Appar Adigal, the celebrated Saivaite Saint categorically states that Thiruvarur temple is the place God Shiva both in a formless and with a form, had his temple dedicated as Thyagaraja Swami.
The sthala purnam of Thiruvarur states that the wind instrument Nadhaswaram was part of the entourage that was brought along with the presiding deity Thyagaraja Swami and as such being played in the temple from the very beginning. Those who handled this instrument were referred to as nainar adiyar and this name was associated with the exponents of Nadhaswaram at Thiruvarur.
Tharakeswaran and Marakeswaran are the first generation of this tribe. Notable among this earlier generation are Thanjan, Kamaleswaran and Saminatha Iyah, Kamala Thyagesan, and Somasekaran.
Historical evidences speak volumes about the musical ability of this genre and it is believed that after listening to the Nadhaswaram playing of Thanjan, a great exponent of Nadhaswaram playing, The Chola King named the Punnai town as Thanjai town, now known as Tanjavur.
The wind instrument :
Nadhaswaram belongs to the woodwind family known as a "Mangala Vadya". "Mangala"
means auspicious, vadya – instrument, since it is played in temples,
processions, festivals and auspicious occasions like marriages, etc. It is a
double reed instrument with a conical bore which gradually enlarges toward the
lower end. It is usually made of a type of ebony. The top portion has a metal
staple the "Mel Anaichu" into which is inserted a small metallic cylinder the "Kendai"
which carries the mouthpiece made of reed.
Besides spare reeds, a small ivory or horn needle is attached to the Nadhaswaram.
This needle is used to clear the mouthpiece of saliva particles and allows the
free passage of air. A metallic bell "Keezh anaichu" decorates the bottom.
Playing technique:
Raga Alapana has been, and still is, a special feature of Nadhaswaram music.
There is room for the most expensive raga alapanas only in this. When a raga is
being expensively portrayed in the alapana stage using this instrument, it takes
both the artistes and the listeners into another realm beyond time and space.
It is Nadhaswaram music that, by stretching the musicians' imagination, gave the
idea that the dimensions of the human voice could be enlarged. Vocalists
nurtured on Nadhaswaram music understood this well. While the Nadhaswaram's
potential enabled its exponents to open up their imagination, it can be stated
that Nadhaswaram music helped add a new image and lustre to vocal music. The
expansive raga alapanas presented by great Nagasvara vidwans inspired several
vocalists and helped give a new shape to their concert presentations. When
vocalists, inspired by the Nagasvara bani, presented raga alapana expansively,
but rooted in tradition, their fame reached new peaks.
Nadhaswara playing is a complex technique. The half-notes and quarter-notes in
Nadhaswaram are not produced by the partial closing and opening of the finger
holes as in the Indian flute, but by adjusting the pressure of the air blown in
the pipe. This is a laborious process, and it consequently takes a long time to
attain proficiency in playing this instrument. Gamakas, which are the life and
soul of and also peculiar to Indian music, are easily produced in Nadhaswaram by
breath control and the fingers of the performer. Nadhaswaram produces all the
nuances of Carnatic music and in the hands of an expert it almost speaks like a
human voice.
Mallari:
The tradition of playing two Nadhaswaram to the accompaniment of two thavil has
its origin to Thiruvarur. The Mallari playing tradition is also credited to the
Thiruvarur Temple practice. The Nadhaswaram playing commences with playing in
mantra sthayi in madhdhima kalam, as Thiruvarur is the
moola kshetram. When the deity is taken out for procession a composition
known as Mallari is played. It is a rhythmic composition and is usually played
in the raga Gambheeranadai.
Today we find three or four Mallari rendered within thirty minutes in every
other place, whereas it took more than thirty minutes to elaborately play it in
its original beauty at Tiruvaur Temple.
Importance of sahitya:
Proper knowledge of sahitya is a must for Nadhaswara vidwans. This
should not be compromised on. It is very important for every Nadhaswara student
to learn vocal music first. While rendering the kritis of Muthuswami
Dikshitar in Nadhaswaram, the tongue plays a major role in producing the
tuttukaram-s, which in turn brings out the sahityanubhava (feel of
the sahitya/lyrics). Systematic and proper sahitya patantara
is the special feature of our school.
Melody:
While rendering ragas like Sindhubhairavi, Yamankalyani, Desh etc. and
also while rendering compositions in those ragas, bringing out melody is another
important factor. Melody is brought through breath control, and here lips play
an important role. When rendering these Hindustani ragas, listeners can feel the
synchronization of Nadhaswaram with the Shehnai of the north. This aspect and
style of rendering is exclusively identified with the Thiruvarur Bhani.
