Nadamum Nathanum - Nagaswara Tradition in Shaivite Temples

[Gamakam]

A summer day in 2012 - a few hours after I had landed in India after an official Europe trip - I was woken up by a phone call from the renowned musicologist Dr. B.M.Sundaram. I was not used to getting calls from him. It is always me who called him for something that I wanted. He briefed me about the project he was about to undertake on Nagaswaram.

'Nadamum Nathanum' - a dream project to document the Nagaswara Tradition in Shaivite temples.

This was to completely record the daily rituals (musical) and the pieces that were played during the 11 day temple festival.

I was quite thrilled that he wanted me to be his assistant.

We spent three days in Neivasal near Chidambaram to recreate the temple festival and record various pieces of music. There was nothing unnatural or contrived about the settings or the play as the locals really conducted a three day festival. The mallaris, rakthis and the pallavis came to fore in their fullest grandeur through the Nagaswaram of Vidwan Chinnathambi Pillai as we tried to capture every bit of it in our cameras. BMS has given an elaborate insight into the instrument as well as the tradition.

Now the time has come to share what we enjoyed with the rest of the world.

You can see a fairly elaborate trailer of the movie here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKRTA819rVo

The full festival is available as two DVDs and runs for about 6 hours.

The early bird offer price of the DVD is Rs. 500. The proceedings from the sales of the DVD will go to the maintenance of the Shiva Temple in Neivasal.

Do let us know if you need a copy and please do spread the word.

We do hope we will be able to document the Vaishnavite tradition too in the coming months.

Best Regards

Ram

https://www.facebook.com/parivadinimusic / [email protected]

[rajeshnat]

Gamakam
The sound of thavil is especially hard on ears in sabha halls, but when you go to temple and hear there ,with the open air , the sound will be right for your ears. Good to see you are blosomming from a writer to director. I have heard a significant part of Shri BM sundaram lecdem on nAdaswaras, he is a treasure house in nayanam. Best wishes

[arasi]

Rajesh,
You are right. Gamakam calls himself an assistant and since you mentioned it, I looked carefully at the credits, and he 'is' the director! A fine writer he is (should read more of his writing ) and he has 'assisted' the scholar ably, one can gather even from the clips!
The playing is so good too.
Will get the CDs when I'm in Chennai

Had not heard of the place called neivAsal. Learning about all the step by step ritualistic playing which is well-focused on here in the lovely little temple, thanks to Prof.Sundaram.

Another one from a vishNu temple will make it complete.

[harimau]

We do hope we will be able to document the Vaishnavite tradition too in the coming months.

Let me do my little bit for this, just like the chipmunk that rolled its body in sand and shook the sand on the bridge Rama was building to Lanka.

You could call the next DVD "Nadamum Namamum". ) :-BD O:-)

[Gamakam]

Thanks Rajesha dn Arasi for your wishes

Harimau: You rock!!!!

[Sivaramakrishnan]

A sincere, dedicated presentation.
Excellent cinematography too.
The trailer provides the right interest to go for the main.

Kudos to Sri B M Sundaram and Lalitha Ram!

[thanjavooran]

Shri Gamakam,
Excellent venture . Wishes to Dr BMS and and You. Eagerly looking forward to enjoy NADAMUM NAMAMUM
Thanjavooran
15 10 2013

[arasi]

nAmakaraNamum AgiviTTadA? (the future film has been named too?)

[kvchellappa]

On a serious note நாதமும் நாராயணனும் will be better.

[arasi]

I agree!

[thanjavooran]

Really a nice Name [ namam ] I too fully agree.

[harimau]

Narayana, Narayana! People need to lighten up a bit.

I suggest an alternate, and hopefully more acceptable, name.

Nadamum Padma nabhanum.

[arasi]

paNi thuyilum paraman padmanAbhan
nAdamum nAraNanum sounds fine (note the shortened form).

nArAyaNA! How did you get into that 'frustration expression' parlance??!!

