The use of tala and raga in different performance styles-OxBig News Network

The final day of The Music Academy’s academic sessions featured a lecture on ‘Tala Laya Sampradayam, Jaati, Gathi and Jathi’ by vidwan Parasala Ravi.

Ravi emphasised the significance of time in rhythm, stating that it is the most crucial element in mridangam to comprehend talams through their angas. He elaborated on the three primary angas — laghu, dhrutam and anudhrutam. 

The value of laghu is determined by assigning jathis, which are categorised into five types — : tisram, chatusram, khandam, kisram, and sankeernam. The tala system encompasses 175 talas, derived from combinations of seven primary talams—Dhruva, Matya, Rupaka, Jhamp, Triputa, Ata, and Eka — with the five jathis. This results in 35 talams (7 x 5). Additionally, each tala is associated with five nadais, leading to a grand total of 175 talams (35 x 5).  

Ravi presented a self-devised chart of various chakrams in the tala system. He pointed out that talas can be identified through kirtanams, although not all 35 talams are represented in kirtanams. 

Discussing RTPs (Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi), Ravi highlighted the prevalence of complex talams in such compositions. Drawing parallels to the 72 melakarta ragas, he mentioned the existence of a 72-tala system.

Ravi then clarified the common confusion between gatis and nadais, stating that gati is invisible, whereas nadai is visible. This distinction is why the term ‘Nadai Pallavi’ is used. Ravi also discussed the prominence of jathis in Bharatanatyam and emphasised the need for mridangists to grasp the nuances of talas. He highlighted the importance of matra in the tala structure, explaining that some interpret it in terms of aksharams for korvais, while others consider matras.

Ravi also shared a formula to determine the counts required to start the ‘edappu’ for the korvai. He also differentiated between aksharakalam and aksharam —  the former represents the base units or counts in a talam, while the latter denotes the counts within the talam.  For example, a simple Adi talam may have eight Aksharakalams and 32 Aksharams. 

Reflecting on traditional practices, Ravi noted that varnams were once the primary pieces, followed by thani aavartanam in the sub-main sections. However, contemporary musicians often avoid playing thani aavartanam during pallavis due to the lighter mood set during the ragamalika section. Instead, it is preferred in the sub-main sections to maintain its impact. During the interactive session, Ravi addressed the role of gurus in teaching. He asserted that the responsibility is to teach and guide, while students must develop their individuality and draw inspiration from others.

In his concluding remarks, Sangita Kalanidhi designee T.M. Krishna said the lecture was comprehensive and well-structured. 

Ragas in the Melattur Bhagavatha Mela’

 Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers — S. Narasimhan and S. Venkatesan on the use of ragas in Bhagavatha Mela natakams
| Photo Credit:
K. Pichumani

The final lecture demonstration was presented by the Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers — S. Narasimhan and S. Venkatesan — on the topic ‘Ragas in the Melattur Bhagavatha Mela’. The session explored the rich musical tradition of Melatur, a village located 18 km from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.

Mr. Narasimhan highlighted the contributions of Melattur Venkatrama Sastri, who composed about 12 natakams, 10 of which remain in practice. 

A typical performance of the Bhagavatha Mela begins with the mela praapthi, featuring cholkattu and a dhyana slokam. Narasimhan explained the concept of mukha jathi, which involves introducing the characters in the drama, and demonstrated its application.

The lecture shed light on the intricate use of ragas to portray various emotions and characters in the Melattur Bhagavatha Mela tradition. 

Raga Begada was demonstrated in the drama Vigneshwara Darshanam, highlighting its use in introducing a character. Raga Devagandhari, sung robustly, depicted the commanding entry (pravesham) of Hiranyakashipu in Prahlada Charitam. Raga Atana was used for introducing a female character in Harishchandra, an interesting deviation from its typical usage. Raga Bhairavi, often associated with bhakti, was used in Prahlada Charitam to express Prahalada’s heartfelt plea to Lord Vishnu through an elegant  swara-sahitya portion. Raga Ghanta, also referred to as Dukha Ghanta in the Melattur tradition, beautifully conveyed Chandramathi’s sorrow in Harishchandra. In Kamsa Vadham, raga Ahiri captured Devaki’s lament to Kamsa about the loss of her children, while raga Saveri, typically employed for karuna rasa, was innovatively used for Kamsa’s entry. The audience was also introduced to the use of raga Anandabhairavi in Ushabarani Natakam through a pada varnam rich in sringara rasa. 

The session concluded with a demonstration of raga Poorvikalyani from Prahlada Charitam, where Prahalada prays to Lord Vishnu to emerge from the pillar and save him. Narasimhan elaborated on the different types of the compositional form of daru, including swagatha, pralabha, varnana, and samvaadha. He also noted that ragas such as Darbarikanada and Sindhubhairavi have been part of the Melattur tradition since 1968.

The session concluded with reflections from the expert committee led by Rama Kausalya, who encouraged the audience to experience these dramas in Melattur to fully appreciate their essence. Sangita Kalanidhi designee T.M. Krishna expressed admiration for the Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers and their team, emphasising that the demonstration provided only a glimpse of the grandeur of the Bhagavatha mela. He highlighted the significant contributions of Melattur Veerabhadhrayya to  Carnatic Music as one of the innovators in creating compositional forms.

The event concluded with the Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers rendering the Mangalam from Prahlada Charitam, marking the end of the academic conference at The Music Academy.