Thiru Dakshinamurthy Pillai of Pudukottai

[Raja Chandra]

First happy new year to all rasikas and friends.

After seeing Thiru Dakshinamoorti pillai 's photo in the intro page, i was promted to post this article by the famous E.Krishna Iyer many decades ago:

DAKSHINAMURTHI PILLAI by E.Krishna Iyer

He who invented the Mridanga ought to have been a rare genius is the opinion of an illustrious scientist of our country, interested in research work in sound. Percussion instruments in music in this county are numerous and among them the ‘mridanga’ is the best. Even as the Veena, is associated with Goddess Saraswathi and "the flute with the Divine Krishna so is Mridanga coupled with the name of Lord Nandikeswara. It’s a wooden cylindrical hollow, tapering towards the ends and covered on both sides with tight-fitting leather. The sounds that are produced there from are very pleasing and interesting. For any really enjoyable music you do not require more than a tambura and mridanga as accompaniments and if necessary you may have another stringed instrument as a matter of some relief. The mridanga is capable of being tuned to the sruthi and when in perfect tune its nada or sound invariably brings in that gripping musical atmosphere or melakattu which enables the musician to go through his performance with a swing. It is also capable of giving out a pleasing variety of sweet sounds including the humkara which as an undertone adds not a little to the richness of its music. It has been and is even now, the chief accompaniment in tala in South Indian musical concerts and Mridangam experts of great skill and ability are not a few at the present day and three perhaps among them appear to stand out most conspicuously for their wide and universal renown.

Accompaniments in any system of music are intended to follow and help the principal musician and embellish the music of the concert. But, curiously enough, accompanists in the South India particularly of the tala variety of late have been allowed to develop to such monstrous proportions as to become fighting rivals to the principal musician on the platform with their killing acrobatics and inordinate solo displays. It need hardly be said that the major portion of the audience do not and cannot follow the technique and intricacies of such performances. But all the same, the cheers of the audience are ready and vociferous in proportion to the vitiating taste of the gallery and the length and noisiness of the display. One Mridangam is a sufficient tala accompaniment for any concert. Add to this a number of other accompaniments like kanjeera, dolak, a moorsing and koonakole - and you have
a regular circus of performance Of the lion, tiger, bear, wolf and all other wild animals vociferously brawling and fighting with one another With the poor lamb of a vocalist quivering in their midst and the heart and soul Of Indian music - Melody and Ragabhava - dished up beyond redemption. The tala enthusiasts have stopped short of only one climax, namely that of having a kanjeera or mridanga a solo in the place of vocal music for a concert. It will be no surprise if some commercial genius were to take up that idea seriously and put up such shows. The vitiated tastes would, have grown worse but for the timely staying hand of the All India Music Conference of 1927 and the renaissance it ushered in. It is an irony that while the North Indian mind delights in having more than one stringed instrument to enrich the exquisite melody of its music, the South Indian taste – fortunately for a time only – reveled in putting upon the platform a number of percussion instruments and accompaniments
of the unmusical variety to kill with their noise even the little melody of the poor voice of the average musician.

Not much purpose will be served by asking the why and how of this excessive development of the tala aspect. Suffice it to say that with the passing away Of the great masters of yore and their habit of having their own agreeable set of accompaniments and keeping them in their proper, place, accompanists from distant places, with differing tastes, temperaments and training came to be clubbed together and each had his mind on winning laurels for himself at the expense of the other. Instead of being co-operators they developed into serious competitors and in the general melee, the tala giants gained the upper hand in the kingdom of music. The transfer of patronage from knowing, princes and patricians to the motley crowd of the street left them free from any healthy control and they began to reign supreme. They did not and could not mind if the goddess of good, melodious and. enjoyable music, bereft of the harmonious and subordinate co-operation of her accompaniments, abdicated her throne for the confused noise of the fighting elements that strutted on the stage in the name of science.

The unthinking crowds always cheer their heroes of the fight whether in war or in music. As is the supply so is the demand and Vice Versa. It is a vicious circle. In turn it reacted on the music of the vocalists who in their struggle to hold their own against the onslaughts of the redoubtable drummers had to lose their raga bhava for a better grip over tala. The situation created in turn a type of master-mind among vocalists which in its desire to conquer the tala giants did gain its object to some extent but well nigh lost the soul - namely that of ragabhava.

