DhooL.com Song Of The Day

Song of the Day # 1007

From: bb on:  Mon May 04, 2009 6:53 pm

Song of the Day: pachchai maNi from padhinettaaam padi.

http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/1007.html

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- Saravanan writes:

Malarndhum Malaraadhavai # 16:

In this chapter of our series on songs from unreleased movies, we present:

pachchai maNi poonkodiyaaL from padhinettaaam padi

Sung by M. Balamuralikrishna
Lyrics by ?
Music by Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan

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meenakshi mEmudam dEhi mEchakaanagi raajamaathangi
maanamaatRumEyEmaayE maragathachaayE shivajayE
meenalOchani paashamOchani maanini kadambavanavaasini

- Muthuswami Dikshithar on Goddess Meenakshi

‘Meenakshi Thirukkalyanam’ or the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswarar is being celebrated today, the 10th day of the 12 day Annual Chithirai Festival in Madurai. Thousands of devotees throng the temple every year on this day to witness the Siva as Sundareswarar joining with Parvathi as Meenakshi in divine matrimony. The idols are taken out in magnificent procession after the marriage is solemnized to the accompaniment of resonant instrumental music and the fervent cries of the devotees. The regal journey of Lord Kallazhagar in a golden chariot from Azhagarmalai to Madurai and his entering the Vaigai are remarkable rituals that once witnessed would be remembered forever. The ancient city wears a festive look during these 12 days with a plethora of joyous revelries centering on the glorious temple.



The Meenakshi temple is the pride of Tamilnadu. An architectural marvel that finds mention in as early as 7th Century literature (Sambandhar), the temple owes much of its present structure to the Nayak rulers, especially to the sagacious vision of Aryanatha Mudaliar, the Prime-Minister to the first Nayak ruler of Madurai. The majestic gopurams, the marvelous aayiram-kaal mandapam, the breathtaking poRthaamaraikkuLam, the exquisite sculptures, carvings and paintings that adorn every nook and corner of the sprawling precincts make this edifice worthy of being counted among the wonders of the world. The Kumbabhishekam of the temple was conducted by 300 Sivachaariars on April 8 this year with befitting piety and splendour.

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Hymns and songs on Goddess Meenakshi have formed part of our rich music tradition. Dikshithar’s meenakshi mEmudam in gamakakriya (he is said to have shed his mortal frame with a blissful sigh while listening to his disciples render this song) and maamava meenakshi in varaaLi, Syama Sastri’s Navaratna Maalika on the Goddess and Papanasam Sivan’s dEvi neeyE in keeravaaNi are compositions that stand the test of time. Padma Subramaniam’s famed dance-drama ‘Nritya Saptaham’ depicting the divine marriage, based on the meticulous research of the late Shyamala Balakrishnan has held the audience enthralled ever since it was first staged in the early 60s.

References to Madurai and its presiding Goddess abound in Tamil film songs. Kannadasan is said to have penned ‘aalayamaNiyin Osaiyai naan kEttEn’ while listening to the clangor of this temple’s bells early in the morning. KVM’s ‘maaNikka mookkuthi madurai meenakshikku’, MSV’s ‘madurai meenakshi maNikkazhuthil’ and S-G’s ‘paaNdiya mannanin rajakumari’ are my personal favorites among the film songs that refer to the Goddess. Kannadasan wrote the screenplay, dialogues and songs for the singular ‘deiva thirumaNangaL’ (1981/Solar Combines), and KVM composed music for the segment depicting Meenakshi Kalyanam- Vani Jairam’s ‘thirumaalE seerarum maNivaNNa’ became immensely popular. Later, in 1987, MSV crafted a classic album for ‘meenakshi thiruviLaiyaadal’ (Lakshmi Ganapthi Combines) wherein the master’s painstaking creations such as ‘ulagathin mudhal mozhiyaai’ (Vani Jairam), ‘angayaRkaNNi meenakshi’ (SPB), ‘deiveega malarallava’ (Vani Jairam & Chithra) and ‘meenakshi kalyaaNa vaibOgamE’ (Yesudas & Vani Jairam) went regretfully unnoticed.

As for our Kunnakkudi Vaidayanathan, he composed the scintillating ‘madurai arasaaLum meenakshi’ for thirumalai thenkumari. Another enchanting Meenakshi composition by KV is the Rathipathipriya delight ‘nalam tharuvaai en thaayE meenakshi’ (Yesudas/ raga bandhangaL) adapted from ‘jagath janani’ popularized by Dhandapani Desikar.

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Some years ago, during my articleship days, I came across an EP record of a movie titled ‘padhinettam padi’ in a recording center in Bhavani, near Erode. I was intrigued by the title as I could not recall any movie by that name. The music was credited to Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan. There were 4 songs in the movie. S.P. Shailaja seems to have bagged a prized opportunity to sing for KV in this album, and her song ‘uyiroviyamE thendRal vandhu paadudhamma’ gambols along lush folksy lanes laid by KV. Malaysia Vasudevan sings the ruminative ‘oru kELvi adhai kEttukoLLunga’. T.L. Maharajan & Vani Jairam get to render the rollicking rustic duet ‘idhu pOdhuma ini naaNamaa’.

However, KV saves the best for his revered friend, and Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna does KV proud with his rich baritone lending the lines an aura of serene piety. It is unfortunate that a delight such as this never reached the airwaves…






Categories: Malarndhum malaraadhavai

Discussion Page in DhooL on this Song

http://www.dhool.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8461