art music with sacredness and sacred music with art. During his reign the royal court seemed like a festival everyday and the artists too performed with great dedication and humility. To perform and be with the Maharaja was a blessing for them. But as it is observed always, change is the only constant in this material world and each and every one has to accept it. Here the Maharaja was busy in his court routines; unpleasant waves began to enter the doors of Travancore Royal Fort. It all began with the entry of Krishna Row, a Telugu Brahmin who was a close associate of General Cullen the then resident of Travancore in 1840. Krishna Row was interested in a government job but Travancore that time didn’t have any vacancy or requirement for a post. But simply to please the general as he had a friendly bond with him The Maharaja went out of his way and created a new post of a Dewan Peischar in the huzur office and appointed Krishna Row on a monthly salary of Rs. 300/- which was very handsome indeed by the

------( 230 ) ------then standards.

But Krishna Row began to work with a view of overthrowing Subba Rao, who was the Dewan as well as the teacher of the Maharaja. Krishna Rao’s tactful deeds and influential approach towards the general worsened the relations between the Maharaja and the Resident.

Shunnogunny Menon records, “The extraordinary interference of the resident irritated the Maharaja and the misunderstanding between His Highness court and the Residency became stronger and stronger.’’

The Maharaja was a young man of 29 years of age. He felt that his authority was challenged by the Resident and he began to feel disheartened. The unfavourable comments by the Madras Government on his administration and even by the court of directors pushed him gradually into an abyss of depression.

It was after much drama where the Maharaja firmly informed the Resident that they need not interfere into his domestic affairs. The acts of Krishna Row became intolerable to the Maharaja and he decided to remove him from service. As an act of vengeance General Cullen took measures to expel Subba Rao from Travancore.

The decision of the Madras Government which compelled to expel Maharaja’s own teacher and Dewan affected the Maharaja very much. Being a very intelligent, sensitive and a learned monarch, Swathi now began to devote

------( 231 ) ------more of his time to religious activities than to anything else. He spent time in monthly prayers, meditations and long hours in the pagoda of Sree Padmanabhswamy. Such was his detachment that even the Dewan of the state wasn’t allowed to see him during his fasts, vows etc.

One more reason that could have been responsible for the Maharaja’s disinterest in administrative activities is he must be holding himself responsible for the appointment of not a very right person in the state. Just to maintain healthy relations with the General he appointed Row. As history says the State of Travancore was always very cordial in maintaining relations with the British, what could have been the reasons for the Maharaja to take an impulsive step of creating a new post for Krishna Row? If the relations with the Resident were always respectful why was the need of pleasing General Cullen in favour of Krishna Row? The country was going through a phase of change during that time. New ideas, reformations were giving birth to resentment in the British. Similarly the other parts of the country had sensed by then that the British are not here for mere trade but they have come to rule the country. The Maharaja must have sensed all these fears of losing his state to the British so he was very careful with them. The appointment of Krishna Row which became the primary cause of his downfall, was an act of fear and precaution.

During this period, a series of painful and heartbreaking events invaded the palace beginning with the demise of his

------( 232 ) ------th father Raja Raja Verma on the 17 of December 1844. His father’s demise proved to be an irreparable loss to him as his father was his greatest strength and guide in all matters be it rd domestic or public. On the 3 February 1846 Swathi lost his closest friend, the poet laureate of his court “Vidwan Koil Tampuran” of Kilimanur Palace. His run of misfortunes did not stop here. The Maharaja had two sons and a daughter of which one son and the lone daughter died a few years prior. st On the 21 of May 1846, he lost his only remaining son, Ananthpadmanabhan Tampi, which was a source of great th agony to him. Adding to this on the 18 of July 1846, Swathi Thirunal lost Vadivelu, one among the famous Tanjore Quartet. Thus four great losses of dear ones in the span of nineteen months really took a heavy toll on his physical and mental well being.

His Highness was being well taken care of by his brother Eliah Raja who had good knowledge of medical sciences and who was like his personal physician. But he too could not go to attend his brother without special permission during his last days. Dr. K Rajashekaran Nair in his recent article in the Samakaleena Malayam Varika has opined that Swathi Thirunal was suffering from stress related disease. His conclusion is that the death was due to cerebral haemorrhage.

Before his demise the Maharaja called his brother and informed him of his wish to hold a fresh trial for Krishna Rao to see what effect that will have in General Cullen’s mind. Krishna Rao was immediately summoned and told by the

------( 233 ) ------Maharaja that he has forgiven and forgotten events of the past and so he should honestly start working for the advancement of the state. Krishna Rao, speechless and teary eyed could only proclaim to be the Maharaja’s ‘servant and slave’. This was the last commission of appointment signed by the th Maharaja. It took place on the 26 Vrichingum 1022 M.E ( th 10 December 1846 ).

The Maharaja’s health now began to sink day by day, but he maintained his seclusion from his attendants as well as th th his family. On the 25 of December 1846, (12 Dhanu 1022 M.E) His Highness did not wake up at his usual time and there was no movement either. This raised an alarm and gradually all his family members and his attendants gathered by his bedside. The news reached his aunt, Her Highness Parvathi Bayee, and she rushed to his palace. Around 10 PM there was a light whisper in the room. The Maharaja got up but had become so weak that it was with great difficulty that he got up. As soon as the attendant tried helping him, the Maharaja refused his help stating that he will not fall just yet. Boldly, he walked outside and asked his aunt whether she had taken her breakfast. His family realised that he was trying to put on a brave face for their sake and that his end was near. All of them went away and from that point, sorrow struck. His Highness did his morning ablutions in an adjacent room. He ordered his head cook to prepare a very light meal and similarly he had little liquid food. Having sipped a little of it he dismissed his attendant from the room. Towards morning around 3 AM one

------( 234 ) ------of the attendants looking in on the Maharaja found him to be lying motionless. One of the attendants then rushed to Eliah Raja’s palace to inform him. By that time the Maharaja had th already left for his heavenly abode. The date was 26 of December 1846 (M.E 1022). In the words of R.P Raja in his book “New Light on Swathi Thirunal”, “ The meteor of the Travancore Royal family had flashed through th efirament of 5 history and had gone.”

