A group of musicians and music lovers who trace their roots to Vaiyacheri are celebrating the great musician-composer Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan's birthday at Vaiyacheri. The day, Vaikasi Ayilyam falls on June 7 this year. The group will present the 72 Melaragamalika at the composer's birth place and also render a few of his other compositions on that day.
Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan was born in 1844 and lived till 1893. His Melaragamalika is among the longest compositions in Carnatic music, sung in praise of Lord Pranathathihara of Tiruvaiyaru. Dedicated to 72 melakartha ragas, each line of this composition is in a melakartha raga.
Vaidyanatha Sivan's brother Ramaswami Sivan added chittaswarams to these compositions. At the end of the first mela ragam, the swaras of the next mela raga would follow and the entire composition is sung in a chain pattern.
Vaiyacheri is a small village in Thanjavur district. It is located at three kms south of Ayyampet on the Kumbakonam-Thanjavur Road. This village has contributed enormously to Carnatic music and Tamil Isai. Apart from the brothers, Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan and Ramaswamy Sivan, this village is also the birth place of the well known Anai-Ayya brothers who have contributed a wealth of musical compositions in Tamil. For more details contact Ramji at 99413 86122
