Swathi Sangeethotsavam

Last updated

Swathi Sangeethotsavam
Rama Varma performing at Swathi Sangeethotsavam.jpg
Rama Varma performing at Swathi Sangeethotsavam
DatesEvery year from 4 January to 13 January
Location(s) Thiruvananthapuram, India
Organised by Prince Rama Varma and Sir Rama Varma Maharaja of Travancore Trust

Swathi Sangeethotsavam (Swathi Music Festival) is a ten-day festival of music celebrating the compositions of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal. The festival is held from 4 to 13 January every year at Kuthira Malika, Trivandrum, where the Maharaja is believed to have composed many of his works. The festival is a tribute to Swathi Tirunal and is exclusively dedicated to his compositions. [1] The concerts are not ticketed. The festival is conducted by Rama Varma Maharaja of Travancore Trust under the helm of Prince Rama Varma. [2]

Contents

History

The Government of Kerala used to conduct the festival in Kuthiramalika in memory of Swathi Thirunal. In the late 90s, after they decided to hold it in different places all over Kerala and discontinued the festival at Kuthiramalika, Rama Varma Maharaja took the initiative to continue the annual festival under the Travancore Trust. [3] The festival is organized by Prince Rama Varma, Carnatic musician and direct descendant of Swathi Tirunal. [4]

List of events

YearDateHeadliners
2004 [5] 6–12 Jan.Ranjani & Gayathri, Aswathi Tirunal Rama Varma, Kudamaloor Janardanan, M.S.Sheela, Ajoy Chakrabarti, P. Unni Krishnan, Dr. M.Balamuralikrishna
2005 [6] 6–12 Jan. Kudamaloor Janardanan , Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Kiranavali Vidyashankar, Pantula Rama, V.Vamanan, Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, T. M. Krishna
2006 [7] 6–12 Jan.Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Pandit Virabhadriah Hiremath, V.V. Subramanyam, Gayathri Venkataraghavan, Malladi Brothers, K. Omanakutty
2007 [8] 6–12 Jan. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, S.K.S. Hariharasubramanian, Sangeetha Sivakumar, T. M. Krishna, Trichy B. Sivakumar
2008 [9] 6–13 Jan. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Prince Rama Varma, Manasi Prasad, Prof. Venkatesh Kumar, Master Balamuralikrishna, Parasala B. Ponnammal, Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi (violin duet), Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
2009 [10] 6–15 Jan. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Malladi Suri Babu, Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, Parasala Ponnammal, Prince Rama Varma (Veena), Amrutha Venkatesh, Kunnakudi M. Balamuralikrishna, Prasanna Venkataraman, Thamarakkad Govindan Namboothiri, Ranjani & Gayathri
2010 [11] 6–12 Jan.Mavelikkara Subrahmanian, Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, Balasai, Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Seetha Rajan and Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna
2011 [12] 6–12 Jan.Ajoy Chakraborty, violin duet by siblings S.R. Mahadeva Sharma and S.R. Rajashree, Vidya Kalyanaraman, R.K. Padmanabha, Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Amrutha Venkatesh
2012 [13] 6–12 Jan. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Bangalore S. Shankar, Prof. Venkataramanan, Abhradita Banerjee, Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Master Abhilash, Akkarai Sisters
2013 [14] 4–13 Jan. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Master Siddharth, J.B. Shruthisagar (Flute), Amrutha Venkatesh, Sikkil Gurucharan, Ranjini Guruprasad, Ramakrishnan Murthy, Avaneeswaram S R Vinu, Venkataramanan, Debapriya Adhikary, Vighnesh Easwar, O.S. Arun
2014 [15] 4–13 Jan. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Prince Rama Varma, Amrutha Venkatesh, Parassala B. Ponnammal, Prof.Venkataramanan, T.V. Gopalakrishnan, S. Varadarajan(violin solo), Saurabh Kadgaonkar, Seetha Rajan's Bala Brundam, O.S. Arun
2015 [16] 4-13 Jan.Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Prince Rama Varma, Amrutha Venkatesh, Perumbavoor G. Ravindranath, Avaneeshwaram S.R. Vinu (violin solo), Carnatica Brothers, Ashwath Narayanan, Sandeep Narayan, Pravin Godkhindi (Flute), O.S.Arun
2016 [17] 4-13 Jan.Amrutha Venkatesh, Prince Rama Varma, Kruthi Bhat, J.A. Jayanth (Flute), Uttara Swaminathan, Kashyap Mahesh, Ramnath Venkat Bhagwath, O.S.Arun, Vani Ramamurthi, Sanjay Subrahmanyan
2017 [18] 4-13 Jan.Prince Rama Varma, Amrutha Venkatesh, Aditi Prahlad, O.S. Arun, S. Mahadevan (Veena), Surabhi Pusthakam, Brindha Manickavasakan, Thamarakad Govindan Namboothiri, Amit Nadig (Flute), Kashyap Mahesh, Sanjay Subrahmanyan
2018 [19] 4-13 Jan.Palghat R Ramprasad, Manda Sudharani, S Ashok, M B Hariharan, Tamarakkad Govindan Namboodiri, Amith Nadig, Amrutha Venkatesh, Prince Rama Varma
2019 [20] 4-13 Jan.Prince Rama Varma, Bangalore Sri S. Shankar, Sri Vishnudev Namboodri, Smt Nisha Rajagopalan, Tamarakkad Sri Govindan Namboodri, Sri Sanjay Subrahmanyan

