Shatkala Govinda Marar, who had perfected the artwork of singing in six tempos, travelled along with his tambura, ganjira and edakka
The compositions of legendary vaggeyakaras had been disseminated primarily by way of their disciples. This was true of the Music Trinity in addition to of Swati Tirunal, whose court docket entertained musicians of all genres. However this isn’t true of their modern, Shatkala Govinda Marar. He was an ascetic and an itinerant musician, who lived a life singing in regards to the glories of god, and he didn’t have a retinue of disciples following him.
The 2-storey constructing adjoining to the Sree Perumthrikkovil temple in Ramamangalam, Ernakulam district, is a becoming memorial to the saint-musician. The not too long ago renovated mansion, which belongs to Shatkala Govinda Marar Smaraka Kala Samithy, will full 4 a long time on October 8.
Born in 1798 at Ramamangalam in a conventional Marar household, it was Govinda Marar’s responsibility to carry out kottippadiseva, singing and beating on the edakka drum on the sopanam, the steps resulting in the sanctum of the temple in Ramamangalam. Not solely is the Ramamangalam bani of Sopana Sangeetham distinctive, the percussion ensemble, Parishavadyam, and the uncommon instrument, Kudukka Vina, even have their origin right here.
Through the years, it turned Marar’s ardour to sing in all temples. He visited all of the temples within the state of Travancore, armed along with his seven-stringed tambura, a ganjira and an edakka.
The Shatkala Govinda Marar Smaraka Samithy at Ramamangalam
Assembly Swati Tirunal
His travels took him to Swati Tirunal, an important patron of music. The king was fascinated by Marar’s devotion and singing type. Swati Tirunal was well-versed in Sopana Sangeetham, since his household had many well-known Kathakali playwrights (the libretto in Kathakali is rendered in Sopana ragas). Additionally, students have identified that every one Manipravala compositions of Swati Tirunal are within the Sopana type.
The king requested Marar to sing the Sopana raga Puraneeru. Marar rendered a kirtana, strumming the tambura strings along with his proper hand and beating the ganjira, held by his toes, along with his left hand. Impressed by his flawless singing and dexterity, the king offered Marar with a pennant, which he tied to his tambura. It stayed there until his dying.
Marar then reached Tyagaraja’s abode as an emissary of King Swati Tirunal, apparently to ask him to the palace, however the composer of ‘Nidhichala sukhama’ gently refused. Marar, nonetheless, was allowed to sing earlier than the composer and his disciples — a uncommon privilege.
He sprang a shock by singing the eighth Ashtapadi, ‘Chandanacharchitha Neela Kale Bharam’, in Pantuvarali raga in six tempos — hitherto unparalleled within the historical past of music. This fetched him the sobriquet ‘Shatkala.’ Impressed by his prowess, Tyagaraja requested his disciples to sing his composition ‘Entharo mahanubhavulu’ in Sri ragam for Marar.
Then, Marar continued his musical journey, until he breathed his final at Pandharpur in 1843.
There have been many makes an attempt to salvage Marar’s compositions, however Trikampuram Krishnankutty Marar’s efforts alone bore fruit, that too in the direction of the tip his life. A descendant from the matrilineal facet of Govinda Marar’s household, Krishnankutty Marar was an authority on the temple arts of Kerala. It was solely just a little earlier than his dying in 2013 that he might gather the 5 compositions of Govinda Marar, historically often known as ‘Shatkala Govinda Pancharatnam,’ the authenticity of which was confirmed by students like Kavalam Narayana Panicker.
As a part of its initiatives to popularise these compositions, Kala Samithy offered them in Mohiniyattom, choreographed by Jayaprabha Menon from the Kavalam Faculty of dance.
Composed in Sopana ragas, all however one is about to Chembada. The primary one ‘Ksheerasagara vasa,’ in Kedaragowla, is an invocation to Narasimha, the presiding deity of Ramamangalam temple. The second is a Devi stuti, ‘Balachandra vibhushini’, in Arabhi. Surprisingly, the goddess talked about within the composition is the one at Kanyakubja in Uttar Pradesh. The third and fourth are in reward of Siva — ‘Palayamam parvatheesa’ in Anandabhairavi and ‘Thungapingajadha’ in Bhupalam. The latter depicts Siva in his tandava temper and has been set to tripuda tala, maybe to spotlight the tandava facet.
The fifth tune is ‘Sree Kurumbepaahi’ in Mohanam on the deity at Kuzhuppallikkavu temple close to Ramamangalam. The day shouldn’t be far when Shatkala Govinda Marar’s Pancharatnam can even be heard on the live performance stage.
The author and tradition critic is a educated musician.
