Percussion maestro Kuzhur Narayana Marar, whose prowess on the thimila made many ‘Panchavadyam’ ensembles delectable, passed away at a private hospital here on Thursday. He was 87.
His funeral will be held at his home in Varanattu, Koratty, at 8 p.m.on Thursday.
Narayana Marar’s contributions to Panchavadyam had won him the Padmabhushan award last year.
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Born into the Manikkamangalam family (Vadakkinimarath tharavadu) near Kalady, Narayana Marar was initially a musician at the Kuzhur Subramanya Swami Temple. His last thimila recital was also held at the temple on his 87th birthday.
Having mastered percussion instruments like the thimila and the chenda from gurus Puzhakkarapilly Rama Marar and Manikkamangalam Narayana Kurup, he along with his brothers, Kuzhur Kuttappa Marar and Chandran Marar, formed a percussion trio that delighted Panchavadyam connoisseurs for decades.
Narayana Marar’s debut as a thimila player at the Thrissur Pooram festival from the Paramekkavu side was in 1944 at the young age of 19.
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Years later, he went on to become the ‘pramani’ (helmsman) of the Pooram festival. “He was very affable and accommodating and would go that extra mile to generously accommodate even relatively less knowledgeable percussionists in the Panchavadyam ensemble, but that was never at the cost of quality. With him at the helm, musical eminence was a foregone conclusion,” recalls Varanattu Narayana Kurup, noted Mudiyettu exponent and Narayana Marar’s neighbour.
“He was much revered for his special skill in drumming up the ‘triputa talam’ on the thimila. A sprightly spirit, he had attended the 16th day rites of his brother-in-law on Wednesday morning, but complained of nausea and unease before being taken to hospital in the afternoon,” says Mr. Kurup.
Kerala Kalamandalam honoured the master percussionist in 1990. In 2005, he won the Pallavur Appu Marar award. Last year, he took part in a ‘double thayambaka’ recital with Kalloor Ramankutty Marar. Kuzhur Narayana Marar is survived by four sons and three daughters.