First Lady of Nagaswaram

[sridhar_ranga]

Just read in a vernacular daily that Madurai M.S. Ponnuthayi, 83, one of the earliest lady nagaswaram players, passed away today.

Earlier Hindu article: http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article423204.ece

[satyabalu]

*Any recording available.
*Anything we can do to his grandson.
*What a cheerful face!

[mahavishnu]

sridhar_rang: thanks for posting this.
I am embarrassed to say that I had no idea about this vidushi till just now.

Terribly sorry to hear that she passed away.

[rshankar]

Wow! Thank you Sridhar. I hope the concerts she played for AIR Trichy survive in their archives and can be released commercially. Otherwise, I doubt very much if the likes of us can get to listen to her.

[thanjavooran]

Very sad news. In one interview to a magazine she mentioned that she had stopped playing the marriage concerts after the demise of her husband. May her soul rest in peace.

Thanjavooran 18 01 2012

[cmlover]

I have heard her several times 60years ago in temple concerts. She used to draw huge crowds being the only female nadaswaram player. I wonder whether she was ever recognized through awards by the CM community? Sorry to hear about her demise.
May her soul rest in peace...

[PUNARVASU]

One of the gr8 artists of the instrument! May her soul rest in peace.

[ganeshkant]

I think she was honored with 'kalaimAmaNi' by T.N govt.I know there is a film by her name 'pudhupatti ponnuthayee'; though it is a film about a female nAgaswara vidhushi it is not her story.

Now a days I see more women taking to palying nAgaswaram.

May her soul rest in peace ( but,when is the soul not at peace?)

[arasi]

'When is the soul at peace?
With music, music, music. In her case, even more so, her playing for the gods while she was alive, and perhaps now as well...

Though I don't remember hearing her more than once, her face and smile in the picture hasn't changed, after all those years!
If anyone starts a Ponnuthai memorial and arranges nAdaswaram concerts every year, we rasikas can contribute...

[Nick H]

What a wonderful photograph of a wonderful lady.

[cmlover]

Quoting from
http://sampspeak.blogspot.com/2012/01/n ... asses.html
Her husband's death rang a death knell to her art in 1972. Nagaswaram being a musical instrument played during auspicious occasions, Ponnuthai as a widow was relegated as ‘inauspicious.' And her last days were spent in penury with a paltry pension, supported her by only son. The first lady of Nadhaswaram had to accept life philosophically.

..Poignant indeed : how CM Society and Govt has treated the vidwans

[fduddy]

Quoting from
http://sampspeak.blogspot.com/2012/01/n ... asses.html
Her husband's death rang a death knell to her art in 1972. Nagaswaram being a musical instrument played during auspicious occasions, Ponnuthai as a widow was relegated as ‘inauspicious.' And her last days were spent in penury with a paltry pension, supported her by only son. The first lady of Nadhaswaram had to accept life philosophically.

..Poignant indeed : how CM Society and Govt has treated the vidwans

Instead of taking a dig at the way the artist has been treated (which in no way I disagree with you), it would have been more appropriate if you had qustioned our ill founded superstition, beliefs blah blah blah. This perhaps hurts people more than a monetary support. Had we not been stumped by these stupid beliefs she would have had opportunities and earned some income from performing.

[cmlover]

Absolutely!

Blind superstitions had been the bane of our society for ages..

[tkb]

our sincere condolence and feel sad for the above mentioned superstitions and its effect on this artiste.

[sridhar_ranga]

Here is an article from the nostalgia section ("pokkisham") of the current issue of Tamil weekly, Ananda Vikatan. The original article had been published in February 1990. Ananda Vikatan requires paid subscription for the online edition.

http://www.vikatan.com/article.php?aid= ... d=635829&#


A few excerpts (Translation mine):

Tears of a Kalaimamani

The thousands of people assembled in the majestic Ramarayar Mandapam by the Vaigai’s banks had a surprise. It was Chittirai festival time in Madurai and the Mohini Alankaram darshan (of Lord Kallazhagar, the presiding deity of azhagar Koil who makes a sojourn to Madurai during the festival) was about to take place. In came a 9 year old girl, with a gait like a temple car’s, not even as tall as her nadaswaram, to start her musical journey. The mELam players (common term for players of nadaswaram & tavil) present were wonder-struck at a tender girl's playing of the ‘asura vAdyam’, with such fidelity to shruti and perfect breath control. They were convinced that goddess saraswati had specially blessed the child.

