Maharajapuram Santhanam
Encyclopedia
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Maharajapuram Santhanam , (1928-1992) was one of the great Carnatic music
vocalists of the 20th century. He was born in Sirunangur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu
. He followed the footsteps of his father Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer
who was also a Carnatic singer.
and Kanchi Shankaracharya, His Holiness Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (Maha Periyavar). He was the Principal of Ramanathan College in Sri Lanka. Later he came and settled in Chennai
. The songs which were popularised by Maharajapuram Santhanam are "Unnai Allal" (Kalyani Raga
), "Sadha Nin Padhame gathi, Varam onnru" (Shanmukhapriya
), "Bho Shambo" (Revati
), "Madhura Madhura" (Bagheshri), "Srichakra Raja" (Ragamalika), "Nalinakaanthimathim" (Ragamalika),"Ksheerabdi kannike" (Ragamalika) among others. The Maharajapuram Santhanam Day is celebrated on the 3rd of December every year.
He died in a car accident in 1992. His sons Maharajapuram S. Srinivasan and Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran and his primary disciple Dr. R. Ganesh are now carrying on his musical tradition.
His other most popular songs are Purandaradasa kriti
s: "Narayana ninna
" (Shuddha Dhanyasi) and "Govinda ninna". His rendition of "Vilayada ithu nerama muruga" cannot be replicated by any other artiste. His renditions were full of Bhakthi.
In chennai Griffith Road in T.Nagar was renamed as MAHARAJAPURAM SANTHANAM SALAI in honor of Maharajapuram santhanam by Karunanidhi and Stalin. The street has the famous Krishna Gana Sabha and Muppathamman Temple.
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.-----Sangeetha Kalanidhis:-External links:*...
Maharajapuram Santhanam , (1928-1992) was one of the great Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
vocalists of the 20th century. He was born in Sirunangur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. He followed the footsteps of his father Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer
Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer
Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer was one of the great Indian Carnatic vocalists. He won several awards including Sangeetha Kalanidhi and Sangeetha Bhupathy.-Early life and background:Viswanatha Iyer was born in Chennai to Rama Iyer, a singer....
who was also a Carnatic singer.
Profile
Besides studying with his father, he was also a disciple of Melattur Sama Dikshitar. Maharajapuram Santhanam was also a distinguished composer. He wrote many songs on Lord MuruganMurugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
and Kanchi Shankaracharya, His Holiness Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (Maha Periyavar). He was the Principal of Ramanathan College in Sri Lanka. Later he came and settled in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. The songs which were popularised by Maharajapuram Santhanam are "Unnai Allal" (Kalyani Raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
), "Sadha Nin Padhame gathi, Varam onnru" (Shanmukhapriya
Shanmukhapriya
Shanmukhapriya is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is the 56th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Chāmaram in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub...
), "Bho Shambo" (Revati
Revati (ragam)
Revati is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is an audava rāgam . It is a janya rāgam , as it does not have all the seven swaras .In Hindustani music a raga that closely resembles Revati is Bairagi Bhairav Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub...
), "Madhura Madhura" (Bagheshri), "Srichakra Raja" (Ragamalika), "Nalinakaanthimathim" (Ragamalika),"Ksheerabdi kannike" (Ragamalika) among others. The Maharajapuram Santhanam Day is celebrated on the 3rd of December every year.
He died in a car accident in 1992. His sons Maharajapuram S. Srinivasan and Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran and his primary disciple Dr. R. Ganesh are now carrying on his musical tradition.
His other most popular songs are Purandaradasa kriti
Kriti
-Structure:Kritis typically contain three parts#Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.#Anupallavi. The second verse, which is sometimes optional....
s: "Narayana ninna
Narayana Ninna Namada
Narayana Ninna Namada is a composition in Carnatic music by Purandara Dasa in the 16th century. It is set in the Shuddha Dhanyasi raga and the Khanda Chapu tala. It emphasizes the value of reciting God's name....
" (Shuddha Dhanyasi) and "Govinda ninna". His rendition of "Vilayada ithu nerama muruga" cannot be replicated by any other artiste. His renditions were full of Bhakthi.
In chennai Griffith Road in T.Nagar was renamed as MAHARAJAPURAM SANTHANAM SALAI in honor of Maharajapuram santhanam by Karunanidhi and Stalin. The street has the famous Krishna Gana Sabha and Muppathamman Temple.