AVK Rajasimmhan hails from Angarai Village, Lalgudi Taluk, Tiruchi district from a traditional Samprdaya Bhajan family. He is into Samprdaya Bhajan from the age of seven. Started learning Carnatic music from the age of ten. Learnt thoroughly for more than a decade. Won many prizes and awards from childhood. After graduating in commerce, underwent article ship for chartered accountancy. Worked for Godrej group for about fifteen years in logistics in Rajasthan, Delhi, UP and Chennai. He has worked as a professor in Music Academy under the directorship of Padmavibhushan, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Umayalpuram Sri. K. Sivaraman under his school Sri Tanjore Mahavaidhyanatha Iyer school for percussions for more than seven years. More »
Erode Rajamani Bhagavathar said that namasankirtan (repetition of the divine name of God in devotion and in group) is a powerful spiritual tool where the seekers can relish divine bliss and can also share it with others. K.V. Narasimhan, popularly known as Erode Rajamani Bhagavathar, a renowned exponent of sampradaya bhajan, has this rare ability and has been taking the participants of his bhajan programmes to a level of divine ecstasy through this tool. Says Rajamani, "Namasankirtan is the easiest way to reach God in this kalyug, when compared to other forms like yaga and tapas." He also recites a Sanskrit verse, which roughly translates to "Lord Krishna telling Narada that He (Lord Krishna) does not reside in Vaikunth; nor does He reside in the hearts of yogis; but resides at the place where namasankirtan is being done." Hailing from a place called Kooniyur in Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu, Rajamani has a rare distinction of being a disciple of the doyen of Sampradaya Bhajan, Pudukottai Brahmashri Sanjeevi Bhagavathar.
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Haridhos Giri affectionately called Guruji was born in the month of Margazhi in the tamil calendar with the birth star of Utharattathi. He was born in town of Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India.Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi says that for one who wants to go into sainthood, one has to go through several stages. But one who is born in this sacred Kshethram is a born saint. He needs no other qualifications to enter sainthood. He was named Hari, true to his spreading the Hari Namasankirthan cult.
His father, Sri Nott Annaji Rao, was an ardent Bhagavatha and a devotee of Swami Gnanananda Giri. His mother was very pious soul. They belonged to a royal heritage but the princely life with wealth and pleasure had no charm for Guruji in his younger days. He too, like so may great saints, lived an ordinary life of a human being in this mundane world but his urge was taking him away from all these pleasures and pain-ridden life. Even while he was youth he was attracted to Namasankirthanam, the inspiration emanating from his father. More »
Kovai S.Jayaraman was born on 09.12.1951 in a small, serene and beautiful village - Tirukattupalli, near Thanjavur, "The capital of Fine Arts”. He was born to (Late) Shri A.Sundararama Iyer and Smt S.Brahadambal. His father was a renowned stage artist as well as a great bhagavatha of the yester years. His mother is a good singer.
Kovai Jayaraman started singing at the very tender age of 5 by the influence of his parents. The household was always filled with songs and slokas. The village was also conducting many varieties of functions filled with music and drama. Sir P.S.Sivaswami Iyer High School, Tirukattupalli where he has studied, also encouraged him in singing the daily prayer and on occasions of visit of dignitaries or annual day celebrations. Many certificate were given to him.
He learnt music preliminaries from Tirukkattupalli Govindaraja Pillai, an eminent Nadaswaram exponent. Later took Thanjavur Sri B.M.Sundaram, the great Musicologist, as his Guru, who shaped his singing and introduced him to the ocean of Music. He is ever thankful to his Guru but for whose help he would not have had the opportunity to sing without fear.
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Shri Manjapra Mohan hails from Manjapra; a small village in Palakkad, Kerala and belongs to a family of musicians. His paternal uncle is none other than late Padmashree M.D. Ramanathan, a great Carnatic exponent who had a unique style of rendering and approach to Carnatic music. In the year 1990 he along with a handful of music enthusiasts formed the Shri Guruvayurappan BhaktaBhajan Sangam.