The success and popularity of a musical concert should ordinarily depend upon the standing and ability of the principal vocalist. But in South- India it is noted for their depending mainly and sometimes solely upon the name of a tala a accompanist and he is no other than Mr. Dakshina moorti Pillai of Pudukotah. He is the virtual ruler of any music concert of note and he ensures a 'crowded house. Perhaps in his field none deserves that position more than he. He is a born genius in and master over the laya aspect in music. Perhaps his fee is rather high for an accompanist. But none grudges to pay him and his presence pays in turn.

About fifty eight years of age, well-built in constitution and rather dark of complexion with a round crop of short hair covering the top of his skull and holy ashes adorning
his forehead, he meets you with his joint palms uplifted, and with his never failing Andavan on his lips, and enlightens you with his quaint humour and broad smile. He has to be studied in two stages -the earlier Dakshina moorthi, the dominant autocrat of the concert platform with his redoubtable kanjeera and the later figure with his wonderful touches in mridanga, a true accompanist, guide and helper in a concert.

He was born of a Vellala family at Pudukkotah in December 1875. His father (Ramaswami Pillai) and grandfather have been in charge of the treasury and his uncle Yoganandaswami was a palace doctor in that State. Till his age of eighteen or nineteen he appears to have spent his life roaming about without aim or avocation except taking pleasure in driving carts. Subsequently he was taken into military service where he was for about three years and acted also as aid-de-camp to the then ruling prince. It was during this period that his instinct for tala began, to show itself out and he is said to have delighted his friends by playing tala jathis on his military cap among other things. That led him to learn ghatam play under a 'Pandaram' and he appears to have practiced it till about twenty five years of age. Coming then under the influence of Manpudia Pillai - the founder of the race of tala giants - he learnt the secrets of the trade as a tala accompanist in Mridangam and Kanjeera and mastered his art therein.

It is with the last mentioned instrument that his name was for long identified. It may be said that what Manpudia Pillai began in kanjeera Dakshinamoorthi brought to perfection. If the guru showed to the world that there was an instrument like that capable 0f being adopted as an accompaniment in a musical concert the disciple demonstrated the highest possibilities of the same.

If to connoisseurs of real art, the kanjeera appeals to be more a nuisance than a musical instrument, it is not the fault of Mr. Pillai but the uninviting nature of the instrument-like a bad voice. It is a round bowl with its flat bottom made of the tough skin of the wall lizard and a few bells attached to the frame of the bowl. Except noises of varying degrees it has not much music of its own; nor is it capable of being perfectly tuned to any sruthi though an occasionally mild stroke may appear to approach it. If blind enthusiasts tell you that in the hands of this and that expert it shows wonderful musical sounds, you may take it to be a kind of sentimentality and self-delusion and a sad commentary on South Indian idea of melody in music. If you give a hard chapu on it, the sound will it resemble somewhat the explosion of a wall cracker. At best the manipulation of a kind of swift nereval combined with the jingling of the bells in it, is perhaps the most appreciable and when played in combination with mridnagam within limits it creates an agreeable sensation. In fact some varities of

Rhythmic elaboration in carnatic music are such as to appear exceedingly interesting even if they are played on such materials as the wooden pieces of singing beggars. But tat should not be confused with the requisites of an accompaniment in the highly refined music of the concert platform, which is intended to embellish the art of the principal musician. No instrument can have a place as such accompaniment unless the musical quality of its sounds is so intrinsically good as to add to the melody, resonance and richness of the concert music and the most sentimental lover of the kanjeera cannot claim such virtues for it. Dakshinamoorthi himself has no illusions about it. It is with an instrument of such unedifying qualities that that he had to show his genius and he did show it though how far the instrument enabled him to embellish concert with melody and resonance might have been a debatable point. Even in the ‘circus’ performances he used to be the dominant leader. Of course more than anybody else he shared in the then prevailing urge to prove his worth and invincible mettle among the gladiators of the concert ring. He was thorough in what he did and won the unfailing applause of admiring crowds. A combination of his kanjeera and Algaunambia Pillai’ s mridanga however had been for long an attractive features and the most paying element of musical concerts.

