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Ramaswamy Dikshitar(1735 - 1817)
Ramaswamy Dikshithar was a scholarly composer and revelled in composing
ragamalikas.His ancestors were from Virinchipuram in North Arcot district.His
father was Venkateshwara Dikshithar and his mother Bhagirathi.Due to the
disturbed political conditions,he left for the secure chola desa.He went
to Govindhapuram the centre of the Bhajana sampradhaya.After a brief sojourn
at Mayuram he settled finally at Tiruvarur.He codified the temple music
there.
He had his training in lakshya under Melattur Virabhadarayya and studied
lakshana under Tiruvidaimarudhur Venkatavaidhyanatha Dikshitha a scion
of Venkatamakhin.After paying visits to a few other places and staying
for sometime in Mayuram he finally settled in Tiruvarur a historical site
hallowed from the chola times.Tiruvarur was the devotional capital of the
mahratta rulers of Tanjavur and the reigning king heard Ramaswami Dikshithar's
music and extended his patronage to him. The tradition at the Tiruvarur
temple is that the order and details of the music and musical instruments
during the different services of the day and during festivals and rocessoins
were arranged by Ramaswami Dikshithar.
Compositions
Ramaswami Dikshithar composed tana-varnams,many padavarnams and in
one of them (sarigani,thodi) has just used the 7 letters of the swaras,another
song in Gangatharangini with a palindromic structure.some kirthanas and
above all the ragamalikas in which he revelled.One such was on Lord Venkatesha
at Tirupathi in 48 ragas (Manasa veretarula),one was on goddess Minakshi
at Madurai in 40 or 44 ragas and the magnum opus the one in 108 ragas and
talas (ashtothra shatha raga taala malika). He composed in Telegu and Sanskrit
and was patronised by the Tanjore court.He composed tana varnas,pada varnas,kirthanas
and ragamalikas which were his forte.
Another major contribution of RamaswamiDikshitar is the raga Hamsadwani.
From Dr.V.Raghavan's published by National Centre for the Performing
Arts.
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