5.2 The Legends Surrounding His Demise

The Periyar Nambi, the chief priest of Sree Padmanabh- swamy temple reached the single stone platform as usual in the early hours of the morning of His Highness’ demise to open the doors and begin the morning rituals. When he unlocked the massive door and opened it, he was petrified as he saw Maharaja Swathi Thirunal sitting before the deity in deep meditation. While he gazed at the vision stunned, frightened and in sweat he saw the apparition slowly fading into the idol of Sree Padmanabha. He ran down the steps of the platform to inform others about the strange vision he had seen, when some officers of the temple came running towards him to inform that Maharaja Swathi Thirunal had passed away. And then they heard the slow toll of the bells proclaiming the demise of the Maharaja. From that moment on, the legend had started that the soul of Swathi Thirunal 6 found its abode in its own Lord Sree Padmanaba.

------( 235 ) ------5.3 The Condition of Travancore

Soon after the news of the demise of the Maharaja broke, Her Highness The Ranee was inconsolable with grief as was His Highness Eliah Raja, who was said to be crying like a child by those who witnessed the sad scenes after the fact.

Deep mourning was observed by all the classes of citizens of Travancore voluntarily. The kingdom was mourning the passing away of a beloved King. Thus ended the th th worthy life of the Maharaja in his 34 year and in the 18 year of his glorious reign.

Eliah raja alias Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Verma, had taken over the Rulership of Travancore following Swathi Thirunal’s demise. During Swathi Thirunal’s last years of rule, the continuous rift with General Cullen with reference to Krishna Rao had led to the administration of the state going haywire. It was not that Swathi Thirunal was a poor administrator. A very well educated and culturally rich Maharaja could never lack administrative skills. It was his absence from the day to day activities of the court that led to Krishna Rao and his ilk having a greater role in shaping the policies of Travancore than was perhaps advisable.

His Highness the Eliah Rajah the chief mourner performed all the ceremonies and undertook to perform the daily ceremonies called “Deekshah” for one year where His Highness was to abstain from all worldly pleasures and lead

------( 236 ) ------the life of a hermit in grief and mourning in accordance with the custom of the Hindus. His successor, The Eliah Rajah was a scholar in English, , Hindi, and Tamil languages. The only difference between the two was in his poetic and musical abilities. His Highness Marthanda Verma was less talented than his lamented brother. But in politics he excelled and had a peculiar tact, whereby he used to 6 accomplish what he had in view.

5.4 The Controversy Regarding Swathi Thirunal’s Existence

The multi-talented genius of recent times and controversy child S. Balachander had in the 1980’s published a thesis where he alleged that Swathi did not exist. In the thesis he contended that Swathi Thirunal was not “born to a mother”. This created havoc in the music circles of South . The Royal Family with the help of T.V. Gopalkrishnan and Dr V.V. Subramianiam started documenting facts around Swathi Thirunal’s birth and existence. There were various questions asked as was Swathi Thirunal actually a music composer? Being a king did he have time for such leisure activities or he got it composed from others and took the credit? As a result, gË`_od O`Vo was written and published by

Dr. V.V. Subramanium as a reply to S. Balachander’s thesis. In 2003, Dr. R. P. Raja too published a book titled “New Light on Swathi Thirunal” in which he presented all the facts relating to Swathi Thirunal’s life in a sequential manner hence

------( 237 ) ------proving the existence of the Maharaja. P. Shungonny Menon was a close associate of the Maharaja. He wrote a book called ‘A History of Travancore from the earliest times’. The Chapter 7 of this book deals with the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal says, “By the time H.H attained his majority, he had completed his education and become a perfect master of Sanskrit, English, Persian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. The Maharaja was also a remarkable Sanskrit author. He composed numerous poetical works on meta- physics, religion etc. A Sanskrit poetical work called ‘prabandham’ containing historical collections was also composed by him in addition to numerous songs and Hymns in praise of the Almighty etc. He also composed songs in Telugu, Hindusthani, Marathi and other languages and these are even to the present day well known throughout India.

In the words of Aswathi Rama Verma who belongs to the Travancore Royal Family, “An artist like S. Balachander used his creative genius to write a book on the non-existence of the Maharaja, where the picture of Swathi Thirunal grows smaller and smaller as the book progresses and the image of the Maharaja vanished completely as the book ends! What a creative mastermind. Imagine if he would have used this amount of creativity in other sensible form” The attack of S. Balachander was not worth ignoring. But Subramanium smashed all the theories and accusations of S. Balachander through his book gË`_od O`Vo !

There were other controversies surrounding the

------( 238 ) ------Maharaja’s authorship of his compositions, his relationship with an imaginary courtesan called Sugandhavally and his three marriages. These controversies are quoted here just to highlight the life of the Maharaja and his struggles during his reign and after his death. There is always a black spot on the moon which in no way diminishes the beauty of the moon but serves to protect its purity and divinity. In the same way the controversies surrounding the Maharaja’s life in no way diminish the beauty and divinity of his work and life. The maharaja has been shining like a bright full moon in each and every artist’s life through the means of his excellent works. The controversies come and go like an eclipse once every few years but it serves only to accentuate and glorify the beauty of his works.