It is with no ordinary relief and pleasure that music lovers have watched and welcomed his taking up of the mridanga for the display of his talents. Though he has not given up the kanjeera for good, he is now seen to handle the mridanga more than the other. Though for some time, his handling of this instrument too was a little hard he has of late developed nice and appreciable touches leaving off most of his youthful excesses and fighting tendencies. Not infrequently he is found to manipulate the sounds of his instrument to match the varied sangathis of the vocalist. Paradoxically enough or as an exception he who used to rule over circus, performances with the noisy kanjeera has, also been seen often to be capable of such mellow playing on mridanga as, to adjust himself to the Veena performances of the Karaikudi Brothers.

For one thing, his precision and mastery over tala is, unmistakable. Few have got as sure a Kala Nirnaya as he; and it is unshakable even in the midst of the most labrynthian intricacies of a Pallavi or Swaraprasthara. To this precision and mastery, he adds a deftness of execution which is marvelous. He can develop and display his
laya-vinyasa in the speediest manner possible with ease; and at times he carries on 1ong avarthas with bare strokes far between, which not infrequently are the bugbear of slipshod vocalist. You can never catch him napping or slipping and he is all alert. He puts his heart and soul in to his play and loses himself in it. His theermanams or finishes are crisp and of an interesting variety, from the simple to the elaborate and subtle. His solo displays are invariably instructive and interesting scintillating jathi or nada bedhas and nerevals.

But he is also subject to changing moods, and is not without enjoyable eccentricities. He would now appear to follow his principal closely with mild teka, then scare him with hard strokes far between, Or throw across him surprising hurdles of rhythmic variations, at times bluff him with an empty wave of His hand when You Would expect a stroke and sometimes drown everything else in continuous and reverberating cascade of an elaborate nereval and tha-thin-gi-na-thoms with rolling eyes and assertive turns of the head all around and humming a characteristic under tune of enjoyment all along. He ha no patience with those who are slippery or shaky in tala; and if' he finds the principal musician one such he makes mince meat of him.

He is now on the whole a true accompanist following the principal musician neatly, crisply and with, simple touches.

In the best of his moods his touches on mridanga are sweet and superb, and you will wonder whether it is the same Dakshinamoorthi of the reverberating kanjeera of former years. It may be a surprise to many to know that he has no sympathy with unnatural pallavis and their outlandish starting points and excessive Tha thing ina-thoms; and that he is advising his disciples to avoid excesses and also to try to follow the chief musician as much as possible. Whether it is the result of his innate good tastes, or his bhakthi on Lord Muruga or the new spirit of the present renaissance or a shrewd understanding of his business side to suit himself to changing tastes. Dakshinamoorthi of the present day is different from the self-same'
person of a decade back. Perhaps he is a product of his environments.

Religious by temperament, he is said to have spent much of his earnings on charitable purposes. In private and on the platform he has a fund of humour. While playing his instrument he shows visible enjoyment of the music of the principal artist. You can rarely draw him to a discussion on the lakshana aspect of his art; and he can never be persuaded to take part in a conference, discussion or controversy in music. He will invariably tell you that "Andavan" has intended him only to exhibit what art he knows and not to concern himself with other things which ought to be left to the vocalists, vainikas and the like.

When all is said Dakshinamooithi has been the dominant figure and leading luminary for long in Kanjeera and Mridanga and perhaps he is a type in him self in the combination of genius, merits, defects and eccentricities. If you want a paying performance from the point of view of gate collections even at the present day you cannot but think of him first and foremost.

[srkris]

That is a very informative post, particularly as it comes from an old-timer and written most probably before 1935. Thanks.

[Raja Chandra]

Hi chembai,

You right. It was written in 1933 !

[Nick H]

At first, I felt I would not have the patience to read to the end of what we, in the internet age, would describe as a rant!

I wondered long if all he was going to do was to mention is passing the name of the principal character, whilst attacking soundly all and everything to do with percussion accompaniment.

I even wondered if here was the man who founded the sad custom of walking out at the start of the thani....

How glad I am that I did not abandon his solo --- for it turned into a gem of an appreciation of a name I have only really heard as a mention in the history of PSP.

Many thanks for a fantastic article!

[kanjira]

Man!!! what a command on the language even during the 1930's. I could not understand half of that article and would have referred the dictionary atleast a 1000 times. Was Dakshinamoorthy Pilla's concert ever recorded? Do we atleast have one?