I just remembered. We are neither producers nor directors to choose the title for the next film

[harimau]

nArAyaNA! How did you get into that 'frustration expression' parlance??!!

Well, "Govinda Govinda" just doesn't ring right. "Rama Rama" is the only other expression that suits the situation.

Anyway, with thiruman on my forehead, you don't expect me to say "Siva Siva", do you? [-x

PS. Do Kannadigas say "Vittala Vittala"? Do Malayalees say "Krishna Krishna"? I would like to know.

[arasi]

I ask yoU, Y? (of thirumaN)!

vibhuthi aNindavar viTTala enalAm
thirumaNaNindavar thiruvAdiraiyA enalAm

thirumaDapaLLi kaNDavar thirukkaNNanamudE enalAm!

[Gamakam]

Here we present the the nAthan behind the nAdam - the chief piper in charge of the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple - Achalpuram Sri. Chinnathambi Pillai.

Before we present his interview, my reminiscences as the director of the 'Nadamum Nathanum'...

When the project of recording the Shaivite Nagaswara tradition was proposed Sri. Chinnathambi Pillai had just one demand. He would not play these pieces in a studio of for just mortals. These are pieces that are to be played for and in front of the Lord. Unless and until we recreate the Utsava ambiance with the necessary deities and rituals he wouldn't let play for us to record the tradition.

After his initiation to the art at home, he did his Gurukulavasam under the legendary Thiruveezimizalai Brothers and later honed his skill under the tutelage of maestro Chidambaram Radhakrishnan Pillai. Chinnathambi Pillai has been performing extensively over the last 50 years in India and abroad.

Even a casual observer would notice that age has just added grandeur to his personality as well as his playing. We recorded the tradition in the month of March, when it seemed as if the summer had already peaked. Each day, the shoot would start at 5.30 P.M. and continue for the next 4 hours.

One the first day, before the actual recording, we were supposed to fine tune the video and audio as the artists performed before the Vinayaka Sannidhi. When the nagaswaram swirled across the breadth of Sowrashtra raga, I forgot what I was supposed to do and was immediately drawn to the artist. While I basked in the beautiful sangatis in 'Sri Ganapathi' , rest of the crew were busy getting things done.

We thought the power cuts were blessing in disguise as they could give the veteran some breaks while we turned on the generator. Chinnathambi Pillai was quite keen to play without any breaks forcing us to record almost the the entire event in Genset mode. Even while the technical crew would disperse for short breaks, one could find Chinnathambi Pillai sitting in a majestic posture - silently observing the things around him.

I was told that the Rakthis were deceptively simple. When I heard it in khamboji and shankarabaranam I was not sure which part of the Rakthi was simple. I gave up on following the laya patterns and closed my eyes to get dissolved in the beauty of the ragas.

While Chinnathambi Pillai nonchalantly shifted from the misra nadai to tisra nadai in the udarkUrU, I was only wondering how many years of hard work must have gone into internalise the laya complexities.

After a truly astounding Udarkuru, one of the member in the audience was visibly moved and in a spurt of excitement walked upto Chinnathambi Pillai and asked him what his age was.

"How does it matter? It is Nataraja's will that makes us play. What can age do before his will?", he responded. It was quite a response for a usually reticent man.

At that moment I wanted to touch his feet. When I tried, he stopped me and said "inside the temple you touch only the Lord's feet" . I wish I had the strength to say at this moment he and his playing were the Lord himself.

The glowing memories of the three musical days stayed in my mind for several days. When my feet started to find its way back to the ground, I realized, While we shot several hours of the delightful music that he played, it never occurred to us that we should also had him speak on the tradition and record it too.

I'm quite happy to erase that regret through this short interview of his for Parivadini when we met him during the release of the DVD. More than the interview the sight of Chinnathambi Pillai sitting on the stairs of the thousand Pillared Mantapa in the same majestic posture that I saw an year and half ago made my day.

