How a temple turned into a nagaswaram and thavil school-OxBig News Network

It’s 3. 45 a.m., and there’s a chill in the air. In the tender light of the morning, students line up for their daily schedule — practising the nagaswaram and thavil in the Then Tirupati Lord Srinivasa temple in Jadayampalayam, near Mettupalayam. Till 6.30 a.m., the temple echoes with the sounds of the instruments.

These are students of the Then Tirupati Nagaswara and Thavil school, set up in 2008, seven years after the temple was built and consecrated as part of the prayer complex of the KG group of industries, Coimbatore. Says K.G. Balakrishnan, chairman, KG Fabriks and founder of the school, “When the idea of doing something to foster art and culture came up, I decided to establish a nagaswaram and thavil school, because of the close connection of the instruments with temples.” 

Initially, only nagaswaram was taught. In 2010, thavil classes began. “Students are given free boarding and lodging, and a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000,” says Seshadri Bhattar, Principal of the school.

Pandanallur Subash has been teaching the  thavil at the school since inception. He is the paternal grandson of vidwan Pandanalllur Rathinam Pillai. “I first learnt thavil from my father’s guru Pandanallur Vaidyanatha Pillai and later from my father Pandanallur Muthappan, Thiruppangur Govindaraja Pillai and Thiruvalaputhur Kaliyamurthy. I picked up a lot from Thirunageswaram T.R Subramania Pillai as well,” says Subhash. He was in Singapore and Canada before moving to this school.

 Currently, 32 thavil and 14 nagaswara Students learn at the school. They begin the day practising in the Srinivasa temple from 4 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. They attend classes from 9.30 am to  4.30 pm, with a short break for lunch. From 6 p.m., they resume sadhakam at the temple. 

Both courses are of four years’ duration. In the first year, they are taught Pillayar paadam, talas, otha kai padam, rettai kai paadam, and so on. In the second year, they begin the silambu palagai. In the third year, they begin playing the thavil. External examiners Swamimalai Manimaran, Aduthurai Perumal Kovil D. Sankaran, Swamimamalai Sethuraman and Kottaiyur Chakrapani evaluate both nagaswaran and thavil students.

Paganeri Pillappan, a recipient of the Muthamizh Perarignar award from Tamil Isai Sangam, Madurai, is the nagaswaram teacher at the school. He used to run a gurukulam in his house in Madurai for 35 years, and trained over 200 students. When his wife passed, he moved to this school. 

Pillappan learnt from his father Kottachami Pillai, who had been a student of Vedaranyam Vedamurthy. Pillappan later was part of Thirupparankundram A.P. Raja’s set, and has played in Singapore, Malaysia, Rangoon and Mauritius. 

A video of Pillappan playing Malayamarutham in the Paganeri Neelakanteswarar temple caught the attention of actor Kamal Hassan, who recently shared the video on X, and composed a poem praising the artiste.

So, what is the syllabus for nagaswaram in the school? “In the first year, there is only vocal training. I teach students geethams, alankarams and talas. In the second year, they play the nagaswaram, and in the second and third year, they are taught varnams and kirtanas. In the fourth year, they are given pointers on raga alapana,” says Pillappan. 

Students and faculty of the school
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Special Arrangement

Seventeen-year-old Arulchelvan is a second year student of nagaswaram, who heard about the facilities at the school, and joined classes. 

The students play during utsavas at the Then Tirupati Srinivasa temple. During the Purattasi Brahmotsava, three well-known nagaswaram and thavil vidwans play in the temple, in addition to the two resident teachers. Senior students take turns to play along with them. “This helps hone their skills,” says Subash.

Students get a certificate at the end of the course. “Some of them want further training and we put them in touch with teachers of their choice,” says Subash.

N. Sabari, a thavil student, whose parents and sister are nagaswaram players, says, “After I finish the course here, I want to go for advanced training under Dharapuram Ganesan sir. 

The school draws students from across Tamil Nadu. 

“One of our students, Srikanth, from Ulundurpet, received the National Bal Shree Honour, an award presented to creative children by the National Bal Bhavan. It is one of the highest national honours for children,” elaborates  Subhash.

Even as we speak, students line up after their day’s classes to head for regular practice at the temple — from where the idea of the school began.  The initiative will not only help promote nagaswaram and thavil but also equip young learners of the instruments with the necessary confidence and skill to make their own space in the world of music.