[rshankar]

Kanjira,

E. Krishna Iyer, the author of the original piece was a lawyer, and so, his command over the language is not surprising! The art world in general, and the world of dance in particular owes him a lot, but he remains a sort of unsung savant: He was one of the people who was responsible for coining the term 'bharatanATyam' for the dance form that was called 'dAsiATTam' and was in danger o disappearing with the demolition of the dEvadAsi system, and the man who convinced MMA to include this dance form in it's annual December Season, as well as the man who learnt bharatanATyam and gave performances to demonstrate that it was a treasure trove of art that was worth fighting for and saving for posterity.

[chalanata]

is he the same gentleman who wrote 'jagajanani sukha pani kalyani...'?

[kanjira]

rshankar: Thanks for all the clarification. I'd still love to know whether we have in possession atleast one recording of Dakshinamoorthi Pillai's Kanjira?

I understand that he passed away in 1935 which was too early, but is there any such recording of his available?

[Sam Swaminathan]

Shankar....what an article !!! by the way, is he Justice E Krishna Iyer ?

[rshankar]

Sam, I am not too sure!

[arasi]

Any photographs?
Wish CML were here to chime in on him. Need I say that we miss him! Hope he gets back to the forum, as soon as he can.
No, I do not know if E. Krishnaiyer was a justice. However, I remember him to be a handsome man (short) with a smile on his face, dressed in white (khadi?)--with a small black dot on his forehead. He spoke very well. A.S.P. Iyer (another luminary from the law courts) was very popular as a speaker (very funny too), and E.Krishnaiyer was another popular one. V.C. Gopalartanam too (writer as well).

If you cut through the old fashioned style (not really, because in his days, he would have sounded quite modern!), you see how expressive E>K is. Reminded me of Hazlitt, his commentaries on the untraditional musician and the concert setting.
The scientist he refers to is C.V.Raman, I would think. In my memory, E.K was one of those individuals in the music world who had class and refinement. Haven't seen him dance though. By the time I arrived, he must have given up dancing! He presided over many dance performances in his later years when I have seen him...

[kanjira]

Why is the discussion suddenly turning towards Krishna Iyer? This is a thread for discussing Shri Dakshinamurthi Pillai right? So let's stick on to that.

If anyone has any interesting information about Dakshinamurthi Pilai or links to his recording pls post it here.

[Nick H]

It has been no discussion at all for seven months!

So what would you rather have? The thread lost in the archives of the past? Or rejuvenated by talk not only of DPl, but also of the article's author. I'd choose the latter!

I wonder how EKI would have spoken of the subsequent kanjira artists, and those of the present day? I wonder if he would have had kinder words for them. Perhaps some of you 'old timers' know?

[Sam Swaminathan]

Kanjira...please take it easy....for after all Sri Krishna Iyer has written an erudite article on a great man. There is absolutely nothing wrong in spending a few minutes on the "author" who has brought the subject matter to the fore...so go easy.... mate !!!

[prashant]

It's an interesting article - his views on the tone of the khanjira are acerbic to say the least . I wonder if khanjira construction has changed / been improved over the years.

The tone that Harishankar Sir and Nagarajan Sir produced was both assertive and pleasing [this is true even for present day khanjira vidwans like Sri Purushothaman and Sri Sreesundarkumar] - the khanjira has a ' bounciness' to it's tone that is very unique. Singing swarams, especially, to khanjira accompaniment is a great lift for any vocalist.

Could anyone share their knowledge about whether the khanjira's construction [in terms of the wood used/skin used/number of metallic pieces on the frame] has changed over time?

[Nick H]

His views on many things seem to acerbic; it really is, as I said earlier, a rant. But, of course when I first read it I had no knowledge of the man at all. It is interesting to look back with a little more education.

Of course, I do not know about Kanjira history, but pictures tend to show older instruments as deeper, perhaps smaller, and with more bells; perhaps it was more jangly? My understanding is that it was 'just' a folk instrument until DP brought it onto the concert stage. I find it hard to recognise the soft butterfly playing that I associate with Kanjira from the article.

[srkris]

I find it hard to recognise the soft butterfly playing that I associate with Kanjira from the article.

Yes but EKI's opinion of it was very likely influenced by Dakshinamurthy's accompaniment to Nayana Pillai and such others of his time whose music was not the soft & sweet kind that is widely prevalent today, specially among the men. The accompanists too were more aggressive with their instruments.

Maybe I am wrong?

