Venkataramana Bhagavathar

Venkataramana Bhagavathar was born on 18 February 1781 as the fifth son of Kuppiah Nannusamy Bhagvathar at Ayyampet in Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu. Venkataramana Bhagvathar was a great composer of Carnatic songs and a musician of eminence. He was one of the most illustrious disciples of Saint Thiagaraja of Tiruvaiyaru, the cradle of Carnatic music located in Tiruvarur of Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu.

After his marriage, he moved to Walajapet in the then North Arcot of Madras Province. Saint Thiagaraja two months prior to his death called Venkataramana Bhagvathar and entrusted to him the idol of Sri Ram which he worshiped, the bundles of palm leaves containing his Kritis (Compositions) and other articles. These palm leaves and manuscript copies of various scriptures of Saint Thiagaraja were later popularly known as “Walajapet Collections”, attracting the attention of scholars, researchers, musicians for study.

Venkataramana   Bhagvathar  had  himself written hundreds of kritis on palm leaves. He wrote Dhyana Sloka, Adiguru Stotra Panchakam, and Thiagaraja Mangalashtakam all in praise of Saint Thiagaraja. He also wrote “Sri Thiagarajashtakam” which is being rendered at the end of all concerts during the Thiagaraja Music Festivals. “Nowka Charitam”, an opera written in Telugu by Saint Thiagaraja was later rendered in Sanskrit by Venkataramana Bhagvathar.

Venkataramana Bhagvathar was not only a musician and composer of great eminence, but also a great preceptor. He had a chain of disciples, which was later popularly known as ‘Walajapet Chain Disciples”.

He had profound knowledge of the Sanskrit and Telugu vocabulary which is amply displayed in all his works. Venkataramana Bhagvathar’s Kritis espouse Bhakthi, Rama Nama Prabhava and Vedantic philosophy. His compositions are found to be excellent pieces, highly classical  in form and spirit, amalgamating the stylist traits of the musical Trinity (Thiagaraja, Muthusamy Dikshitar and Shyama Sastrigal).

Venkataramana  Bhagvathar passed away on Tuesday, the 151 December, 1874 at the age of 93. His contribution to Carnatic music and the care and dedication  with which he preserved the valuable scripts of Saint Thiagaraja stand as a real and great testimony to prove his services to Carnatic music.