5.5 Artists who have Revived and Popularized the Works of the Maharaja

Artists of yesteryears as well as today’s young generation proudly preserve the heritage gifted by the Maharaja nearly 300 years ago. The Navrathri Kritis are very famous and sung everywhere in the South during the festival of Navrathri.

Dr. Semmangudi Shreenivasan Iyer has largely contributed in popularizing Swathi Kritis. He was instrumental along with Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhaganathar for their work on the krithis of the Maharaja. After attending one of Dr. Iyer’s concerts in 1934, Maharani Sethu Parvathi

------( 239 ) ------Bayee was so impressed by his talent and scholarship that she invited him to come to to edit and popularize the compositions of Swathi Thirunal. In fact he was appointed as the Principal of The Swathi Thirunal College of Music at Thiruvananthapuram. Recently Shri T.K. Govindarao has published a book on Swathi Krithis where around 370 compositions of the maharaja are given with their meanings and notations. Similarly Dr. V.S Sharma has also published a book in Malayalam which highlights the literary aspect of the compositions. It has been published in Malayalam.

Other artists who popularized his works include K.V. Narayanaswami, Musuri Subbramanya Iyer, G.N. Subramanium, Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, M. D. Ramanathan, M.S. Subbhalakshmi, Dr. S. Ramanathan, , M.L. Vasanthakumari, D.K. Pattamal, D.K. Jayaraman, T.K. Govindrao, T.N. Sheshagopalan, Madurai Mani Iyer, T.V. Gopalkrishnan, Vasudevan, Dr. K. Omanakutty, Sri Aswathi Thirunal Rama Verma, Radha Jayalakshmi, , Delhi Sidters, Bombay S. Jayashree, Sanjay Subramanium and so on and so forth. The list will only keep growing as the works of the Maharaja are timeless.

Sadly the North Indian music community has comparatively remained somewhat less aware of the Maharaja’s compositions. Dr. Ratanjankar through his meticulous efforts brought out a book with notations named

------( 240 ) ------“Hindustani Compositions Of Sri Swathi Thirunal”. This book comprises of his 37 Hindi and Hindustani compositions. Pt. has also put some sincere efforts on his compositions and provided alternative notations to those provided by Dr. Ratanjankar.

Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki was very keen and instrumental in bringing the Carnatic Ragas to the Hindustani music scene. He therefore has a lot of contribution in popularizing Swathi Padams here in the North.

Pt. Ramesh Narayan, a very famous classical vocalist and a disciple of Pt. , names his style of singing as ""_odmVr-ñdmVr'' , where _odmVr being the or the School of Music of Pt. Jasraj. He very efficiently sings both the styles and composes the ~§{Xe.

Pt. Jayprakash Sharma who hails from the land of Tripunithura, also a composer says the Maharaja’s compositions have a lot of influence on the new composer’s lineage. He also composes Hindustani pieces and in Hindi and uses the amJ_wÐm and Zm__wÐm as “poornatrayesh” as the Maharaja used in his Kritis.

Thus it could be seen that the Maharaja was ahead of his time as he is even today an inspiration to new composers as a university of newer ideas which are still to be relived fully.

------( 241 ) ------5.6 Interviews with the Two Doyens of South Indian Music

A. A Living Legend - T.V. Gopalakrishnan

B. Successor of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal - Prince Aswathi Thirunal Rama Verma

Tripunithura Vishwanath Gopalakrishnan famously known as T.V Gopalakrishnan hails from Tripunithura the cultural capital of . He is a gifted man of intelligence, and has precise observations on Music in general. He does not mince his words neither is he diplomatic in answering the questions asked. A stalwart in music he has all the prestigious awards to his credit, the and ’s Sangeet Kalanidhi being the latest.

Q. What are the salient features of Maharaja’s compositions?

The maharaja lived like a king and composed like a king. He always had consciously known that he is king because he was born with it. In his compositions too, you can never find him calling himself a sinner or an ignorant being unlike the other saint literatures or his contemporaries. His idea of bhakthi was different from the others who called themselves inferior to glorify the supreme. He always looked upon his Lord as a friend and therefore his compositions always indicate sakhabhakthi where he always asks the Lord to protect him. As Krishna was to Arjuna the lord Padnamnabha-swamy was to the Maharaja. He genetically and

------( 242 ) ------intuitively knew who he was so his compositions hint you with words like paahi maam, paripalay maam. He was versatile in his own way with a wide range of his compositions which depict love, separation dialogue between the two friends, the hindusthani pieces which include thumri, tappa, raagmala and so on. Coming to his literary aspect his grammar was not very troublesome or he didn’t use literary phrases to show off his poetic intelligence. All the compositions are very flexible as they have an ability to be sung to create melody (geyata). They are simple but very effective in translating the actual emotion of the composition.

Q. How has been your relation with the royal family of Travancore?

The royal family has been very cordial with the artists who have popularised the works of the Maharaja. My Shri Bhagvatar had a lot of affection for Maharaja’s compositions and he always sang varnams of the Maharaja. My guru used to sing the sahitya and his brother used to sing the swaras of the same compositions (and there was no other such artist in ). After that his students used to sing the swaras and he used to sing the sahitya. He was also instrumental in bringing out rare compositions of the Maharaja with the help of H. H. Setu Parvati Bayee.