More than forty years have gone by since this event. Ponnuthayi, who was the first (woman/girl) to lay her hands on a nadaswaram in the southern districts, had become a popular player of the instrument in Tamilnadu before the age of twelve. The Ramanavami cultural festival of Secunderabad, Shanmukhananda sabha of Bombay, and music sabhas of Sri Lanka and Malaysia welcomed and honoured her. Prime Minister Nehru and President Radhakrishnan were enthralled by her performance and presented her gold medals.

Thus Ponnuthayi carried on for thirty years bestowing respect on Wind through her nagaswaram playing, but from 1972 she started avoiding public events. Later her music was heard on radio off and on. Then that too stopped. For the last ten years there has been no word on her. When everybody had all but forgotten her, the TV serial ‘Ragam Talam Pallavi’ on Madras Doordarshan carried a dialog to the effect that one of the characters was blessed to become as famous as Madurai Ponnuthayi ammal.

We wanted to find out what happened to Ponnuthayi. There was no information of her whereabouts. A few even told us that it has been years since the lady had passed away. But surprise! Last month’s Kalaimamani awardees list of the Govt of Tamil Nadu included Madurai Ponnuthayi’s name. So we restarted our search, and came to know that Ponnuthayi, who once lived a grand life, was living in penury in a small outhouse of a relative’s property in Bharati Street, Pudur, Madurai.

A modest house. Beside it ran a narrow path fenced off by thorny acacia (seemai karuvela) twigs, down which was a hut with an asbestos roof with a cattle shed nearby. We expected to see a nadaswaram occupying pride of place in a corner of Ponnuthayi’s residence. No. “If I keep it here it will be eaten away by rats and termites. So I am keeping it safe in the neighbour’s house. It is in good condition. Here, let me bring it” said Ponnuthayi. When she came back with the nadaswaram, she was sporting a new pair of shiny ear rings. “I did say I don’t want it, but they insisted that I should not pose for photographs with bare ears” said she with a smile. Again she smiled when telling us that she had more than hundred sovereigns of jewellery alone, and had won 23 gold medals, but now was left with nothing.

With eyes already dwelling in the past, she said “I had taken up nadaswaram at age nine, even before I came of age. Back then not a single woman played nadaswaram south of Trichy. Everyone was so surprised to see me play. My first guru was Natesa Pillai, father of Madurai Sethuraman and Ponnusami. Me, Sethuraman, Ponnusami, Tirumogur Muniyandi, Azhagu Sundaram who later became Astana Vidwan of Minakshi temple – together all of us learnt ‘nAyanam’ from Natesa Pillai. I used to do intense saadakam, like ‘aDai mazhai’ (incessant rains).” A few jealous people will try to spoil it all by taunting my guru for teaching a girl.

“Our family was well off then. That’s why I could practice so well, that even as a full term pregnant woman I could lift the nadaswaram and play all-night kutcheris. At times I even received 3000 Rupees per concert. In Kollam (Quilon), six months of the year starting from the beginning of kaartikai (Vrischikam) till the 10th day of chittirai (Medam) used to be a good season and I would stay there for all six months and travel to nearby places for concerts.

“My elder sister Thangam and I got married in 1953 to Chidambara Mudaliyar, Municipal chairman of Madurai. My husband was an MLC for three continuous terms. A very wealthy family. He never stopped me from giving concerts and playing all nights in them. Our house was named ‘Thangam-Pon Illam’. At any time we would have twenty to thirty guests staying.”

Ponnuthayi became silent for a few moments and her eyes welled up with tears. “My husband passed away in 1972, and with that musical life came to an end”

Why couldn’t you simply continue playing, we asked dumbly.

“Nadaswaram and Melam are auspicious instruments (mangala vadyam). I had earned my fame playing in temple festivals and marriages, so after my husband’s death it was impossible to play in such functions. The people would not accept an ‘inauspicious’ woman playing for auspicious occasions. Many complained behind my back. I vowed never to take up the nadaswaram again and kept to myself. Then there was a partition of the family property, and I started living by selling off my share. Slowly we came into difficult times. I was invited to play for the Radio. So I continued playing. Till 1979 they gave me one-hour concerts. All of a sudden they demanded that I should play in split half-hour slots in the morning and evening, like a junior artiste. I refused. After that they stopped calling me.

