The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Keeping a dying tradition alive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Keeping a dying tradition alive

Staff Reporter

Oduvars are a vanishing community of professional temple singers

DECLINING ART: Saidai Natarajan teaches the dwindling art of temple singing.

CHENNAI: Eighty-one-year-old Saidai D. Natarajan belongs to the vanishing tribe of the Oduvars — professional temple singers.

When Mr. Natarajan took to singing hymns from the Tirumurai, there were hundreds who continued the tradition of several centuries when Kings patronised and supported the Oduvars. But now their number has dwindled and he is trying to keep the tradition alive by teaching youngsters this dying art.

Mr. Natarajan has taught about 500 students in the city. Some have migrated abroad and continue to sing from the `Thevaram' and give concerts in Carnatic music. He has trained about 10 students in `Innisai Kathakalatshebum'. Mr. Natarajan conducts classes in Thevaram and Carnatic music in his house at West Mambalam.

`Oduvar Sangam'

He is the president of the `Oduvar Sangam' which he started in 1980. On the second Sunday every month, a group of Oduvars congregate in a temple in the city or on the outskirts, take out a procession and sing hymns from the `Thevaram.'

Mr. Natarajan says Oduvars need to have good memory power as there are no notes for Thevaram. Oduvars also perform at weddings and house warming functions.

In his youth, he interacted closely with Maraimalai Adigalar, the Saivaite saint-poet for several years. He learnt Carnatic music from Munisamy Pandithar and the Thevaram from Vinayagamurthy. He toured the State with Vinayagamurthy and sang in temples. Over the years, he started performing on his own. His last big concert in a temple was at the Thanjavur Big Temple where about 150 top musicians in the State had congregated for the consecration in June 1997. The function ended in a tragedy when a fire broke out in the pandal and several people died.

Mr. Natarajan, who has studied up to Standard III, has written short stories and poems, including `Marabhu Kavidhai' on Gandhiji and on a young woman's emotions while awaiting her husband's arrival at her home for `Thalai Deepavali.' They have been published in Tamil newspapers. He has also staged social dramas, one of which had been graced by Kirubananda Warriar. He can be contacted at 55187900.

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