During the S. Balachander controversy (which has been mentioned earlier), the royal family approached him to look into this matter. He along with Dr. V.V. Balsubramanium worked very hard to flush and wipe out the accusations

------( 243 ) ------created by S. Balachander regarding the Maharaja’s existence.

In fact, I was the one who forced and motivated Prince Rama Verma to start performing publically.

Q. What is the difference between today’s artists and the old ones?

The old school generation believed in rigorous practise and dedication towards their Guru, without their teacher’s consent we never used to even open our mouths. My practise used to begin at 4 a.m. in the morning for three hours and then I did my other activities. My guru used to say, “There are three types of performers, one who sings for himself, one who sings for only for others and one who sings for himself and others.” I am fortunate enough to belong to the last category; it is only because of respected guru’s blessings.

Today’s generation is intelligent compared to old school artists. But there is a sense of insecurity among the new generation of artists. Only self determination and confidence clubbed with hard work can take you to greater heights in music. Today’s artists work more on the gimmick side of the art which is sadly appreciated by the audience. The stability on the major notes SA and PA is not seen now a days only a lot of gamakas are used because of which the soul is lost somewhere.

Q. What inspiration have you taken from the Maharaja’s composition while composing your own pieces?

------( 244 ) ------The Maharaja was equivalent to the Musical Trinity and his compositions were highly appreciated in the music circles. He has a systematic pattern of pieces; for example the Navarathri Kritis of the maharaja have become the ritual of the Navarathri festival in Thiruvananthpuram which is being organised by the royal family from many years. His padavarnams, some of the telugu javalis, and manipravalam pieces are extra ordinary. Looking at these compositions I have also composed some padavarnams which are sung by my students. I have given full fledged concert on Maharaja’s Hindusthani compositions.

Q. There is certain intolerance between the Carnatic and Hindusthani music and musicians. Is there a change in the situation or they still have hostility towards each other?

There has been a lot of speculation over the north south musical war; both the streams have their own specialities and their own positivity. As far as Carnatic musicians are concerned we do include some pieced set in Hindusthani such abhangas, bhajans etc. But on the other hand the Hindusthani musicians except a handful remain ignorant about it and they are reluctant in performing too. It is because of this approach the Maharaja’s kritis are not very well known to the musicians of the north.

Prince Aswathi Thirunal Rama Verma who hails from the royal family of Travancore is naturally a descendant of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal. Dr. R.P Raja in his book quotes

------( 245 ) ------him as “The Modern Image Of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal.” Though a post graduate in commerce, his passion continues to be music. He has learnt French and he has great inclination in singing French songs too. He is a proficient Veena player and a proud student of Late Dr. Balamuralikrishnan. In his concerts, he explains the whole composition of the Maharaja, its sahitya and its raga etc. which is very rare. A vibrant performer on stage he presents the Hindi lyrics with the same proficiency.

“I always had my heart in music and I will continue doing so” he says this very casually. He has been very active in propagating the Maharaja’s compositions throughout the world. Through his YouTube channel he started gaining popularity as he started posting rare songs and compositions. Prince Rama Verma conducts workshops all over the country as well as the globe to promote Indian Music. He has trained a lot of students and one of his established students is Ms. Amrutha Vyankatesh who also sings a lot of the Maharaja’s kritis and has been the top in the league to promote and popularize them.

A diehard fan of Kishore Kumar and K.L. Saigal he has an ear as well as knowledge of Hindusthani music. Pt. Channulal Mishra is his all time favourite.

Q. How has the Maharaja’s kritis influenced your style of singing or how do you look at them?

You cannot find so many dimensions in one personality

------( 246 ) ------of 34 years. He had so many shades as a composer, an administrator, an ardent devotee to name a few. All these facets of his personality are clearly visible in his compositions. I feel like Maharaja was like the Mozart who lived for just three and a half decades and went on to compose the most exquisitely poetic compositions. For me being a very sensitive person I was never meant to follow the Royal Family protocols with restrictions. I always felt free with music so I focussed on learning. It was T.V.G. sir whose motivation led me to take music as my profession.

Q. What are the salient features of Maharaja’s compositions?

The Maharaja’s kritis are rich in literary and musical content that are meant to be learnt by listening. The teacher sings and the student shall listen and try to copy the swaras or tune he just heard. It is a natural human tendency which is very helpful for artists. This is the original tradition of our Indian music. The greatest tragedy for composers like the Maharaja was that they didn’t have an unbroken line of disciples who learnt and preserved his compositions for posterity. A lot of Maharaja’s kritis are still untouched and not performed by musicians, though me and my Guruji Dr. Balmuralikrishnan have done the notations and brought them out in the light of the people.

Q. Do you mean that only the sahitya of Maharaja was available but the notations are done by different

------( 247 ) ------people based on how they have perceived the compositions?

The richness of the swaras and the ragas totally belong to the Maharaja undoubtedly, but various artists have perceived their own notations and swaras to certain compositions. Therefore you can find two type of notation for the same kritis for example Aaj aaye shyamsunder is set in Ektaal in Yaman. It appears like a Khayal. But when set in Pahadi in Rupak taal it appears like a thumri. So you see the literature truely belongs to the Maharaja and a lot of similarities could be seen with the lyrics as well as the musical ragas. I have composed one of his padavarnams in vasantmukhari. It is all how you perceive music is what ultimately matters.