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travancore</span> Kingdom in southern India from 1729 to 1949

The Kingdom of Travancore, also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India.

Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 400 classical compositions in both Carnatic and Hindustani style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer</span> Musical artist

Semmangudi Radhakrishna Srinivasa Iyer was an Indian Carnatic vocalist. He was the youngest recipient of the Sangeetha Kalanidhi awarded by the Music Academy in 1947, a distinction he holds to this day as of 2023, probably the only musician to receive that honour before reaching 40. He had received many other awards as well, including Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India, Rajyasevanirata title from Travancore's erstwhile ruling family, Sangeet Natak Academy award (1953), Isai Perarignar from Government of Tamil Nadu and Kalidas Samman from Government of Madhya Pradesh. He was affectionately addressed as "Semmangudi Maama" by his disciples. He was also considered the "Pitamaha" or the grand sire of modern Carnatic Music. He was conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Kerala in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma</span> Last ruling Maharajah of Travancore from 1924–1949

Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal, was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancore until 1991. His reign is known for several notable reforms that have indelible impact on the society and culture of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmanabhaswamy Temple</span> Temple dedicated to Vishnu in Thiruvananthapuram

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple, dedicated to Vishnu, in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the sacred abodes of Vishnu in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. It is widely considered as the world's richest Hindu temple. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Malayalam and Tamil translates to "The City of Ananta". The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the Kerala style and the Dravidian style of architecture, featuring high walls, and a 16th-century gopuram. While as per some traditions the Ananthapura temple in Kumbla in Kasaragod district in Kerala is considered as the original spiritual seat of the deity ("Mulasthanam"), architecturally to some extent, the temple is a replica of the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Fort</span> Central Business District in Kerala, India

Kizhakke Kotta, also known by its English name East Fort, is a busy commercial street located at the heart of the central business district of Thiruvananthapuram city in Kerala. Since Trivandrum was the capital of the kingdom of Travancore, East Fort has been a commercial centre. It also has the city's main bus stand, multiple theatres and the famous Padmanabha Swamy Temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Thiruvananthapuram</span>

The city of Thiruvananthapuram has been the centre of cultural activities of Kerala (India) from the time it was made capital of Travancore in 1745. The capital city is a major intellectual and artistic center. The Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Thiruvananthapuram Zoo were started during the reign of Swathi Thirunal (1813–1847) and are one of the oldest of their kind in India. The city's libraries include the Trivandrum Public library, which was started in 1829. The Swathi Thirunal College of Music and 'College of fine arts' are the leading institutions related to music and arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuthiramalika</span>

Kuthiramalika is a palace built by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma on the south-eastern side of Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma</span> Maharaja of Travancore (1922–2013)

Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma was the titular Maharaja of Travancore. He was the younger brother of the last ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Travancore, Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma</span> Musical artist

Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, known colloquially as Prince Rama Varma, is an Indian classical musician and a member of the erstwhile Royal Family of Travancore. He is a Carnatic vocalist as well as an exponent of the Saraswati Veena. He is also recognized as a music teacher, musicologist, writer and orator. He has performed at concerts and conducted music workshops all over India and in several other countries including United States, UK, Netherlands, France, UAE, Malaysia and Singapore. YouTube videos of his concerts, classes and lecture-demonstrations are popular among music lovers, music students and professional musicians alike, and have exceeded 20 million views as of July 2022.

