A pilgrimage with Oothukadu Venkata Kavi

Should we call this a heritage walk, a spiritual walk, a musical walk or all of the above? Chitravina Ravikiran, calls it a pilgrimage with Oothukadu Venkata Kavi (OVK), that is more apt! Ravikiran he took us on a trip to dozen temples all over the country singing Tamil composition of the great scholar, Oothukadu Kavi.

A little context setting before we do a deep-dive. Oothukadu Venkata Kavi was born in Mannargudi in the year 1700 and lived till 1765. He passed away even before the birth of the Trinities. During the 65 years, he travelled all over India and composed songs in praise of numerous deities. But most of his works were closely guarded by his family and hence never enjoyed the popularity that Tirinities works enjoy today in the concert platform. Mannargudi Raju Sastrigal and Krishna Sastrigal also learnt and preserved the Kavi’s works. In 1940s Needamangalam Krishnamurthy Bagavathar brought Venkata Kavi’s work to Chennai for the first time and ever since they are being sung on the performing arts arena. Venkata Kavi has sung composition on most deities (Ganesha, Shiva, Parvathi, Vishnu, Suriyan, Anjaneya) and he was the first one to compose the Navavarna krithis. He has also composed krithis on sages – Sukar, Jayadeva and Valmiki. Be it krithis, thillana, or navavarna krithi OVK used both Sanskrit and Tamil proficiently, rhythmically, musically, scientifically and mathematically. Kanchi Kamakshi was his kuladeivam and Kalinga Krishnan at Oothukadu was his ishta deivam.

1.Sindhithavar Nenjil Irupathu Siva Yoga Ganapathyae – Naatai
He has fully explored the raga bhavam of Naatai in this kirthi. With the very first line of the krithi he instantly makes you think of Ganesha. Most composers use madhymakala later on in the krithis, while OVK has started this krithi in madhyamakalam. The charanam starts in sama kalam and moves towards madhyama kalam in the end.

2.Stop 1 : Tiruvarur: Thyagaraja Paramesh – Chakravaham
From this kriti we know that Tiruvarur in 1700s was referred to as “Aaroor”. OVK describes the kshetra puranam and extols the deity, Thyagaraja in this krithi. Enjoy the lines in the charanam – Sharanagatha Varunalaya Karunalaya Kamalalaya.

Stop 2: Oothukadu: The village of Oothukadu has 2 temples 1. Kalinga Krishna temple and 2. Shiva Temple. There is a sannadhi for Suriyan in this temple and OVK has composed a krithi, Padmini in Dhanyasi ragam. Ravikiran does a sketch of the krithi but doesn’t sing the full krithi. Instead he shared Vaiyam alandhu – Nadanamakriya krithi composed on Kalinga Krishna. OVK uses jathis in this composition and many others. This shows the close collaboration between dancers and musicians in those days, unlike today.

3.Stop 3: Chennai: OVK has come into Mylapore, the heart of the Chennai and sung a composition in Bairavi in praise of Singaravelan in Kapaleeshwarar Temple. Then he moved to Parthasarathy Swami temple in Tripliance and composed Thedi Arul Vandhan – Aarabhi in chowka kalam and Parathasarathy in Surutti. The aarabhi krithi was sung by his students.

4.Stop 4: Kanchipuram: OVK was the first to compose Navavarna krithis marrying the mantram, yantram, and tantram in 9 krithis. Kamakshi was OVKs kula devata and there is a 600 year old Kamakshi vigraham in OVK’s family that they continue to worship today. May be Dikshithar was inspired by OVKs Kamakshi Navavarnam to do Kamalamba Navavarnam? Kamakshi Navavarnam shows OVKs proficiency in Sri Vidya. It is believed that he took deeksha from Bhaskararaya, a exponent on Sri Vidya. During the same time Tanjore king had asked Bhaskararaya to move from Gujarat to Tamilnadu to spread Sri Vidya worship. OVK has composed 16 krithis on his guru, but he doesn’t discoles his guru’s name.

5.Stop 5: Tiruvaanaikaval – Akilandeshwari
In the phalasruthi of Kamakshi Navavarnam he pleads Ahkilandeshwari asking her to help him get an introduction to Sri Krishna and win his kataksham.

