Meet Bharadwajan, a trained pilot, who performs the traditional Araiyar sevai in Srirangam

At a recent lecture organised by the Department of Vaishnavism, University of Madras, Bharadwajan Araiyar spoke about the rich heritage of Araiyar sevai, performed in temples, which seamlessly blends all three aspects of Muthamizh — iyal (literature), isai (music) and natakam (theatre). drama).

The practice of reciting pasurams in front of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam was begun by Thirumangai Azhwar. However, over time, the Divya Prabandham verses were lost. It was the Vaishnava acharya Nathamunigal (mid ninth to mid 10th century CE) who retrieved them and arranged for them to be presented with music, abhinaya and theatrical elements. Bharadwajan said that the music that Nathamunigal created for the pasurams is reverentially referred to as deva gaanam (divine music).

Araiyar Sevai forms an integral part of the Adhyayana Utsavam.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

To illustrate the musical acumen of Nathamunigal, Bharadwajan highlighted an episode. Once, when Nathamuni was asked to establish the superiority of this deva gaanam over ordinary forms of music, he requested the king to arrange for the playing of 4,000 cymbals all at once. Just by listening to their tonal quality, Nathamuni was able to identify the metals used to make the cymbals, the proportion and the exact weight of each cymbal. The king acknowledged Nathamunigal’s knowledge of music and the superiority of his deva gaanam.

According to Bharadwajan, Nathamunigal drew from many ragas of Sama Veda to come up with the music for the Divya Prabandham. Demonstrating the min uruvai verse of Thiruneduntandagam, Bharadwajan highlighted the similarity between Nathamuni’s music composition and the melodic structure of the Sama Veda. “Nathamuni’s music captures the emotions and the philosophy underlying each verse in the Divya Prabandham,” he said.

While talking about the Tiruppavai renditions, he explained how the verses are presented in different ways by the araiyars. When Ranganatha is visualised as a king presiding over his court, the verses are sung only in arohanam. When he is imagined as a child, it is rendered in a coaxing tone.

Before the adhyayana utsavam begins in Srirangam, the araiyars are escorted from their house to the temple to the accompaniment of ekkalam, an ancient wind instrument, still used in the temple. The street where the araiyars reside in Srirangam was once called as Sentamizh Paaduvaar Veedhi (the street where those who sing beautiful Tamil verses reside), emphasising the importance given to the musical presentation of pasurams.

Bharadwajan araiyar (in red headgear) performing the Araiyar Sevai.

When the music can convey so much, what is the need for abhinaya? “What if there are aurally-challenged people? The idea is to ensure that the meaning of the verses reaches everyone. There had been temple dancers even before Nathamuni’s time, and he used their abhinayas for the verses. While many verses once included abhinaya, only a few have them today.”

Thambiranpadi Vyakhyanam is a commentary written by an araiyar. Presented in prose style, it helps the araiyars dramatise the events described in the verses. “Thambiranpadi is the oldest commentary, written around the period of Nathamunigal. Another araiyar called Deivasigamani wrote Kondattangal verses, which are also presented by the araiyars,” said Bharadwajan. Kondattangal verses, which capture the flavours of different festivals, are set in different metres. Some of these metres are difficult ones, and as Bharadwajan recites a few of these verses, it is obvious that some are tongue twisters.

When did he get interested in Araiyar Sevai? “When I was three, I first began to sing, using a pair of cymbals. But formal training began when I was six. By nine, I had presented all the verses of Thondaradippodi Azhwar’s Thirumaalai ,” he recalled.

“Araiyar sevai was never stopped, even after the sack of Srirangam in the 14th century, when the processional deity was taken away from the town for 48 years,” said Bharadwajan. Everyone associated with the temple had left the town, but Araiyar Sevai continued in the temple. Afraid of attracting the attention of enemies, the araiyar then kept time with his hands instead of using cymbals.

Bharadwajan hails from a family that gives equal importance to tradition and education. His father Lakshminarayanan, was a rank holder in Electrical Engineering from REC Trichy (now NIT), and worked for BHEL. But he never once missed Araiyar Sevai. Neither has Bharadwajan, who is a trained pilot. Now, Bharadwajan’s seven-year-old son Aparajithan has begun training in araiyar sevai.

Published – March 20, 2026 05:44 pm IST