COVER STORY T.K. GOVINDA RAO He made the Musiri bani his own Lakshmi Sreeram he teacher is seated on a generous collecting the surplus prasadam from the sofa. Students of various ages squat temple and selling it outside. “In those on the floor, singing in hush hush days, brahmins were treated very well. PRITEESH SHA PRITEESH Ttones. Everyone’s talam is soft. No one We were given two square meals a day dares to sing loudly, yet the slightest lapse everyday for free, if we had the poonal is noted by the teacher, who identifies the (sacred thread) on. And so it was possible culprit with unerring accuracy and makes to just be a loiterer, eat at the temple and a sharp remark. First the varnam – in 4 not do anything. But we also had to be speeds (vilamba kalam, tisram, madhyama up and about early in the morning. We kalam and tisram), then kriti after kriti brahmachari-s had to go into the temple in that particular raga, each followed by at 3.30 am and help around.” many rounds of kalpana swara – until the The normal course for any male child less stout-hearted among the students Sangita Kalanidhi T.K. Govinda Rao start crying in the heart. “Ayyo porum!” in his community to follow was to join The expression “bendu nimundidum!” comes again and the Maharaja College of Sanskrit in again to mind as the next round of swaraprastara starts. Tirupunitura after completing the third form in school, The class had begun at 11 am, and at 2.30 pm, the teacher, gather the title of Kavyabhooshanam after a four year 80 years old, is still raring to go, while the students have course in Sanskrit, and then join the service of a temple! started squirming and twisting and stretching their bodies. Or run a restaurant! Shivalli brahmins are pioneers of Such is a weekend morning in the house of Sangita the world famous Udupi ‘hotels’ – vegetarian restaurants Kalanidhi T.K. Govinda Rao. known for serving typical south Indian “tiffin” items like idli, dosa, vada, and uppuma with mouth watering varieties Torchbearer of the exquisite Musiri bani, TKG is justly of chutney and aromatic sambar. proud of his lineage. At 80, he has a sharp mind and ear, and, until a recent health setback, he spent a few hours TKG took his Kavya Bhooshanam as expected but did working on the computer each day compiling his fifth not take up service in any temple, for the music bug had book of compositions. His work in bringing out volumes bitten him. His two elder sisters had a music teacher of the compositions of Carnatic music composers with coming to teach them and TKG, with his natural flair notations transcribed in both Devanagari and diacritical for music, absorbed the songs and was able to sing all of Roman scripts is a monumental achievement. them. Soon he had a repertoire of about 35 varnam-s and 50 odd kriti-s. His family was largely innocent of his Back from a trip to the U.S.A., his first stop the Cleveland forays into music until a competition in the Chitra Aradhana, he settles quietly for an interview. “I am not a Music Festival, organised in Trivandrum. TKG, then Rao actually”, he says laughing. “I was not comfortable about 10 years of age, insisted on participating in it, being called Govinda! Govinda! When something is gone much to the bemusement of his elder brother. “But or lost we say Govinda, you know! And so I decided to what do you know of music?” he said, trying to dissuade add the title Rao after my name; it seemed more dignified. his younger brother from making a fool of himself. But Actually, we are Shivalli (pronounced sheevalli) Brahmins, TKG was determined. Enter the competition he did and originally from Udupi but setttled for generations in shocked his family by winning the first prize and a gold Kerala.” medal! Prof. R. Srinivasan of the Travancore Broadcasting Born 21st April 1929 to Krishnan Ebrandiri and Corporation was one of the judges. He arranged for the Kamalamma, Govinda was one of eight children growing lad to sing on the radio. For his efforts, TKG was paid the up in his family home on erstwhile Cochin Street of grand sum of 30 rupees. This is perhaps what set him on Tirupunitura. His childhood was spent in and around the course to becoming the accomplished musician he is the Poornatrayeesa temple in Triupunitura, where his today, as his family had to consent to his taking to music uncle was an adhikari. His father was in the business of seriously after his early success. 11 l SRUTI July 2010.