6.Stop 6: Pazhani: Adimudi Kaanatha – Huseni
In this krithi OVK extols the power of Subramanya who sees 5 faces of Shiva that Vishnu and Brahma couldn’t see. The charanam – Padipala vana Pazhani malai mela, parka thigattadha Pazhani urai vela shows OVKs ability to transport listeners with his words and his vivid description. OVK has also composed krithis on Valliyoor Murugan (Gajamukha) and Sikkil Singaravelan (Senapathe Namosthuthe and in the charanam refers to Sathyayathakshi, Sanskrit name for Parvathi in this kshetram).

7.Stop 7: Srirangam: Sri Ranganatham Anisam – Gambira Naatai.
Who will not want to sing on Ranganatha? In the anupallavi of this krithi he describes the location of Srirangam between the two rivers – Cauvery and Kollidam. He elevates the status of Kollidam river by referring to it as Dakshina Mandakini.

8.Stop 8: Chidambaram: Sen Shivajatadhara – Sindhubairavi.
Apart from handling Todi, Bairvai, Sankarabharanm, etc. OVK was proficient in handling ragas like Sindhubairavi. He refers to the now called Dwijavanthi as Dwi Jayavanthi.

9.Stop 9: Pandaripuram: Prasanna Gopala Krishna Pathim Karomi – Dwi Jayavanthi; Panduranga Vittala – Chaya tharangini
OVK has travelled all the way to Pandaripuram to enjoy the beauty of Lord Krishna. Apart from travelling there he has also used North Indian ragams in those krithis.

10.Stop 10: Udipi: Yenna than inbam kandayo kuzhal isaiyil – Devagandhari
He admires the beauty and qualities of Krishna in the krithi. In the anupallavi he refers to the front entrance of the garbhagraham being closed very differently. Mun azhagai kandal moham varum yendru pin azhagai kaanbithayo? In another kriti in Vasantha he tells Krishna that Chandra was ashamed seeing the palette of colors you carry and radiance and as a result he went and hid himself on the head of Shiva.

11.Stop 11: Madurai, Koothanoor- OVK has composed krithis on Madurai Meenakshi and Koothanoor Saraswati (Geetha rasike in Kalyani)

12.Stop 12: Ayodhya: Sri Rama jeyame jayam – Ragamalika (Naati, Varali, Aarabhi, Gowlai, and Manirangu)

When I look at the ragas in this krithi and in Thyagaraja’s pancharatnam, it makes me wonder if Thyagaraja took inspiration from OVKs composition. In this krithi OVK describes various kandams from Ramayana (Bala kandam, Ayodhya kandam, Aaranya kandam, Kishkintha kandam, Yuddha kandam and Sundara kandam) in the first 4 stanzas.

Bala kandam and Ayodhya kandam – Naatai
Aaranya kandam – Varali
Kishkintha kandam and Yuddha kandam – Aarabhi
Sundara kandam and Pattabishegam – Gowlai
Phalasruthi – Manirangu he says “punniya kadalil yaavarum neentha”

In his descripition of Ramayana OVK doesn’t highlight the bad qualities of demonic characters such as Kaykeyi. The krithis starts in a very auspicious note – Sri Rama Jayame Jayam. He refers to Vaali and Thatakai not as vadham but as moksham. He refers to only Maarichan as vatham and not even Raavana. He highlights Rama’s kaarunyam towards Ravana in the krithi “indru poi naalai vaa”. He ends the war and Ravana’s death in a very beautiful way – Jayam kandu pushpakam yeri. In the Paatabhishegam he describes those surrounding Rama and when it comes to Hanumar he says, “un perum paadhathinai thangi”.

OVK has composed operatic krithis – Ramayana, Mahabaratha, Daksha Yagnam, Prahlada Charithiram.

The 12 stop Ravikiran’s pilgrimage came to an end with the rendition of a Baktha bhagatheya Anajaneya krithi in Madhyamavathi. Other artist on this journey who rendered the krithis were Deepika Varadarajan (Sudha Raghunathan’s disciple – she sang the Ramayana Krithi, Anahita Ravindran (Ravikiran’s disciple) and Prasanna Venkatraman (Sanjay’s disciple).

PS: He is engaged in a dialogue with the OVK’s family to get many of his krithis into the performing arena. Let us congratulate him for his efforts and wish him the best.