Q. How did Maharaja’s compositions helped in bridging the gap with the Hindusthani musicians?

There is no such gap between the two faculties. Ultimately no music is good or bad if it is performed with conviction and good heart. It definitely reaches the audience. I along with my family conduct The Swati Sangeetotsavam where the north Indian stalwarts such as Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, his disciple , his son and disciple Pt. Shaunak Abhisheki, Pt. Ajoy Chakravorty along with his daughter Kaushiki chakravorty, Pt. Ganapati Bhatt have performed the Maharaja’s Hindustani as well as the Carnatic Kritis.

------( 248 ) ------5.7 Institutes and Organisations Working in the Name of the Maharaja

5.7.1 The Swathi Thirunal College of Music

Located in the lush green vicinity of the capital of Kerala the college was first named as The Music Academy in 1939. The primary objective of this venture was to popularise the krithis of the Maharaja. The administration of the institution was given the Maharaja’s name in 1962. Situated in the heart of Thiruvananthpuram, the institution is one of the prestigious and well managed music institutes of South India. The institute from the date of its inception has produced a lot of talented artists who have contributed much to the realm of Carnatic Music.

Presently the college has introduced some advanced courses to enter new avenues in the field of music. The college has started eight new courses where students who have a natural aptitude for learning music can go for advanced level in learning group kritis, ragamalikas, and ragam-tanam- pallavis and for those who are interested in music direction too.

Some of the eminent personalities have been the students and in the teaching faculty of the college. Late Dr. Muttayah Bhagwatar was the founder Principal of this esteemed institution. He was then replaced by the great Carnatic Music prodigy late Sri. Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer.

------( 249 ) ------Dr. K.J. Yesudas, Neyattikara Vasudevan, Dr. K. Omanakutty, Chalakkudy Narayana Swami, are some of the illustrious and famous students of this instiution.

5.7.2 The Trivandrum Zoo, Museum and Gardens

The Maharaja may have been behind the concept of the Zoo, the Museum and the Gardens together. It is one of the oldest of its kinds in the country. It has beautiful layout of natural vegetation and flora culture along with their historical importance. The Maharaja during his reign wanted to execute this concept in a novel way and for that he had modernised horse breeding establishment and some fine mares were procured. The best elephants from the forest Department and other places were selected and cantoned at Trivandrum.

Similarly he wanted to preserve the royal collections of the old families and their belongings to protect and save their heritage.

The Museum appears like a Bungalow it doesn’t seem like a conventional museum, because a part of General Brown’s bungalow (who was then the Gov. Gen) has been converted into a museum.

The building is of considerable architectural beauty. The exhibits are arranged in their proper order and groups. The exhibits are classified into different sections such as indigenous arts, crafts and industries, archaeology, natural history, ethnology and geology.

The whole idea of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal was very

------( 250 ) ------efficiently executed by His Highness Uthram Thirunal Maharaja.

5.7.3 The Oriental Manuscript Library, University of Kerala

This institute has been preserving and propagating Sanskrit literature from years. It started during the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal (1829). A great Kerala scholar by the name of Sankaranatha Josier who had been serving Ranjit Singh, The Sikh ruler of Punjab, came to Trivandrum on his services being requisitioned by the Maharaja for appointment of the Cheif Judge.The Maharaja was very well aware of the value of the literature he presented so immediately he ordered to copy and document these Sanskrit manuscripts in a systematic order. This collection and documentation became the nucleus of Grandhapura.

Gradually the collection of these manuscripts began to increase and substantial additions were made to grow the library into a full fledged research institute. Mahamahopa- dhyaya Dr. T. Ganapathy Sastri who was a renowned name in the world of scholarship was appointed as a curator in 1908. He unearthed and published the thirteen plays of Bhasa for the first time is well known to the Sanskrit literary circles.

In 1930, these Departments were amalgamated to form a department for the publication of Oriental Manuscripts. After the establishment of University of Travancore in 1937, a department of collection of manuscripts was started in 1938.

------( 251 ) ------The palace library donated into it. Around the mid forties, the library had around 20,990 manuscripts, 1440 transcripts and 2518 printed books in its stock.

There is a variety of material available here on the Maharaja’s other works and his records regarding adminis- trative duties.

5.7.4 The Trivandrum Observatory

This observatory stands on a hill, about 60 ft high, and 200 ft above the level of the sea from which it is distant, in a straight line about two miles. The geographical situation of the Observatory is 8 degrees 30 minutes northern latitude and 76 degree 59 minutes eastern latitude. The Observatory which functions today as part of the Department of Physics, University of Kerala, commenced its operations in 1837 and is one of the oldest of its kind in modern India. It owes its origin to the initiative and vision of the versatile Maharaja of Travancore who himself, a keen student of Astronomy. The Maharaja used to discuss the different aspects of astronomy with Mr. John Caldecott the commercial agent of Travancore Government at Alleppey who was well-versed in astronomy. Mr. Caldecott used to make astronomical observations with several portable instruments of his own and found them to agree with those of science and Astronomy. A formal proposal for the establishment of an Observatory was put up to the Maharaja by Caldecott through Col. Fraser the British Resident and it was sanctioned by the Maharaja who was desirous that his country should partake with European

------( 252 ) ------nations in scientific investigation.

The Maharaja also took special interest in equipping it with the best instruments available at the time in Europe. The rare planetary alignment in the western sky during May 2002 had given a boost to the activities of the observatory and got wide coverage in newspapers and television networks. The University has decided to upgrade the activities of the Observatory both in research and popularization of astronomy and is now equipped with good computational facility, library and audio-video facilities. It is now possible for few M.Phil. /M.Sc. students to do their project work with these facilities. With the present modern facilities like 11 inch telescope, CCD camera, Sun workstations, image processing facility and collaboration with national programmes, the Observatory will grow as one of the important centres in astronomy and related fields in our country. The sky watching programmes for students, teachers and the public in the evenings is being conducted on all working days. This endeavour may fulfil the dream of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in establishing a centre of learning in astronomy at Thiruvananthapuram.

