Vinayaka / Pillayar kriti to begin a concert

[Sivaramakrishnan]

The traditional way of beginning a concert with a composition on Lord Ganesa (Pillaiyar or Vinayakar)seems to be waning these days. Customarily a Varnam would open the recital, followed by a kriti on vinayaka.
Recent past has witnessed several variations in the formula like opening with a kriti in Naata / Hamsadhwani /Mayamalavagoula not necessarily on Ganesa (eg. Jaya jaya Jaya Janaki kaantha / Raghunayaka /Deva deva kalayami).

I came across an instance where the Pallavi of Dikshitar kriti Mahaganapathim was sung for mike testing and the singer did not have the 'courtesy' to complete the song after the curtains were drawn.

Some have adopted the easy way of reciting a sloka like 'Vakratunda Mahaakaaya' in a minute and proceed with their chosen iterinary!

I have often heard old timers skipping Vinayaka kriti but ensured they began with a Varnam.

Is there any Varnam in praise of Lord Ganesa that would satisfy the dual noble ideals?

[shankarank]

With his sibling, you can find a suitable SRngAra line. For a brahmhachAri where can you get one. So a vARNAM wouldn't make sense. But there may be one as there are always things that don't make sense!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFvzduRQNBw

http://www.kaumaram.com/thiru/nnt0964_u.html

மலைமேவு மாயக் குறமாதின் ... வள்ளிமலையிலே வாழ்ந்த,
ஆச்சரியத் தோற்றம் கொண்ட, குறப்பெண்ணாம் வள்ளியின்

மனமேவு வாலக் குமரேசா ... மனத்திலே வீற்றிருக்கும்
இளைஞனாம் குமரேசனே,

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Thanks for the input, shankaran.
Yes, we do have several varnams of the non-- shringara type.

[CRama]

Yes, Till the recent past, concerts used to be started with a varnam and/or a Pillyar kriti. In those days also there are many instances where SSI will start with a kriti in Mayamalavagowla- mostly Devadeva kalayami the, or GNB and MMI will start with Telisirama. MMI or TVS never started with a varnam. But generally they adhered to a discipline. TNS has started a few concerts with Sree Gananadha- the Malahari Geetham- to take Geetham to the katcheri medai from the paattu class. But nowadays the trend is anything can be done. So a concert will sometimes start with Brovavamma or Marivergathi in a very sombre mood.

Another valuable reason for doing away with a Pillayar kriti may be the shrinkage of the concert duration.

[sr_iyer]

Is there any Varnam in praise of Lord Ganesa that would satisfy the dual noble ideals?

Two varnams which are occasionally sung in concerts themed on Lord Ganesha are vallabhai nAyaka - mohanakalyani, composed by Sri Lalgudi and ninnE neranammiti gaNanAyaka - kharaharapriyA composed by Sri Balamuralikrishna.

Lyrics for these, from this forum are at
viewtopic.php?t=29588
viewtopic.php?t=16940

I think there may be some more on the same theme (if we went through varnam compendiums of Sri BM Sundaram or Sri TKG)

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Thanks Iyer for the valuable links. I request the young musicians to take note. The Mohanakalyani Varnam is of course popular.

CRama has reminded us of some beautiful initiatives by TNS. I have heard his Malahari (Sree gana natha)and the Mohana Varnam (ninukori) in his concerts.

I wonder why Geetams like Sambasivayanave (an exquisite Khamas, this) can't be sung in concerts in place of varnams?

[ajaysimha]

nice thread @Sivaramakrishnan,

CRama has reminded us of some beautiful initiatives by TNS. I have heard his Malahari (Sree gana natha)and the Mohana Varnam (ninukori) in his concerts.

Sree gananatha in Malahari by TNS:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMFNubTlNys

I wonder why Geetams like Sambasivayanave (an exquisite Khamas, this) can't be sung in concerts in place of varnams?

Sambasivayanave is a swarajathi and is taught under abhayasa ganam, even i feel that this piece is eligible for concerts

Yes, we do have several varnams of the non-- shringara type.

i have heard people also call sringaram as madhura-bhakthi
most(in fact all) of the pre-trinity-period varnams are shringara based.
sri lalgudi jayaraman has given a new dimension to varnams by
composing around 15 varnams in pure bhakthi.

now coming to actual subject:

i feel our musical concert paddathi should not start without praying to lord ganesha
the other similar art forms still have the practice of starting with the ganesha stuti like
bhajana sampradaya(Mooshikavahana...) and bharathanatya/kuchipudi/mohiniattam/kathakkali(start with a ganesha shloka or a stuti or sometimes a krithi) and also the drama/natakam(eg. gajavadana beduve in kannada)

in fact even the old movies started with a ganesha idol and some instrumental bgm.


allmost all the composers have paid tribute to ganesha


by oothukkadu venkata kavi that fits the nattai theme,
>Ānanda nartana Nāṭṭai
>Shree vighnarājam Gambheeranāṭṭai

by Muthuswami Deekshithar
>Deekshithar has composed 16 krithis on lord ganesh which are grouped as Shodasa Ganapathi Krithis

by thyagarajar
>the popular 'sri ganapathini ' in sourashtra
which is a start to ghana pacharatha in some schools
in addition to the nattai/hamsadwani , i have seen artists starting with sourashtra.
one more theme where the start is sourashtra(sri ganapathini) and even the end is sourashtra(mangalam)

[HarishankarK]

There is a rare tamizh varnam Mayamalavagowla
Om Pranava vimala ganapathi ninadu taalinai
It's very nice with a nice brisk tempo
But no one sings it-could be from dance repertoire

[rbharath]

There is a rare tamizh varnam Mayamalavagowla
Om Pranava vimala ganapathi ninadu taalinai
It's very nice with a nice brisk tempo
But no one sings it-could be from dance repertoire

have heard Sudha Raghunathan sing this varnam at concerts.

