Remembering Konerirajapuram Shri VAIDYANATHA AYYAR (Born 2 March 1878 - Died 5 April 1921), eminent Indian Carnatic Classical Music VOCALIST, on his Death Anniversary today. Excerpts from an Article by Sangitha Kalanidhi Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer, in Ananda Vikatan, Deepavali Malar 1953.
Childhood:
Konerirajapuram Vaidhyanatha Iyer was born in Maratthurai, a small village near Kuthaalam in Thanjavur District. He was born on the 21st day of the Tamil month Maasi in the year Pramaathi on 2 March 1878. His father Narayanaswami Iyer was a small time farmer. Since his mother passed away when he was only 3, his maternal uncle and his grandmother took him away to Konerirajapuram where they lived and he was brought up there. Right from his childhood, he showed an inclination for Music and he learnt music first from the Nagaswara Vidwan Shri Kuzhandaivel Pillai in Konerirajapuram. He also learnt occasionally from the famous Bharatha Vidwan Pandanallur Shri Meenkshisundaram Pillai.
Tutelage under Manpoondiya Pillai:
When he was 20, he went to Kumbakonam to listen to the Music of Saraba Sastry and Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar who were scheduled to sing in a wedding. Accompanying them on the Kanjira was the great Vidwan Pudukkottai Shri Manpoondiya Pillai. MAnpoondiya Pillai was well known for his grasp of Laya and he was eager to impart the secrets of Laya Vidya to a qualified vocalist. Therefore when he saw Vaidyanathan, he asked him if he would come along with him at once. Vaidyanathan who was overjoyed did not even inform his relatives in KonerirAjapuram and came away with Manpoondiya Pillai. Vaidyanathan’s father and grandmother, the uncle had passed away by then, did not know what happened to him. After a few years, his father came to know through a printed invitation that someone called Maratthurai Vaidhy was singing in a wedding in Tirunelveli. When he went to Tiruneleveli he found that it was indeed his son and asked him to come back home with him. Vaidyanathan refused as he was eager to stay on with Manpoondiya Pillai and continue his training. However, Pudukkottai Shri Dakshinamurthi Pillai who was there at that time convinced Vaidyanathan to return home. From then, he started living permanently in Konerirajapuram.
Fame:
During this time, Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar came to Konerirajapuram to sing in a wedding. After his concert, the local patrons decided to give Vaidyanathan a chance to sing too and accordingly he sang the next day. Srinivasa Iyengar who was also there appreciated his music very much. After this, Vaidyanatha Ayyar became a regular fixture in weddings and other concerts in and around Thanjavur District.
Further refinement in his Music:
In a concert in Madras at Thondaimandalam High School, Tirukkodikkaval Shri Krishna Iyer was scheduled to accompany Vaidyanathan on the Violin. Vaidhyanathan Ayyar wanted to demonstrate his Laya expertise to the former and prove a point. The other accompaniments were Pudukkottai Shri Dakshinamurthi Pillai (Mridangam), Pudukkottai Shri Manpoondia Pillai (Kanjira) and Palani Shri Krishna Iyer (Ghatam). In this concert, Vaidyanatha Ayyar sang an extremely complicated Pallavi in an Athi Sowkya Kaalam. Tirukkodikkaval Krishna Iyer could not understand the Pallavi at all and he said openly, "Vaidhy, as it is your Avartanams are as long as a Furlong. Now it has become a Mile!". Vaidyanatha Ayyar sang the Pallavi again but Krishna Iyer could not understand it still. Krishna Iyer got angry and said, "What is the use of singing complicated Music at the cost of aesthetics?". From that time onwards, Vaidhyanatha Ayyar changed his style accordingly and sang simple yet highly refined Music. However, he could always assert his stature on the stage. Once a violinist who thought he was a great artist sat on the stage with Vaidhyanatha Ayyar facing the audience. Vaidhyanatha Ayyar did not say anything but started with "Nee Vadanegana.." (Saranga) in Madhyama Kaala, sang Swaram and started singing twice the speed also. The violinist could not cope with this and bowed his head in shame.
