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.

Content

Arunachala Kavirayar created the entire Ramanataka Kirthanai based on the scenes of Ramayana into 6 Kandangal (divisions). Based on the drama, Aruanchala Kavirayar divided the songs into 'character perspective' and 'poet perspective'. Arunachal Kavirayar devoted Tharu portion of Ramanataka Kirthanai as dance and drama and Virutham as narration by the author.

Arunachala Kaviryar used 40 ragas in Ramanataka Kirthanai. The ragas Asaveri, Kalyani, Saveri, Thodi, Mathyamavathi, Mohanam appear 15-20 times. The ragas Anandabairavi, Shankarabaram, Sowrashtram and Punnakavarali appeared 11-13 times. Other ragas appear less than 10 times. Arunachala Kavirayar composed songs in the rare ragas such as Dwijavandi, Mangalakausikam and Sainthavi.

Among the Talas, 146 songs were in Adi Tala, 78 songs in Ada Sabu Tala, and very little of songs with other Talas.

Arunachala Kavirayar created Yutha Kanda portion of Ramanataka Kirthanai with the touch of epic. The war between Lakshmanan and Indrajit was composed as mega kirthanai by Arunachala Kavirayar. The mega kirthanai " Perunchandai Parir" has 8 Charanams with each Charanam with 22 lines of long songs. The longest was the Tharu type Banduvarali song- "Moolapala Chandaiyai Kelum", with 362 lines of 3 Charanams. The Anupallavi has got 21 lines beginning with the 'mu' syllable.

The Rest

Most of the Ramanataka Kirthanai songs were popular among the public.

The Balakandam song of Sita on Rama "Yaro ivar Yaro" sung my M.S Subulakshmi and D. K. Pattammal became popular through audio tapes. In Sudesamithran, many songs were written as a series with the notes of Ariyakudi Ramanujam Iyengar.

Ragam: Bairavi Thalam: Adi

Pallavi