Swathi may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travancore royal family</span> Ruling family of travancore

The Travancore royal family was the ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore.The Travancore royal family signed a treaty with the British in 1788, thereby adopting British dominance. Later, in 1805, they revised the treaty, leading to a diminution of royal authority and the loss of political independence for Travancore. They had to give up their ruling rights over the common people in 1949 when Travancore were forced to merge with Independent India and their political pension privileges were abolished in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swathi Thirunal College of Music</span> Music college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Swathi Thirunal College of Music is a music college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1939. It was first named as "The Music Academy". The name was renamed as Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1962. The founder of this institution was the last reigning King of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma in 1939. The administration of the institution was under the control of the Travancore Royal Family earlier. Eminent musicians like Muthiah Bhagavathar who was the first Principal, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, etc. have served as Principals of this college.

<i>Swathi Thirunal</i> (film) 1987 Indian film

Swathi Thirunal is a 1987 Indian Malayalam-language biographical film co-written and directed by Lenin Rajendran. The film is based on the life of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore. It stars Anant Nag in the title role, with Srividya, Nedumudi Venu and Murali in other important roles. The cinematographer was Madhu Ambat.

K. S. Narayanaswamy, was a Carnatic veena exponent of the Thanjavur style, in which nuances and subtleties are given more importance over rhythm based acrobatics. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1979.

Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram is the highest honour for musicians instituted by the Kerala State Government. It's named after Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore (തിരുവിതാംകൂര്‍), in India.The award carries a cash prize of rupees one lakh, citation and a medal

Thirunal is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

<i>7 Notes to Infinity</i> 2012 Indian film

7 Notes to Infinity is a 2012 documentary film directed by Shrenik Rao. It is a musical documentary which pays tribute to Indian classical music and explores the universality of music through infinite musical compositions created from seven pitches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma</span> Maharaja of Travencore

Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma is the current incumbent to the throne of Travancore. He is the youngest of the four children of the former titular Maharani of Travancore, Sree Padmanabhasevini Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi and her husband, Prince Consort Lt. Col. G. V. Raja of Poonjar Royal House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sethu Parvathi Bayi</span> Junior Maharani (Elaya Thampuratti) of Attingal & Queen Mother (Amma Maharani) of Travancore

Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi (1896–1983), better known as Amma Maharani, was the Junior Maharani (Queen) of Travancore as well as a promoter of Indian Classical music. She was the mother of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last King of Travancore. She was the president of the National Council of Women in India in 1938–1944.

References

  1. "Swathi Sangeethotsavam begins on January 6". The Hindu. 30 December 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  2. "Swathi Sangeethotsavam @ Kuthiramaika". swathithirunal.in. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  3. "Royal musical treat". The Hindu . 4 January 2008. Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. "The sound of music: Meet Rama Varma, the man behind Thiruvananthapuram's Swathi Festival".
  5. "A rare musical treat". The Hindu . 3 January 2004. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  6. "Rich music fare on the cards". The Hindu . 5 January 2005. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  7. "On the wings of music". The Hindu . 20 January 2006. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  8. "Lyrical homage". The Hindu . 19 January 2007. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  9. "Celebration of melody and rhythm". The Hindu . 18 January 2008. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  10. "When music reigned supreme". The Hindu . 16 January 2009. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  11. "Festive treat of Swati kritis". The Hindu . 22 January 2010. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  12. "Vintage melodies". The Hindu . 21 January 2011. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  13. "Swathi Sangeethotsavam begins on January 6". thiraseela.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  14. "Swathi sangeethotsavam 2013". thiraseela.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  15. "Swathi Music Fest Begins Today". newindianexpress.com. The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  16. "Swati fete". thehindu.com. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  17. "Brimming with devotion". thehindu.com. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  18. "Swaras in the soft glow of oil lamps". thehindu.com. The Hindu. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  19. "Capital city gears up for a royal music treat". Times of India. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  20. "The sound of music: Meet Rama Varma, the man behind Thiruvananthapuram's Swathi Festival". The News Minute. Retrieved 24 October 2019.