SERIES - 4

Swati Tirunal - 5

The performance had ended. Siva and Skanda had returned to their room; when suddenly Skanda let out a gasp. Siva asked, “You’re, ok?”

“Yes Appa, it’s just that we missed a place on our way back from the palace today.”

“Which one?” Siva smiled, clearly knowing the answer.

The Navarātri Maṇḍapam, the venue of the festival of nine nights is located to the right of the East Gōpuram of Śrī Padmanābhasvāmi temple. Mahārājā Svāti Tirunāḷ has composed 9 songs for all 9 days that’s sung by renowned musicians during the festival here.

Decked with fresh fruits and flowers and the scent of oil lamps, the maṇḍapam looks visually stunning during Navarātri. “I wanted to see the earthen pot arrangement in the maṇḍapam, you’ve often told me about”. Skanda interrupted Siva’s flow of thoughts.

“Yes, they are the sound reflectors. The mouth of the pots is open downwards, tied by coir ropes. The pots are of different sizes. Not only do they reflect sound evenly across the venue, they also prevent echoes. This arrangement is done right above the space where the artist performs”.

“Fun fact, the popular Annamācārya Kṛti - Nārāyaṇa tē namō namō is recited as a part of the Tōḍaya Maṅgaḷam performed before the concert”, Skanda shared.

“Yes, though the Kṛti is popularly rendered in Behāg, here the same is rendered in Madhyamāvati rāga on a concluding note. This inclusion was suggested by the Mahārājā himself. The Tōḍaya Maṅgaḷam & Gaṇapati Stuti are rendered by the Mullamūdu Bhāgavata-s, whose ancestry dates back to that of the Mahārājā himself”.

The Sarasvati idol, the presiding deity of the festival – initially worshipped by Kavi Cakravarti Kambar was handed over to a Chera king by him, during his last days. As per the Chera king’s promise to Śrī Kambar, the Navarātri festival has been conducted by the Royal Travancore family to this date. Every year, she is brought in procession from Padmanābhapuram Palace to Trivandrum to preside over the Navarātri Sangītōtsavam.

“Ok, can we have a rapid-fire quiz about the Navarātri maṇḍapam? Let’s see how much you remember of what I’ve shared with you.” Siva rubbed his palms and straightened his back, while Skanda looked up to him, seriously.

“Which artist has performed over 50 times in the Navarātri maṇḍapam?”

Pat came the reply. “Semmaṅguḍi Śrīnivāsa Ayyar”.

“What are the timings of the concert held in the maṇḍapam?”

“Between 6.00 to 8.30 pm, not a minute late,” smiled Skanda, feeling proud of himself.

“Which was the original venue of the Navarātri festival prior to the existing one?”

“The Nāṭaka Sāla of Śrī Padmanābhapuram Palace. From 1014 AD, the concerts began to be held in the current venue after the renovation was being done by the Mahārājā”.

“You’re so good”. Siva smiled, appreciating. “Which instrument is played while the vocalist renders a tāna?”

Skanda replied, “The Mṛdaṅga. By the way, it’s a mandatory practice”.

“How many of the Navarātri kṛti-s are those in Cauka Kāla?”

“6 kṛti-s of the 9 are Cauka Kāla kṛti-s, the last three use Madhyama Kāla”.

“How many songs have solkaṭṭu̱ (rhythmic syllables) in Anupallavi?”

Skanda thought for a minute and said, “3 songs – Bhārati Māmava (Tōḍi), Janani Māmava (Bhairavī) and Sarōruhāsana Jāyē (Pantuvarāḷī) have solkaṭṭu̱ in Anupallavi”. 

“Pāhi janani Santatam, a piece in Nāṭṭakuṟañji makes use of which note liberally?”

“Pañcamam. Another unique feature is two kṛti-s in Kalyāṇī & Pantuvarāḷī rāga of the 9 kṛti-s do not have lower octave phrases”.

“Well done”. Siva shook Skanda’s hands, smiling widely. 

“Appa, I shouldn’t forget to mention that all the kṛti-s have Madhyamakāla Sāhitya like Śrī Muttusvāmi Dīkṣita’s Navāvarṇa kṛti-s . Isn’t it?”

“Oh definitely. And do you notice how all of these 9 kṛti-s  are rich in terms of the Sāhitya? This, interestingly, being a characteristic of Sōpāna Saṅgīta, a style of devotional singing present in temples of Kerala, even before Carnatic Music. This music form was supposed to be sung to the deity while the doors of the Sannidhi (shrine) would be shut, to the ears of the worshippers standing in front, to keep them engaged in Bhakti bhāva.”

Mahārājā Svāti Tirunāḷ & his uncle Irayimman Tampi were powerful patrons of this art form – the latter created a lot of pieces suitable for Mōhiniyāṭṭam in the Sōpānam style. Post their period, a lot of their compositions have been polished to be rendered in the Carnatic style owing to efforts of stalwarts like Sētu Pārvati Bāyi, Muttayyā Bhāgavata & Semmaṅguḍi Śrīnivāsa Ayyar”.

Skanda placed his water bottle on the table and said, “I want to know more of this”.

Siva yawned. “Well, yes but definitely not today. This is for another day to explore. Now go back to sleep, before we leave Trivandram, don’t you want to see the Navarātri Maṇḍapam?”

Skanda exclaimed, “No way I am going home without visiting the Maṇḍapam. Good night”.