[Nick H]

Interesting.

A time when performers had to fill spaces with their voices, not with amplifiers? That alone must have made a difference?

[RamLakshmanan]

Here's a picture of my Parama Guru Sri Dakshinamurthy Pillai: (Ref: An article about Sri M K Thiagaraja Bhagavatar: http://raja1630.tripod.com/mktb/id1.html)
http://raja1630.tripod.com//sitebuilder ... hycopy.jpg

Here's another rare picture of Sri Pillai in a concert with Chembai
http://bellurramki18.files.wordpress.co ... oncert.jpg

1. Flute Mali (Sri T R Mahalingam) observed that Sri Pillai was Palghat Sri Mani Iyer's manasika guru.

2. Sri Pillai spotted Chembai and played a pivotal role in his ascendancy to fame.
http://i6.tinypic.com/23raezd.jpg

"Palakkad Ramanavami Concert (1916)
Another significant event in Chembai's early career was his concert at the Ramanavami festival in Palakkad in 1916. Among those who attended the concert was Pudukkotai Dakshinamurthy Pillai. After the festival, Pillai returned to Trichy to meet the violin maestro Govindaswamy Pillai and told him of the calibre of Chembai's music. They made arrangements for a kutcheri by Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar in Trichy. Govindaswamy Pillai himself provided the violin accompaniment while Dakshinamurthy Pillai played the mridanga. The concert met Govindaswamy Pillai's expectations and Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar had the opportunity to sing at various other places, with the two Pillais themselves playing the accompaniment in most of the concerts.<ref name="cs">Chembai Selvam - Biography of Chembai written by LRV, 1954 (pg 104-109)</ref> First concert in Madras (1918)
Chembai's first concert in Madras was in 1918, at the Triplcane Sangeeta Sabha. Rasikas who had heard about the young vidwan were keenly looking forward to the event and the sale of tickets was very brisk. As the concert was about to begin, the hall was filled to capacity, with a large number restless listeners not able to gain entrance. This rose to a clamour as the concert started and the organisers had finally to keep the entrance doors open to pacify everyone. The concert, featuring as sidemen Govindaswamy Pillai on the violin, Azhagunambi Pillai on the mridanga and Dakshinamurthy Pillai on the kanjira, was an impressive effort."


3. Here's a story (http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamil ... akshmi.htm) connecting Sri Pillai and M S Subbulakshmi:

"Kunjamma (as she was known to those close to her), brought up with all the rigorous strictness that her mother could impose upon her training in art as in life, had sung at a wedding in the household of Dakshinamurthi Pillai, the venerable percussionist from Pudukkottai. The event had drawn a galaxy of artists - including the upcoming Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Rajamanickam Pillai, Rajaratnam Pillai, Palghat Mani Iyer, G.N. Balasubramaniam and the Alathur brothers.

The next day, in the midst of this starry assembly, Dakshinamurthi Pillai suddenly smote his head with vehemence. "Andavane! (oh God!) How will you save your throats for a lifetime if you engage in vocal gymnastics? Leave all that to us drummers. Singers must emphasize the raga and the bhava so that you preserve your voice and let it gain in timbre. That little girl there, she knows this already. Didn't we hear her yesterday? Wasn't it satisfying? Touch our hearts?" At that public praise, Kunjamma shrank even more behind her mother in the corner."


4. Here's what one site (http://www.saigan.com/heritage/music/garlandd.htm) says about Sri Pillai's life history:

"PUDUKOTTAI DAKSHINAMURTHI PILLAI - PERCUSSIONIST WIZARD.............(1875-1937)
Born on December 30, 1875 (one authority mentions 1877), of Ramaswami Pillai, Dakshinamurthi Pillai was a good for nothing lad till eighteen. Entered service at Pudukottai and served as guard at the Palace for three years. Learnt ghatam from a Pandaram and mridangam under Tanjore Narayanaswami Appa and at his age of twenty-five or so, came under the tutelage of Manpoondia Pillai, a wizard.
Pillai in his professional play had a robust view to 'keep to the middle of the path. Appreciation of the entire audience was his motto. The odd man is not your target to please.' He was at the helm to the last.

