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Remembering a great `vainika'

The late Desamangalam Subramania Iyer playing the veena at a concert.

Desamangalam Subramania Iyer was a doyen among veena players who during his lifetime enthralled many with his superb mastery over the instrument.

In memory of this great `vainika,' an annual Veenakalanidhi musical competition on veena, violin, mridamgam and vocal recitals are held during the Kalpathy music festival by the District Tourism Promotion Council organised as part of the famous Kalpathy Car Festival in the second week of November every year.

Born in a small village of Pallimann near Vadakkancherry in 1894, Desamangalam Subramania Iyer had his initial training in veena under his maternal grandfather and uncle Narayana Bhagavathar.

He and the great Manjapra Kalynakrishnan Bhagavathar belonged to the same family. His ancestors settled down at Desamangalam. Though a contemporary of well-known artistes like Karaikudi veena brothers, Veena Dahnammal, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Ayengar, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer and Palakkad Rama Bhagavathar, he is forgotten by the modern day rasikas and connoisseurs of fine arts. Thus the annual musical competition is organised to revive the golden memories of Desamangalm Subramania Iyer whose veena concerts were popular throughout South India, especially in Kerala from 1920 till his passing away on April 9, 1947.

He worked as professor of veena at Annamalai Music College since its inception in 1929. He resigned his job in 1930 to become a concert artiste. Mr. Iyer succeeded in this and he became known as a `vainika' of rare merit in those days. He was also an AIR artiste in Chennai.

In 1938, he was presented with a Keerthimudra and Veerasringala by the Maharaja of Travancore who praised his superb control over the veena. Ammamaharani's Guru Vainika Sarvashri Venkatadri Bhagavathar, Semmangudi Srinivas Iyer and M.A. Kalyana Krishna Bhagavathar were present to listen to the veena exposition of Desamangalam at the palace concert.

During those pre-Independent times, Subramania Iyer had given a few gramophone records. Unfortunately these records are not available now. One of his famous disciples is veena vidwan Sangeetha Kalanidhi K.S. Narayanaswami.

His son S. Ramanarayanan recalls as having attended a concert Subramania Iyer organised under the auspicious of Swati Tirunal Sabha in Thiruvanathapuram in 1943. Madras Music Academy honoured Subramania Iyer by unveiling his portrait among the galaxy of great musicians of yesteryears.

As a memorial of this great vidwan, his son set up an endowment to organise annual veena concert competition for young talents in Carnatic and instrument music.

G. Prabahkaran

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