Sri Manjapra Mohan has taken Sampradaya Bhajan to great heights over the past 20 years in almost all places in India and abroad including UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Switzerland, France, Germany and Canada.
Many temples and organizations have known to have his Bhajan year after year. Since 2000 the Ayyappa Puja Sangam of Coimbatore continues to have him bring in the New Year with the singing of the glories of the Lord. He has been an active participant in the Palakkad Kalpathi Bhajanotsavam held every year in the first week of August. Similarly, the Kumbakonam Bhajanotsavam has consistently staged his Namasankeerthanam for their annual event. More »
Sri O.S.Sundar born on 15th Aug 1956 hails from a traditional musical family of South India- Tanjore district, Tamil Nadu. Gifted with melifuluous voice, Sundar had his tutuelage in carnatic classical music from his father Sangeetha Bhushanam Sri O V Subrahmanyan, a doyen of Carnatic Music. Also his elder brother Sri. O.S.Thiagarajan is a senior seasonal musician in Chennai. His younger brother Sri O.S.Arun is also a versatile musician.
Sundar has chosen the bhajan field and has participated in major and important religious and cultural functions. He has travelled widely across the country to lead many Kalyana utsavams and he is very proficient in the languages and the slokas. Bhakthi forms the essence of bhajan and good musical knowledge is an added advantage to increase the melody and bhava of a bhajan programme. His vast knowledge of carnatic music coupled with Bhasha Gyanam has given him good advantage to present any song soaked with full bhava and rasa. He has also been honoured by various religious organisations all over India. More »
Pithukuli Murugadas (b 25 January 1920 as Balasubramanian ) is an eminent religious singer from Tamil Nadu. He is best known for his compositions on the Hindu deity Murugan.
Shri Pithukuli Murugadas was born in Coimbatore to parents Alamelu and Sundaram Iyer of a devout brahmin family. Though poor, they were well known since his father was generous enough to distribute water during the drought period. More »
Sri S K S Shenkottai Harihara Subramanian Bhagavathar, Disciple of Sethalapathy Soundaram Bhagavathar and Sreemushnam Rajarao, Hariharasubramanian presents a concert that is marked by enthusiasm and exuberance. He seems to have a strong affinity towards Sampradaya bhajans. Shenkottai Hariharasubramanian's enthusiasm imbues his concert shenkottaihari@yahoo.co.in with a special charm.
Shenkottai Hariharasubramanian is a Bhagavatha who is well-versed in the Hindu scriptural texts and has understood and adheres to the dictates of the sampradaaya bhajan and paddhathi krama. He scrupulously observes the nithyakarmaanushtanams, unchavruthy, bhajans, dolothsavam etc. Sri Hari Subramanian who hails from from a very traditional Indian music family, has devoted his entire life in learning sampradaaya bhajans from an eminent music maestro. More »
Vijay Balaji Bhagavathars Both Viji and Balaji bhagavathar are pious and great bhakthas of Sadguru Sri Gnananandha Swamigal. Sri.Vijayakrishna Bhagavathar and Balaji Bhagavathar are known for their mastery in abhang sankeerthanam. They are great by their deeds,thoughts and appearance. They are simple,great,devoted and Knowlegable.Great people.A brief discourse on Namasankeerthan by Balaji Bhagavathar of Gnanandha Bhajan Mandali, Nanganallur. Both Sri.Vijayakrishna Bhagavathar and Balaji said "All paths being equal, the only and quick way to get closer to the Lord and immediately given is Namasankeerthanam". This kind of Namasankeerthanam, great Bhagavathas like Bodendral Swamigal have done the siddantham and given us this. The procedure as laid out by Marudanallur Sadguru Swamigal did not make any resemblance or to strictly follow Ganesha Dyanams or Ramakrishna Dhyanam pattern. Thodayamangalam followed by 3 Gurus and then Ashtapathi, Tharangini if you follow the kramam, it