After his training, he joined Balamani Ammal's troupe as percussionist and was playing for musical discourses also. His entry into the world of concerts certainly elevated the standard of the performances at which he was present with his sweet, soft, adjusting brilliance. He was a colossus, a familiar figure respected and admired and one is yet to see the replica of the Percussion duo of Palghat Mani and Pillai on mridangam and kanjira. Versatile both on the mridangam and kanjira, Dakshinamurthi Pillai was a wizard on kanjira and was perhaps the first and the last of the giants on that instrument which lacks sruti adjustments and has to be operated by one hand, holding it by the other. He was cordial with one and all, quite prominent in higher circles, an eternal source of encouragement to the young and an inspiration to great masters like Karaikudi Sambasiva Ayyar and Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Ayyar. Immense faith in God Muruga, his exclamations, response and appreciation were always 'Andava, Andava'. Quite in keeping with his life, he entered on sanyasa at the end and took the name of Chinmayananda Guru."

[RamLakshmanan]

Listen to Palghat Mani Iyer's tribute to Sri Pillai in this speech (towards the middle of the speech on "Layam" ... at about 14th minute):

http://www.geocities.com/~maniiyer/speech2.ram

The site address is: http://www.geocities.com/~maniiyer/audio/audio.htm

[RamLakshmanan]

It's interesting and remarkable that Umayalpuram Sri K Sivaraman shares his birthday with Sri Pillai: December 27th!

[RamLakshmanan]

http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit1015200 ... amurti.JPG

[kanjira]

RamLakshmanan: Do you know of any existing audio recordings of Sri Pillai?

[RamLakshmanan]

Listen to the accompaniment for the song "Sri Raghukula" in the following collection ...

http://www.sangeethamshare.org/vyshak/M ... -memories/

[kanjira]

Listen to the accompaniment for the song "Sri Raghukula" in the following collection ...

http://www.sangeethamshare.org/vyshak/M ... -memories/

Not able to access this. Could you pls provide the correct link?

[tkb]

I think the link is correct. H/ever right now it is not working due to some technical problems in the site. I think we should be in a position to access this in a couple of days.

[kanjira]

I think the link is correct. H/ever right now it is not working due to some technical problems in the site. I think we should be in a position to access this in a couple of days.

The main link is working, but not able to fetch the specific page. Is the URL correct?

[chalanata]

excellent! my long cherished desire of listening to dhakshinamurthy pillai got fulfilled today. Ramlakshman! thanks for the link. I also remember to have heard a similar accompaniment to flute mali. probably it was also that of pillai's.

[kanjira]

RamLakshmanan: How can these recordings be of Dakshinamurthy Pillai? I understand that Dakshinamurthy Pillai passwd away in 1933 and these recordings were done a while later in 1936. Could you pls clarify?

[raju54]

kanjira,
available recording of Dakshinamurthy Pillai is from the 78RPM era where he accompanied Chitoor, Chembai etc and I have listened to several of them. 78RPM recordings were done in India since 1910

[raju54]

here is a photo of Sri Dakshinamurthy Pillai with Chitoor.

http://biggerbids.com/members/images/10 ... img029.jpg

[raju54]

Chitoor Subramanya Pillai accompanied by Dakshinamurthy Pillai on Kanjeera

http://www.mediafire.com/?od4oqaq8p64

[RamLakshmanan]

RamLakshmanan: How can these recordings be of Dakshinamurthy Pillai? I understand that Dakshinamurthy Pillai passwd away in 1933 and these recordings were done a while later in 1936. Could you pls clarify?

Sri Pillaival attained samadhi in 1937.

Here's what one site (http://www.saigan.com/heritage/music/garlandd.htm) says about Sri Pillai's life history:

"PUDUKOTTAI DAKSHINAMURTHI PILLAI - PERCUSSIONIST WIZARD.............(1875-1937)
Born on December 30, 1875 (one authority mentions 1877), of Ramaswami Pillai, Dakshinamurthi Pillai was a good for nothing lad till eighteen. Entered service at Pudukottai and served as guard at the Palace for three years. Learnt ghatam from a Pandaram and mridangam under Tanjore Narayanaswami Appa and at his age of twenty-five or so, came under the tutelage of Manpoondia Pillai, a wizard.
Pillai in his professional play had a robust view to 'keep to the middle of the path. Appreciation of the entire audience was his motto. The odd man is not your target to please.' He was at the helm to the last.