“Once a year, I dust off my nadaswaram on saraswati puja day and play for a while. That’s it. I married off my two daughters by melting all my 23 medals to make jewellery. One son committed suicide. Another son gets by as an astrologer. Life is really hard

“I played nadaswaram for Gandhi museum’s inauguration, the second World Tamil conference, even M.S. Viswanathan’s wedding. In the three years I was head of Nadaswaram artistes association, I ensured that many artistes got government housing plots. They gave me one too but since I was well off then, I declined it. Now for the last ten years, due to my suffering, I sent petition after petition to the Government for helping me. Nothing happened. I simply can’t go to any individual for help. Money and comforts are gone, but my pride and the music that remains in me are too important to me. That’s why I am living here, away from the eyes of everyone. I have no one to make recommendations on my behalf, or any political connections.

“Last year, Madurai Somu had heard about my current state, and was greatly agitated. He wrote to me assuring me that I would get the Kalaimamani award this year and asking me to have courage. I did not have much hope. Who would give me (the award) long after my time is gone, I thought. Then they said that there was an announcement in the newspapers. But Somu annan, who had recommended me for the award, was no longer alive when I got it” said Ponnuthayi with misty eyes.

Wiping the dust off her nadaswaram, she put it to her lips. The same gambheeram, the same stylishness. As her ten fingers closed the different holes of the instrument so gently, out flowed the same flawless music from a pliant nadaswaram.

[uday_shankar]

The story of this lady, who I am ashamed from the bottom of my heart I didn't know about, is so poignant.

This is a 19th century story of widow ostracization that played out into the late 20th century and into the 21st. What a primitive culture we live in .

[arasi]

Sridhar,
Thanks for taking the trouble to translate the article.
What a tragic life for a fine artiste, that too a woman! peNNenRu bUmitanil piRandu viTTAi, ponnuththAi, and your troubles multiplied!

This is the moment when we have to stop and think how we can help. If any reputable organization starts an annual festival in her name, the public can contribute to honor an elderly nadaswaram player every year and present him/her with a purse.

[Nick H]

Thank you so much for your beautiful translation, albeit of a sad story.

What a pity we hear of these things too late to do anything about it, but, as Arasi says, we can at least honour the memory.

[cmlover]

Thanks sridhar_rang
for that masterful translation.
I have heard Mu Ka comes from Nadaswaram Vidwan family. Wonder why he did not help!
Any way too late now!
Her majestic Temple playing still resonates in my ears.. and it ever will!

[rshankar]

Sridhar, what a poignant story! Thank you for translating it...a labor of love, I am sure.

[mahavishnu]

sridhar, thank you for the translation. I wonder if there are any recordings of hers that are available in the public domain.

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks Sridhar. Excellent translation.

Quite a sad story indeed. This was originally published in 1990. I wonder if anyone did anything in the past 20 years, after Ananda Vikatan brought out this story. At least she could have been given that plot of land. She was still in her early 60s then.

The sad reality is, there are many more Ponnuthayis from different walks of life whose stories are not told publicly. In one such instance that I was involved with closely, I helped out as much as I could for the better part of his last fifteen years. If nothing happened for Ponnuthayi even after the AV story, what are the chances of getting anything done for others?

[bilahari]

These are touching articles. Sridhar, thank you for your lovely translation.

[srikant1987]

Thank you for your translation, Sridhar. I haven't read the original (it'll be an ordeal for me ). Wish there were more "routine" concerts of nAgaswaram, as opposed to almost exclusively "mangala isai" and temple / wedding music ...

[bilahari]

I agree. The relegation of the nAdaswaram to "mangaLa isai" is really a terrible thing.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I came across a Nagaswaram playing couple at a wedding in Chennai last year. Though the lady had lot of potential, they played only tailor-made/popular pieces and even said people do not look forward for weighty numbers from a female piper!

Now the report on Ponnuthayi makes me feel she could easily be another!

I couldn't get the details of the artist then.