2018-05-04 Fri

Kakarla Tyagaraja, the most celebrated poet-composer and singer in Carnatic music was born on 4th May 1767. His name is uttered with great respect in both the devotional and classical music community.

Tyagaraja through his devotional songs not only appeased the gods, he also left behind a legacy that is still followed by the Indian classical musicians. He was born to a Telugu Brahmin family and was named after Lord Shiva (Tyagaraja), the main deity in the Tiruvarur Temple.

His music training started at early age under Sonti Venkata Ramanayya, a music scholar. Tyagaraja regarded music as a way to experience God's love. His compositions was mostly focused on expression, rather than the technicalities of classical music.

In his teens, he composed his first song, "Namo Namo Raghavayya", in the Desika Todi ragam and inscribed it on the walls of the house. Later on, he composed thousands of devotional compositions, most of it in Telugu language and in praise of Lord Rama. Many of these compositions are remain popular today.

In 1961, the posts and telegraphs department released a special commemoration stamp on Tyagaraja.

Image Courtesy: Mintage World