After his training, he joined Balamani Ammal's troupe as percussionist and was playing for musical discourses also. His entry into the world of concerts certainly elevated the standard of the performances at which he was present with his sweet, soft, adjusting brilliance. He was a colossus, a familiar figure respected and admired and one is yet to see the replica of the Percussion duo of Palghat Mani and Pillai on mridangam and kanjira. Versatile both on the mridangam and kanjira, Dakshinamurthi Pillai was a wizard on kanjira and was perhaps the first and the last of the giants on that instrument which lacks sruti adjustments and has to be operated by one hand, holding it by the other. He was cordial with one and all, quite prominent in higher circles, an eternal source of encouragement to the young and an inspiration to great masters like Karaikudi Sambasiva Ayyar and Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Ayyar. Immense faith in God Muruga, his exclamations, response and appreciation were always 'Andava, Andava'. Quite in keeping with his life, he entered on sanyasa at the end and took the name of Chinmayananda Guru."

[SHEKARVISH]

Hi,when and where did E.Krishna iyer published the said article. I am trying to collect the articles written by E.Krishna Iyer, I would like to seek you guidance.

[swami61]

Every year, Shri Tiruchi Thayumanavan , a famous Mridangist from Shri Dakshinamoorthi Pillai's school, celebrates Guru Puja , a musical aradana , a lot of musicians visit and participate in this function, held at Tiruchi.
This year this is going to be by last week of May (I think on 29.05.09)
A direct sishya of Shri DPI is Shri Karaikudi Muthu Iyer, a Mridangist, of yesteryears, brother-in-law of Veena Vidwan Shri Karaikkudi Sambasiva Iyer.

[Gamakam]

Shri. Thayumanavan has also written a book on Dakshninamurthy Pillai. The book has several letters of artistes who have had the fortune of sharing the stage with the legend.

[raghavt]

Raja Chandra Sir, could you post the article or the link for it so that I can read it??? I did not get a chance to read it. Thanks

~ Raghav.

[laks1972]

An audio feature on the life of Pudukkotai Dakshinamurthy Pillai is available in sangeethapriya.org

Details available at :
http://launch.dir.groups.yahoo.com/grou ... sage/29999

[rajanp]

Dear gamakam.
do you know if the book by Sri Thayumanavan is avaialable and where?
what language is it written in ,

I was at the Sri Dakshinamurthy PIllay samadhi in dec 08
i as with his family as well.

Rajan Padiachi
Disipcle of Sri M N Kandaswami - late
Jhb
South Africa

[Gamakam]

Dear Rajan,

The book is in Tamil. I got my copy from Sri. Thayumanavan when I visited him in his house in Trichy.

[rajanp]

Dear Gamakam,
Are you a musician and if yes what do you do .
Can you forward me address and E amil of Sri Thayumanavan if you can please.
I am also looking for kandadukatha Rajaraman from Trichy
aum
rajan

[Gamakam]

Dear Rajan,

I'm not a musician but am a part time writer. Pls. send me a mail at ramchi@gmail.com. 0431 - 2760216 is the phone number of Shri. Thayumanavan.

[Shivadasan]

Address of Thayumanavan

R. Thayumananavan, Konnakkol Vidwan
Guru Anugraham, 20, Palayam Bazar,
Woraiyur, Thirichitappalli
Tamil Nadu, India 620 003

[Gamakam]

Based on the information I've been collecting for the past few years, I wrote this article on the legend. I hope I've done justice to his greatness: http://carnaticmusicreview.wordpress.co ... hi-pillai/

[Pratyaksham Bala]

AhA!
Expert story telling technique!
Command over the language and the subject matter.

Best Wishes!

[Gamakam]

Thank you Bala.

[Gamakam]

Can anybody post the Chittoor Subramania Pillai record in which Dakshinamurthi Pillai has played. Older messages indicate that the file had been shared a few years back. I've been yearning to listen to it for several months now.

[Gamakam]

Refreshing my request one more time. Can anyone upload the 78 rpm records in which Sri.Dakshinamurthi Pillai has played the Kanjira?

[semmu86]

I dont think that is in circulation at all.. Prof.Trichy Sankaran said in our Interactive session, that there is a recording of Sri.Dakshinamurthy Pillai available with him, though am not sure if it is the same one...

[Gamakam]

Semmu:

The archives of this very thread reveal a recording in which Dakshinamurthi Pillai played was under circulation. Wondering if it will be possible to circulate it once more.