5.7.5 Thiruvananthpuram Public Library

In the book titled “Military Reminiscenes” Colonel Welsh who visited Trivandrum in 1825 refers to the studies of the young prince Swathi Thirunal. This reference from his book clears the fact that the Maharaja was a friend of books.

Welsh says: “He read a chapter of Malcolm's Central India; the Governor-General's Persian letter on the capture of

------( 253 ) ------Rangoon; a passage in Sanskrit; another in Malayalam and seemed equally clever at each. He then took up a book of mathematics, selecting the forty-seventh proposition of Euclid, sketched the figure on a country-slate; but what astonished me most was his telling us in English that Geometry was derived from the Sanskrit which was 'Jawmeter,' to measure the earth, and that many of our mathematical terms were also derived from the same sources, such as hexagon, heptagon, octagon, decagon, dua-decagon, etc.” This is a pointer to the possibility that the Maharaja had at his disposal a library which had a collection of books ranging from history and literature to western science. No wonder that during the first year of his reign, a library was established in Trivandrum. British Resident Col. Edward Cadogan, the grandson of Sir. Hans Sloane, the founder of the British Museum, was the President of the Library and Maharaja was the Patron. The Library was managed by an Association known as Trivandrum Public Library Committee. Membership in those days was limited to only those persons invited to the Royal Durbar, till 1938, when it was transferred to the Travancore University (present Kerala University).

5.7.6 University College, Trivandrum

The institution, now called the University College, was founded in the year 1834 by the Government of Travancore during the reign of the Maharaja. He had an occasion to visit a school that was imparting instruction in English at Nagarcoil under the auspices of the London Mission Society.

------( 254 ) ------He was impressed by the school and the quality of the education given there and was convinced that the new type of school held out great prospects for the people of the State. Shortly thereafter he invited Mr. Roberts who was in charge of the school at Nagarcoil to come to Thiruvananthapuram and start a similar school there. The educationist who was an Englishman, agreed and a new school was started in 1834. It was a private institution, but the State Government contributed the prescribed fees for 80 pupils who thereby got free tuition. In less than a year the Government took over the school and assumed full responsibility for its management. Mr. Roberts was appointed Headmaster and the school came to be known as ‘The Raja’s Free School’. In the following year the institution was moved to a new building constructed for the purpose on the premises where the University College is now located. The school continued as a free institution till 1863-64. Those were days when education of the Western type was being newly introduced in India and the Raja’s Free School was one of the earliest institutions in south India established under the auspices of Government for imparting instruction to the children of the State. It attracted pupils from all parts of Travancore and many of its alumni rose to high positions in the public life of the State and distinguished themselves in many fields of cultural activity.

5.7.7 The Navarathri Mandapam

Navarathri is the nine day festival in the Sharad Ritu mostly celebrated in the month of September or October. The

------( 255 ) ------Goddess of Power-Shakthi is worshipped as Saraswathi, the deity of all learning and arts, Lakshmi the Goddess of wealth and Durga, embodiment of courage and power. Navarathri Mandapam is situated on the right side of the East Gopuram of the Padmanabha Swamy Temple.

Every year the nine nights of the festival are celebrated here with great pomp and show. Saint Kambar, the author of Kamba Ramayana is believed to have gifted the idol of goddess Saraswathi to the Chera King who was his disciple and made the King promise that the Devi will be worshipped during every Navrathri. This promise is being kept by the Travancore Royal House, the descendants of the Chera Kings. Till 1834 AD the Navarathri festival was conducted at the Saraswathi mandapam in the Padmanabha-puram Palace complex.

The Saraswathi idol is now kept at the temple inside the Padmanabhapuram Palace complex. It was Swathi Thirunal who shifted the Capital to Thiruvananthapuram from Padmanabhapuram. But the King made arrangements for the idol to be brought to the new capital during the Navarathri in a grand procession and built the Mandapam for the festival.

During the festival the idol is kept at the Navarathri Mandapam for nine days. Special poojas and vedic rites are conducted during the festival. But the highlight of the Navarathri festival is the music concerts in the evenings. Maharaja Swathi Thirunal composed nine songs in nine ragas for the Navarathri concerts. The Mandapam is situated inside

------( 256 ) ------a beautiful wooden building. During the festival it is decorated with fresh flowers and fruits. The entire place is lit by oil lamps. Sandalwood and camphor are used as incense. It is a rare and divine experience to visit the Mandapam and listen to the special concerts. Even today age old codes of dress and conduct are followed here. The public will be restricted to the nalukettu around the Mandapam.

The concerts are according to strict time schedules; they start at a ring of the bell at sharp 6 pm and conclude at another ring at 8.30 pm. Even the style of the concerts is very different. Only at the Navarathri Mandapam it is mandatory to play the during the rendering of Thanam. Till recently Khatam was not permitted here.

The Navarathri mandapam has a very curious arrangement of earthen pots kept in place by means of coir ropes tied around the neck from one pot to another. The mouths of these pots open down earthwards. The pots are of different sizes. Their mouths are also of different measurements. The pots are not uniformly arranged, but kept in different angles. The thickness of the pots also varies.

They are very ingenious and indigenous ways of providing Sound Reflectors. They also prevent echoes. The Sound Reflectors are arranged over the area where the musicians give their performances. In olden days, when modern acoustics were not there, these earthen ware pots ensured the even distribution of sound through the mandapam without the noise pollution of echoes.