[Lakshman]

Here is a comprehensive list of varNAS on gaNEsha:

Anai mukhanE ADum haran (tv). rAgA: sarasvati. Adi tALA. Composer: M.Ranganayaki.
Anai mukhanE un pAdamE (tv). rAgA: kanakAngi. Adi tALA. Composer: T.K.Govinda Rao.
Ananda mahA gaNapatE (tv). rAgA: simhEndramadhyam. Adi tALA. Compoer: GitamaniT.M.Thiagarajan.
aruLvAi gajamAmukha (pv). rAgA: jaganmOhini. Adi tALA. Composer: Kumbakonam K.V.Shrinivasa Avadhani.
dvaimAtura smarisu (tv). rAgA: nATa. Adi tALA. Composer: Lalita Navile.
gajAnanAya namastE (tv). rAgA: shankarAbharaNam. rUpaka tALa. Composer: Ambi Dikshitar.
gajavadana nine (tv). rAgA: mAyAmALavagauLa. Adi tALA. Composere: Rashipuram Venkatapati.
gaNanAthA nin (tv). rAgA: gauLa. Adi tALA. Composer: Mayuram Vishvanatha Shastri.
gaNanAthA nIyE (tv). rAgA: dEvagAndhAri. Adi tALA. Composer: T.R.Subramaniam.
gaNanAyaka vAraNamukha (tv). rAgA: sunAdavinOdini. Adi tALA. Composer: N.S.Ramachandran.
gaNanAyakanE tuNai (ghana, navarAga varNa). Adi tALA. Composer: Suguna Purushothaman.
mA vallabha gaNapatiyE (tv). rAgA: hamsanAda. Adi tALA. Composer: Tirupur R.Subramaniam.
mahAgaNapatE namastE (tv). rAgA: jayantashrI. Adi tALA. Composer: G.N.Dandapani.
mangaLa vara gaNapati (tv). rAgA: hamsadhvani. Adi tALA. Composer: S.Kalyanaraman.
mangaLakara vinAyaka (tv). rAgA: AbhOgi. k/tripuTa tALA. Composer: Gitamani/T.M.Thiagarajan.
nAda tanuvara gaNEsha (tv). rAgA: lalitA. Adi tALA. Composer: Vasudevanallur Subbiah Bhagavatar.
Om gaNapati jagam (tv). rAgA: jaganmOhini. t/tripuTa tALA. Composer: C.S.Natarajasundaram Pillai.
Om praNava vimala ( pv). rAgA: mAyAmALavagauLa. Adi tALA. Composer: K.Natesa Pillai./Krishnamurti Pillai?
OmkAra nAdalOla. rAgA: OmkAra. Adi tALA. Composer: C.Honnappa Bhagavatar.
shambhu kumAranE (tv). rAgA: malahari. Adi tALA. Composer: Pattamadai Krishna Iyer.
sharaNam sharanam gaNapatiyE (tv). rAgA: shuddhasAvEri. Adi tALA. Tanjavur Shankara Iyer.
shrI gajAnana sakala (tv). rAgA: SaNmukhapriyA. Adi tALA. Composer: Lalita nAvile.
shrI gaNanThA un pAdamE (tv). rAgA: SaNmukhapriyA. Adi tALA. Composer: M.Chandrashekharan.
shrI kumAra sOdaram (tv). rAgA: latAngi. Adi tALA. Composer: T.K.Govinda Rao.
shrI mahA gaNapatE (tv). rAgA: kAmbhOji. k/aTa tALA. Composer: Muttiah Bhagavatar.
shrI mahA gaNapatini (tv). rAgA: nATa. Adi tALA. Composer: Kumbkonam K.V.Shrinivasa Avadhani.
sundara vinAyakanE (tv). rAgA: bauLi. Adi tALA. Composer: Gitamani/T.M.Thiagarajan.
vandE shrI vinAyakam (tv). rAgA: balahamsa. k/tripuTa tALA. Composer: Krishna Sharma.
vAraNa mukha gaNapatiyE (tv). rAgA: rudrapriyA. k/aTa tALA. Composer: Gitamani/T.M.Thiagarajan.
vAraNa mukhanE (pv). rAgA: nATakuranji. Adi tALA. T.V.Gopalakrishnan.
vAraNa mukhanE (tv). rAgA: gambhIranATa. Adi tALA. Composer: Nagarkovil M.S.Muttapa Bhagavatar.
vAraNa vadanam (maNipravALa) (tv). rAgA: kAnaDA. Adi tALA. Composer: Lalita Navile.
vighnEshvaram bhajE (tv). rAgA: amrtavarSiNi. Adi tALA. Composer: S.V.Seshadri.
vINA gAnapriyE shrIpriyE (tv). rAgA: rasikapriyA. Adi tALA. Chandrapothar.
vINA gAnapriyE surapUjitE (tv). rAgA: tODi. Adi tALA. Composer: Vinai Shesha Iyer.
vinAyakA sharaNam (tv). rAgA: kalyANavasanta. Adi tALA. Composer: T.M.Thiagarajan.
yasya gaNAdhipatE (tv). rAgA: saurASTra. Adi tALA. Composer: Vasudevanallur Subbiah Bhagavatar.

[CRama]

Today morning in Madras A, Violin Vidwan M.Chandrasekharan sang his own varnam on Ganapathy in Shanmugapriya. Forgot the staring lines.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

It is a nice information from CRama that Sri M Chandrasekharan has too composed a Varnam on Lord Ganesa and he presented it in his vocal broadcast from Chennai (A) today morning. Though I listened to the programme I could not concentrate on the relay.

The list given by Lakshman seems to contain many uruppadi-s used in dance recitals.