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 'music and drama songs' were not existing in Tamil language. Arunachala Kavirayar was well versed in Kambaramayanam. A couple of students of Arunachala Kavirayar namely Venkatrama Iyer and Kothandarama Iyer were learning Kambaramayanam from him. At the request of both the students Arunachala Kavirayar attempted to write Ramanataka Kirthanai in Isai Nataka format suitable for story rendering.

In those days it was a custom to sing the brief version of Ramayanam and the songs were known as Ramayana Oradi Kirthanai. Arunachala Kavirayar wrote Ramayana Oradi Kirthanais in Thodi Ragam before he attempted Ramanataka Kirthanai. Arunachala Kavirayar created the Ramayana Oradi Kirthanai with the pallavai "Kothanda diksha guruve bakthar ithaya kokana malar maruve", a very long anupallavai and the Charanam of 242 feet. There could be a possibility that Arunachala Kavirayar expanded this Oradi Ramayana Kirthanai into Ramanataka Kirthanai.

At the age of 60, Arunachala Kavirayar gave his debut performance of Ramanataka Kirthanai in Srirangam.

Structure

Ramanataka Kirthanai was a compilation of 258 musical songs. Ramanataka Kirthanai consists of 197 Tharu type Kirthanais, 60 Dipathai type Kirthanais and 6 Kadavul Vazhthu songs (The Praise of God).

The songs of Ramanataka Krithanai are made of 268 Virutham, 6 Kochchakalipa, 2 Venba and 1 Kalippa. Unlike other Nataka Kirthanais, there is no separate Kattiyam (dialogue) portion in Ramanataka Kirthanai, except for two lines of dialogue somewhere inside the text.