------( 257 ) ------Preceeding the main concert, there is a 30 minute thodaya mangalam recital by the traditional Mullamoodu Bhagavathars even today. They have a fixed repertoire of Swathi kritis : Jaya Devaki Kisora (Natai) and Pari Pahi ganadhipa (saveri). They conclude with, curiously enough, a non-Swathi Kriti Narayana Thee namo Namo composed by Annamacharya. It is believed that Swathi suggested this kriti for inclusion as a good specimen of kritis other than his. This Annamacharya kriti is popular in kutcheri circuits and Dr. Balamuralikrishna has performed iit in Behag, though it is rendered in Madhyamavathi in the Mandapam.

Almost all major musicians have performed in the mandapam. Semangudi Srinivasa Iyer tops the list, having performed over 50 times in the Mandapam. Palakkad K.V. Narayana Swamy, M.D. Ramanathan, G.N. Balasubramani- yam, T.V. Gopalakrishnan, T.N. Seshagopalan, Maharaja- puram santhanam, T.K. Govinda Rao, T.V. Sankaranarayanan, Neyveli santhana Gopalan, , R.K. Sreekantan, Sanjay Subramaniyam, Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Trichur V. Ramachandran, O.S. Thyagarajan have all graced the Mandapam. Conspicuous by absence are Chembai and his disciple K.J. Yesudas.

5.7.8 Kuthiramalika Palace

Kuthira Malika is a wonderful wooden palace built by Swathi Thirunal on the south-eastern side of Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram. It has 108 horse figures on its southern wall. It is from these figures that the

------( 258 ) ------palace got its name the Palace of the Horses. It has smooth black flooring and wooden and stone pillars.

The roof is made entirely of wood and has got 42 beams carrying different carved patterns. The wooden carvings, architecture and sculpture in the palace are well preserved.

The finest of Kerala style wood carving is seen here. The ceiling of the verandah is dotted with floral motifs. The 16 rooms in the palace have 16 different patterns. The granite pillars supporting the roof too are adorned with intricate designs. Huge Belgium mirrors add to the beauty of the Kuthira Malika. Swathi Thirunal lived here for less than a year, just before his death. After that the complex was locked up till recently. It is believed that Swathi Thirunal wrote some of his important works sitting in a chamber inside this palace from where he could get a rare view of the temple.

Every year the Swathi Music Festival is conducted here in the front courtyard. The five day festival in January- February features leading Carnatic and Hindustani musicians. Stalwarts like Ustad , Gangu Bai Hangal, Kishori Amonkar, Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, D.K. Patta- mmal etc have performed in the festival. The Swathi festival at Kuthira Malika is rated as one of the best music festivals in South India. The ambience and the atmosphere add to the delight of the music renderings. The cool breeze, the star studded winter sky, the dimly lit palace in the backdrop and songs in praise of Padmanabha will take the audience back to a century and a half back when a man who

------( 259 ) ------loved music sat here and listened to his favourite musicians sing the words that have come out from the depths of his heart.

Now a portion of the palace is made into a museum containing pictures, personal belongings and artefacts of the royal family. Swathi Thirunal’s ivory throne, marble idols, Chinese artefacts and rare musical instruments are kept in the museum.

5.7.9 Karamana Mandapa and River

Swathi Thirunal must be having a special fascination for the Karamana River. This beautiful river rises on the ridge to the north of Agasthiar peak and an outlying spur terminating in the Sasthankotta rock. It flows over partially narrow rocky bed confined by high banks, through a comparatively wild woody and uneven country.

Its direction is first west, then south and finally south west and it flows into the sea 3 miles near Poonthura at the foot of the headland Kovalam, after a course of 41 miles. During the wet weather which commences from June and lasts till November, Karamana river even today is filled from bank to bank with a large volume of waster rolling in a strong current to the sea. The flood diminishes as the monsoon draws to a close, the river slowly subsiding into shallow and Languid streams. The bunglow used by Swathi to do nadopasana in the top of the tiny hill near Mudavanmugal, Poojapura, overlooks

------( 260 ) ------the Karamana river. There are steps leading down to the river. Swathi initiated the construction of the bridge over the Karamana river, laying the foundation stone himself (though he didn't live to see its completion). He used to visit the banks of the river to see the strong gushing currents of the overflowing river and even built a Mandapam for this purpose which can be seen from the Karamana bridge on the National Highway from Thiru- vananthapuram to Nagercoil. Karamana river continues flows today, occasionally rising to full along in the monsoon, touching the stone pillars of the mandapam where its lover used to turn up.

5.7.10 Kunnu Bungalow

The Maharaja constructed a small but a beautiful on top of the small hillock which is situated at Mudavan Mugal in the outskirts of Trivandrum. It is known as the Kunnu bungalow. It had French windows and tiled roofs.

The Maharaja used this building for his writing and training in music. The view from this spot is indeed breath taking with the expanses of green on the western side and Arabian sea beyond that. It is windy and pleasant here all day. From the bungalow there are steps going down to the Karamana river. It is believed that the Maharaja used to walk down these steps to the banks of the river and spend time enjoying the beauty of the river and the landscape around.

Today there is no Kunnu Bungalow at Mudavan Mugal.

------( 261 ) ------Neglect led to distruction. (See pictures). A visitor to the Mudavan Mugal hillock gets an insight into Swathi’s mind. He might have cherished open, expansive places and the sense of freedom such places can induce in a person. No doubt the Maharaja loved to be near the Karamana river.

