Music saint Thiyagraja


This music saint born on 4th May January 1767 and died on 6th January 1847 lived for 79 years. He had born in Tamil Nadu at the place of Thiruvairur or Thiruvaiyaru in the Tanjavur district.  He is the third son for his parents. He had his music training from Soonti Venkata Ramaayya he is a great music scholar. Thiyagaraja is also known as Thiyagaiah he has also learned to play veena a musical instrument. He has composed twenty four thousands of songs on god and goddess. He had seen Lord Rama while he singing his songs.

At the teen age he has composed first song Namo Namo Raghavaiyya  in the Thodi ragham. Ragham is understood as scale in the western music. His last song was Gripa Nelakonna in the ragham Sahana. Out of 24000 songs only seven hundred songs are available now. Even these seven hundred music composition first written in the palm leaf, later they are converted into the paper. His music compositions are called Keerthanas. He has composed songs on the gods Krishna, Shiva, Muruga, Ganesh and Hanuman. He has composed more songs for Shakthi also, but most of his music compositions are only about Lord Rama.

He has traveled all over Tamil Nadu and India and praised god with his music compositions. He also did many miracles with his music knowledge. He used to visit to all the temples only with his disciples. All his disciples would be visiting to his home in the morning time, after arrival of all his disciples he would be moving to all the temples. Generally, he would be sitting just opposite side of the God or Goddess and start singing his songs. Many people understood him at the young age he is genius in music. 

His guru informed the talent of Thiyagaraja to the Thanjavur king, king was pleased and invited him to his court by sending a person to his home along with many gifts. Thiyagraja has refused his invitation and said money or wealth cannot purchase the divine. Further he said he would sing songs only for the gods and only in the temples not in the other places.  
He did many miracles in his music, but the remarkable miracle is when he visited Thirupati temple, the deity was covered in the cloth screen, he sang a song asking Rama to remove the screen, the screen was burned in the fire and the Lord Venkatachalapathy was visible to everyone there at the presence.

One time he visited Chennai Thiruvatriyur temple, on the way he saw people crying with the dead body, Thiyagaraja sang a song that man got his life back and he became alive. His spectacular compositions are Pancharathna keerthanams, this gives meaning in English five gems, all his compositions are learned and played in the instrumental music and vocal music by the music lovers. Still people are searching for his unknown music composition to sing and play in the musical instruments. Many people wanted to worship him, but he directed everyone to worship lord Rama.


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