Influence of Hindustani Music:
Vaidhyanathan Ayyar was deeply influenced by Hindustani Music. His favourite Hindustani Musicians were Hafiz Khan and Bakshi Khan and he used to listen to them frequently. Once Ustad Rahmat Khan came to Tiruvarur to sing in a concert and vaidhyanatha Ayyar was to sing the next day. After listening to Rahmat Khan, Vaidhyanathan Ayyar was so inspired that he left for Konerirajapuram the same night without singing the next day. When he was asked why, Vaidhyanathan Ayyar said "that (Rahmat Khan's music) is genuine music. What is the use of singing without Sowkhyam in the voice?". This experience like the one with Tirukkodikkaval Krishna Iyer left a lasting impression on Vaidhyanathan Ayyar’s mind and he began practising accordingly.
Personal traits:
Vaidhyanathan Ayyar was a very unassuming person. He was liked by all who came in contact with him and he was always respectful to others. Sometimes he used to speak dialect-free and grammatically chaste Tamil. He loved good food and never used to bother about his voice when it came to eating. He liked to drink both hot and cold water, Buttermilk with Lime, Rice Kanji etc and even used to start singing after drinking these.
Disciples:
He had several disciples some of whom were Coimbatore Vishwanatha Iyer, Boothalur Krishamurthy Iyer (Gottu Vadhyam), Thethiyur Krishnamurthy, Dharmapuri Duraiswamy and Mudikondan Venkataraman Iyer. He was a loving teacher and encouraged his disciples a lot. His Music was difficult to imbibe just through instruction and one had to listen to him a lot. Sometimes, he used to sit outside his house on the "Thinnai" and start teaching around 11 p.m. and this would go on till 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. Papanasam Shri Sivan was a great Bhakta of Vaidhyanathan Ayyar’s music. One could see Sivan in almost each and every concert of Vaidhyanatha Ayyar's in Tamil Nadu.
Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer was a great inspiration to Papanasam Sivan. Sivan listened to about 50 concerts of Vaidyanatha Iyer, whose Thodi rendition was described by many vidwans in superlatives. So much so, Sivan composed about 20 kritis in the same raga, which were strongly influenced by Iyer’s Thodi.
Style of Music:
Vaidhyanathan Ayyar’s style was unique. At times, his concerts lasted for about 5 hours. While most artistes are masters of one or two of different aspects such as Alapana, Kriti singing, Neraval, Swaram etc., Vaidhyanathan Ayyar was equally adept at all these. His Alapanas were always leisurely elaborate. His Madhyama Kaala Neraval needs to be mentioned specifically. His Swara singing was known for its structured development in terms of Raga Swarupam. As mentioned before, he was a Master of Pallavi singing. When he was young, Namakkal Narasimha Iyengar, a Pallavi expert heard him and appreciated his Pallavi very much.
Once in a concert in Tanneerkkunnam in Thanjavur District., he was accompanied on the violin by the famous Vidwan Shri Govindaswamy Pillai and on the Mridangam by Thanjavur Shri Pakkiri. Vaidhyanatha Ayyar sang the Ritigowla Kriti "JananI Ninnuvina" and started doing Neraval, Swaram using the phrase, "Dhikkeveramma..". His exposition was so full of Raga Bhava that Govindaswamy Pillai put his violin down and said, "Please continue to sing. I just want to listen to you. "
Konerurajapuram Vaidhyanathan Ayyar liked the Music of Madurai Shri Pushpavanam Iyer a lot and in fact sang himself at Pushpavanam Iyer's wedding. Once, Vaidhyanathan Ayyar sang in a wedding at Azhwar Thirunagari where the Nagaswaram Maestro Mannargudi Shri Chinna Pakkiri was also present. During the concert, Vaidhtyanatha Ayyar sang a very elaborate RTP in Shanmukhapriya. Chinna Pakkiri who was moved by the music gave Vaidhyanathan Ayyar a Golden Snuff Box of his as a mark of his appreciation. Such was his Music that other Vidwans had the greatest regard for it.
Demise:
Vaidhyanathan Ayyar fell ill in 1921 and was hospitalized in Kumbakonam. On one of the occasions, he said, "All these days, I sang for my livelihood. Now if I live further, I want to sing for myself." Unfortunately, that was not to be and he passed away on the 23rd day of Panguni in the year Dhurmathi on 5 April1921 at the age of 43.
Unfortunately none of his recordings are available.