5.7.11 The Padmanabhswamy Temple

Padmanabhswamy Temple is situated in the heart of the capital city roughly 1 km away from the railway station compared to today’s times. The main deity of this temple is Lord Vishnu, who according to the Hindu mythology is the supreme power which controls this universe. The capital city got its name Thiruananthapuram or the place where Lord Vishnu reclines on the sacred serpent Anantha, from this temple.

The idol inside the sanctum santorum is in the form of the Lord reclining on the Holy Serpent Anantha. It is an 18 feet long imposing figure built with Salagrama stones brought from Nepal and it is covered with gold and precious stones.

The temple has an imposing seven tier gopuram covered with beautiful stone carvings. The temple has a broad corridor with 324 sculptured pillars and a 80 feet high golden flag staff. The walls of the temple are covered with interesting mural paintings depicting mythical stories. The Kulasekhara- mandapam, the main platform inside the temple is beautiful and regal. The entire architectural style followed in this temple is a mixture of Dravidian and Kerala styles. This

------( 262 ) ------temple in its present form is built by Maharaja Marthanda Varma (1729-1758), one of the most powerful rulers of Travancore. The work on the temple was started in 1731. In 1750, the Maharaja dedicated his kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, the presiding deity of the kingdom and assumed the title Padmanabhadasa or the servant of Lord Padmanabha. From that day onwards the rulers of Travancore carry out all their princely and spiritual duties as the servants of the Lord.

Padmanabhaswamy temple is considered as one among the seven Parasurama shetras in Kerala and one among the 108 sacred temples in India dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The ancient texts of Padma purana and Skanda purana have references about this temple.

The temple has very special rituals. Two festivals are celebrated every year, one in March-April and the second one in September-October. 56-day long Murajapam or uninterrupted recitation of prayers is conducted once in six years and once in twelve years the festival of a million lamps or the Lakshadeepam is conducted. The band also plays the songs written by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal.

Swathi Thirunal had a very special relationship with Lord Padmanabha and the temple. His life was an offering to the Lord. All his songs carry the stamp of total dedication to Padmanabha. The most beautiful of his songs are on Lord Vishnu. Similarly there are other places such as The Karthik Thirunal Verma auditorium near the temple which keeps all the literature and books related to the Maharaja in their

------( 263 ) ------library.

The Madras Music Academy has also preserved its journals from 1930 till date which has write ups and articles by eminent personalities such as dr. Raghava Menon, Dr. Venkatsubrmanium Iyer and so on.

The other places that hold historical importance are the Kaudiyar palace, Changanassery palace, Kilimanoor palace and Thiruvatoor Amma Veedu.

5.7.12 Swathi Sangeetotsavam

Swathi Sangeethotsavam is a 7-day music festival in the month of Dhanu, from 06 to 12 January every year at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India within the Fort Palace Complex adjoining the Sreepadmanabhaswamy Temple. This festival is held in the majestic Kuthiramalika palace built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal himself. Exclusively, compositions of Maharaja Swathi Tirunal Rama Varma are rendered at the festival. This festival is of recent orgin, but the settings of the Kuthiramalika palace has made it one of the very special festivals, and is perhaps next only to Navarathri concerts, also held in the nearby mandapam complex. Concerts are open to all lovers of music and are organised by H.H. Sir Rama Verma Maharaja of Travancore.

The artists invited here are renowned and they specifically sing the Maharaja’s kritis. Initially one day was dedicated to only Hindustani music concerts where Pt. Ajoy Chakravarty, Ganapati Bhatt, have sung the Hindustani

------( 264 ) ------compositions. Prince Rama Verma has been off lately inviting the newer generation of upcoming artists too in the festival. He says, “The Maharaja has done so much work which has still not been revived by us. This sangeetotsav helps us to explore more and more of his compositions.”

5.7.13 Swathi Puraskaram

From the days of the Rajas to the present, Kerala has been in the forefront to honour artistes and cultural figures. Swathi Puraskaram is one of those coveted awards instituted by the Government of Kerala to honor an artiste of national eminence. The award carries a cash prize of rupees one lakh, citation and a medal. From the year of inception in 1997, this award has been presented to the venerated musicians of the nation like Ustad Bismillah Khan, the famous shehnai exponent, T. N. Krishnan, the violin maestro and the three eminent vocalists Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyengar, D. K. Pattammal, Palakkad K.V. Narayanaswami, K. J. Yesudas, M. Balmuralikrishnan, . The latest awardee is Mangad. K. Natesan in 2016 for Carnatic Music.

This was a mention of the major institutes and events that keep the Maharaja and his art alive in the hearts of the people. There is a radio programme too which is named after the Maharaja.

In all the music colleges of Kerala and other parts of the south Swathi kritis are being taught and they are the part of their syllabus. A king long back is remembered today and his art works are part of the education system is something very

------( 265 ) ------rare to find. The Maharaja along with the Musical trinity gave a treasure to the students and scholars of music and literature which is actually infinite. The magic of the Maharaja’s composition will continue spreading its fragrance in the coming generations.

  

------( 266 ) ------References

1. A Prince Among Artists & Artist Among Prince, by Dewan Bahadur K. S. Ramaswami Sastri, www. swathithirunal.com

2. New Light on Swathi Thirunal, pg no 214

3. Ibid, pg no 217

4. The demise of Swathi Thirunal :- New facts, Dr. Achyutsnkar Nair

5. Ibid, pg no 226-227

6. A history of Travancore from the Earliest Times, Shungoony Menon 1878

7. www.swathithirunal.in / relatedinsti.htm

8. M. E. Malayalam Era

H. H. His Highness

  

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