After all what can age do before his will?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-fnp18VeD8

[rajeshnat]

After a truly astounding Udarkuru,

gamakam,
Lovely , may i know what is Udarkuru??

[Gamakam]

Rajesh,

Udarkuru is a musical piece played in Raga Nadanamakriya (and sometimes in MMG) during the procession of Bikshadanar. The theme is to mock at the mortality of the body ('KayamE idhu poiyadA...). The piece has no lyrics and when the artist plays it is set in misram. While playing Kalpana Swarams, the artists change tisra, khanda etc.

In this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKRTA819rVo the udarkuru starts at 20.03 and ends at 22.23. In reality it is played all through the Day 8 of the temple festival in a very elaborate way.

[arasi]

Gamakam,
These are very special, indeed--your post about the filming and your post-film interview. In a way, it worked out to be a better thing, in not interrupting his playing when he was involved in his playing to the Lord.

The Rakthi playing time table was interesting to hear about. The thODi playing, as explained and sung by him was very pleasing to hear.

Again, Dr. Sundaram and you have to be admired for choosing the locale and the vidvAn with care. The result is a film untainted by today's commercial culture. It's like a breath of fresh air.

[annamalai]

Gamakam,

Kudos for this project and it is nice to have this documented and distributed in YouTube. IIRC, Smt. Vedavalli had invited Chidrambaram Radhakrishna Pillai to Music Academy to perform Mallaris several years back, not sure if there is a recording of that available.

Nadaswaram and temples, a great tradition and combination. I have heard legends about Tiruvarur Thyagarajaswamy Vrushabha vahanam and TN Rajaratnam Pillai performing till midnight or Mannargudi Chinna Pakkiri performing at Rajagopala swamy temple.

[PUNARVASU]

I remember seeing Smt. Vedavalli's programme on Mallari, on podhigai TV, I think.

[Gamakam]

Thank you arasi.

Annamalai: A local doctor in Chidambaram mentioned that some recordings of Radhakrishnan Pillai exists. They were recorded live when he was performing at the Chidambaram festival. I've not been able to lay my hands on it.

[vasanthakokilam]

Gamakam: That is a great interview. What a talented and knowledgeable artist he is and at the same time so humble. It is a reminder that carnatic music has been in the safe custody and tender loving care of Nadaswaram and Thavil artists for centuries through thick and thin, away from all the glamor of royalty and modern day sabhas in nooks and cornors through out Tamil nadu and elsewhere. Great work on the DVD on your part. Congratulations and thanks.

[Gamakam]

Thank you all for your kind words.

We plan to bring out more such stuff out through our to be launched online video channel 'Parivadini'. Do follow us on FB https://www.facebook.com/parivadinimusic for regular updates.

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Dear Sri Gamagam,

You have been doing excellent works in archiving the life and works of great artists from GNB to the present Nadaswara Vidwan's Documentary.

In one of his lec-dem[ Carnatic music in Films], Sri Madurai GS Mani mentioned about the services of the Nadaswara vidwans from the big temples to very
small temples throughout South India. Whether they get remuneration or not, everyday rituals of the temples are preceded by the Nadaswaram playing
before the deities.

Expecting many more documents about musicians and the music traditions followed in South India from you.

S.NAGESWARAN.
21.10.2013.

[Gamakam]

Thanks for your wishes Nageswaran sir.

[parivadini]

The Limited edition 2 Part 6 Hours DVD Can be bought at an Introductory price of Rs. 500/- here
https://www.payupaisa.com/store/product ... f9e4c8f588

Feel free to ping us on [email protected] for any further details.
Bulk orders and retail orders also accepted for details you can mail us on the above.

Thanks
Venkat

[parivadini]

Thanks for the wonderful response. The early bird offer ends this month.

[Shivadasan]

Dear Gamakam,
Is it possible to purchase the copy by paying through a bank draft ?