has been given more importance to the Mahans who wrote them. The importance has not been given to the God upon which this is sung like for example Ashtapathi for Jayadevar, Ramadasa Keerhtanmas for Ramadasar, Tharanginis for Narayana Theerthar. Similarly when putting Pundareekams Gopika Jeevana Smaranam, Janakikantha Smaranam then the respective Guru names pundareekams are being sung, the reason being Guru has been given the prime importance and made as the pradanam for Namasankeerthanam, if there is no Guru there is no Namasankeerthanam. You get the equivalent phalam of having taken a bath in Triveni Sangam Rivers (Ganga, Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati River near Allahabad, India) when you sing Rama Krishna Govinda, as this is mentioned in the Narayana Theertha. More »
Brahmashri Vittaldas Jayakrishna DeekshitharIn the Indian state of Tamil Nadu enriched by the river Cauvery two great vedic scholars named Sengalipuram Brahmashri Anantharama Deekshithar and Brahmashri Narayana Deekshithar, the two Brothers in Kali Yuga like Lava & Kucha in Ramayana, ruled over the minds of the people in the beginning of the 20th century for several decades by their numerous dharmic discourses on Srimadh Ramayanam, Srimadh Bhagavatham, Sri Mahabharatham, Narayaneeyam etc. Brahmashri Vittaldas Jayakrishna Deekshithar.
The tradition is now being carried on by Somayaji, Maha Agnichith, Brahmashri Vittaldas Jayakrishna Deekshithar, the grandson of Brahmashri Narayana Deekshithar, and the son of Vadagudy Brahmashri Rama Deekshithar. Brahmashri Vittaldas is also the most blessed-disciple of the Guru Parampara of Sathguru Gnanananda Giri Swamigal of Dhakshina Halasyam, H H Sri Sri Sri Haridhos Giri Swamigal (Guruji) and Paranur Mahathma Brahmashri Krishna Premi Swamigal (Sri Sri Anna). More »
Udayalur K. Kalyanarama Bhagavathar Your first thought on listening to Udayalur K. Kalyanarama Bhagavathar sing would be that this is one vocalist who ought to grace the ranks of present day frontline Carnatic musicians. Then you realise that in following his heart and pledging allegiance to the Bhajana Sampradaya, the artiste has made the perfect choice as this genre provides the most complete opportunity for his passionate no-holds-barred exploration of bhava through both sahitya and melody, unfettered by the more formal demands of a kutcheri.
One of the vocalist’s prime strengths is his instinctive understanding of gamakas and their myriad nuances, whether in the definitive pidis of rakthi ragas or the flowing graces of light melodies. Add to that a full-throated resonant voice that effortlessly navigates crests and troughs at will along with a clear enunciation of sahitya and you have music that is as mesmerising as it is uplifting. Udayalur Kalyanaraman, is committed to the old tradition - Prachina Sangitam.From both his parent's families he can boast of distinguished artists like Puthagaram Ayyaswamy Bhagavatar and Valkudi Santhana Bhagavatar. He grew up under the influential guidance of a famous musician of his time, Tiruvidaimarudur Venkatrama Bhagavatar. In Udayalur which is a stone's throw away from Patteswaram, the young Kalyanaraman, cycled home from school hurriedly, to join the Bhajana group wherever they were performing. He learnt by listening and observation. He also went to every village in the surrounding district, and assimilated the culture of devotion which was kept vibrant by patrons and temples as well as "Maths". Kalyanaraman is no less evocative and sincere in namasankirtanam. He is precise about the traditional system, technique, and content of the music. Above all he imparts "soul" to his music with an abandon rarely heard. Every raga is used to bring out the beauty of the perfectly pronounced lyrics. His husky voice has a quality that is magnetic. You never tire of hearing him. The nuances are well practised, yet sound spontaneous. More »
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