Ramanataka Kirthanai

Ramanataka Kirthanai was the first Tamil Isai Nataka text (Isai means Music and Nataka means drama). Arunachal Kavirayar created Ramanataka Kirthanai in 1771.

Edition

There were some old editions for Ramanataka Kirthanai. Diwan Bahadur Bhavanadam Pillai, who published the text such as Yapalankaram and Yaparungalam printed Ramanataka Kirthanai and Nandanar Sarithira Kirthanai as Kirthanai Kothumalar 1 and Kirthanai Kothumalar 2, and published with 11 mythological pictures. (Kothumalar can be translated as bouquet). This edition was released in 1914.

But this edition included three Kirthanais on three assistants with the name Udhavichirappu. The three Kirthanais are not the part of Ramanataka Kirthanai.

Author

Arunachala Kavirayar, the author of Ramanataka Kirthanai was born in Thillaiyadi near Sirkazhi.

Creation

Marathas were ruling Thanjai during the time of Arunachala Kavirayar. Maharashtrian style Kathakalakshebam (rendering stories with music and drama) became popular in Tamilnadu. Before that period, Kuravanji natakas were popular in Tamilnadu. But there was no songs of music and drama