• Source: Meenakshisundaram Pillai

Meenakshisundaram Pillai (1869–1964) is a classical dance guru considered as the prominent founder of Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam, Indian dance. He lived in the village of Pandanallur, in the Thanjavur district in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.




Background


Meenakshisundaram Pillai, whose ancestors were nattuvanars, was a descendant from the Thanjavur Quartet, which comprised four brothers: Chinnaiah, Ponniah, Sivanandam and Vadivel. The works of these four brothers, who were court composers in the early 19th century in Thanjavur, form the main classical masterpieces of Bharatanatyam.
Baroda Guru Kubernath Tanjorkar (1916 - 2007), a disciple of Pillai, later established Tanjor Dance Music & Art Research Centre in Baroda, Gujarat. Thiruvallaputhur Swaminatha Pillai, also known as T.K.Swaminatha Pillai, was one of the leading disciples of Pillai. He learned Bharathanatiyam under the Gurukula of Pillai for more than ten years. He also mentored Ram Gopal, who became one of the pioneers of Indian dance in the west.
Pillai was said to have been trained by his uncle, Kumarasamy Nattuvanar. He trained several famous Bharata Natyam dancers, including Devadasis such as Pandanallur Jayalakshmi, Thangachi Ammal, Sabaranjitam, as well as people from other castes such as Mrinalini Sarabhai, Rukmini Devi and Tara Chaudhri. He was one of the most sought after Bharathanatyam Gurus.
After Pillai, his son-in-law Chokkalingam Pillai (1893–1968) became the doyen Guru of the Pandanallur style. Subbaraya Pillai (1914–2008), Chokkalingam Pillai's son, was the next leading Guru of the Pandanallur style. He grew up in the village of Pandanallur and was an apprentice under his grandfather and father. He trained leading dancers such as Alarmel Valli and Meenakshi Chitharanjan.




Style


The Pandanallur style developed a reputation for the emphasis on linear geometry that can be found in the adavu technique, and for its intensity and understatement in abhinaya.
The Pandanallur style is renowned for its choreography, which include such highly regarded pieces as the Nine or Ten Tanjore Quartet pada-varnams . These works featured choreography by Pillai, who named the dramatic choreography "hands," and was also responsible for the adavu choreography for the swara passages.
Part of their heritage is the valuable jatiswarams (in ragams Vasantha, Saveri, Chakravakam, Kalyani, Bhairavi), which incorporate abstract adavu choreography.
Pandanallur style gives a lot of importance to abinayaha (expressions sometimes, abstract). Moreover, stamping the foot hard against the floor is discouraged in this style. Instead, slow movements are used to make the salangai (ankle bells) give out a lot of noise.
The strong Footwork whereby every Step is marked, is a result of one of the Arts Music main feature of exactness and accuracy to bring out the Rhythmic vitality as the Dancer is required to have a Natural Rhythmic Body of expression.
This Feature was mostly not possible to bring out by each and every one Student.




References






External links


Guardian of Pandanallur tradition The Hindu
• Source: Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai

Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai or Mahavidhvan Meenakshisundaram Pillai (Tamil:மீனாட்சிசுந்தரம் பிள்ளை) was a Tamil scholar and teacher of U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, a Tamil scholar and researcher who was instrumental in bringing many long-forgotten works of classical Tamil literature to light. Pillai's important contribution is in the form of temple history called Thala Varalaru for ninety temples in Tamil Nadu. He was born in Trichy and went on to associate himself with Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam. He was an ardent devotee of Sivaperuman and a Tamil teacher.
Some of his notable works are Prabada Tirattu, Kanthimathiammai Pillai Tamil, Sri Mangalambigai Pillai Tamil, Perunthipirattiyar Pillai Tamil and Thiruvidaikazhi Murugar Pillai Tamil.




Biography


Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai was born on 6 April 1815 to Chidambram Pillai and Annatachi Ammayar in Somarasanpettai in Trichy. He got his early education from his father who taught him Tamil literature and also Mathematics. He then went on to learn Tamil from Velayutha Munivar in Mounamadam in Rockfort. He also learnt from other people such as Velur Subramanya Desikar, Sri Sivakkira Yogi Mutt head Ambalavana Munivar, Keezhavelur Subramanya Pandaram, Kanchipuram Sababathi Muthaliyar and 'Thandiyalangar' Paradesiyar. He married Kaveriachi in his fifteenth year. He got Sivadikshai on his 21st year Thirisirapuram Setti Pandrathiya. He went on to associate himself with Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam where he started teaching and publishing his works.
Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. U. V. Swaminatha Iyer compiled Pilla's biography in Tamil, which was translated into English by Sridharam K. Guruswamy. as "A Poet's Poet" (Maha Vidhwan Sri Meenakshisundaram Pillai of Tiruchrappalli). This book of 129 pages was first published in the year 1976 by Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. U. V. Swaminatha Iyer Library, Madras, now known as Chennai.
In addition, we get to know the poetic brilliance and the unwavering Tamil bhakti of Poet Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, and the high regard the Tamil-speaking world idolized him, by reading the first 300 pages of the Autobiography of Dr. U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer, En Saritham. It was to the credit of the Saivite Thiruvaavaduthurai mutt and the then Sannidhanam HH. Subramania Desikar that Poet Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai could sustain despite the severe monetary challenges faced. Another aspect is of the Guru Sishya relation that moves one to tears and shows the dark contrast to the low level, education of our current times have degraded to. A disciple (in the form of U. Ve. Sa) like a calf that has strayed out for a few days, longing for its mother, and The Poet as the searching and longing mother yearning to nourish the calf (his disciple and take care of his Tamil hunger as well as the real hunger). He passed away at Thiruvaaduthurai after ailing for sometime, with his two foremost disciples at the deathbed, Saverinatha Pillai massaging his feet and U. V. Swaminatha Iyer reciting from the Thiruvaasagam.
He was an ardent Saivite, but held Kamban and his Ramayanam in the loftiest pedestal. It would be fair to say that in the last 200 years, Pillai has contributed possibly the largest corpus to Tamil poetic literature than any other poet, and by his teaching and through his students brought out the greatness of Tamil literature to the public at large and beyond. Remember all of this literature are aligned to the Yaappu and Ani Illakanam (Poetic grammar) and much before the advent of the new style of poem writing (Pudhu Kavidhai). He was an ardent teacher and ensured noon meals for all his pupils.




Literary works


He began his career as a Tamil teacher in Mayiladuthurai and went on to train many students in the craft of Tamil literature. One of his first publications under his own name was Akhilanda Nayaki Pillai Tamil, written in 1842. He is remembered for his contribution to Tamil studies as well as Saiva Agamas (Rules of Saivites).
The celebrated Tamil scholar U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, known for his discovery of the Sangam classics, became his student at the age of 17. Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, who left behind him a treasure of Tamil palm leaf manuscripts, died in 1876. He led a poor person's life but is respected as one among the greats who served to Tamil language. Due to poverty, he had to ghost write works like Suta Samhita and Kuchelopakyaanam.
Along with the institution of Tamil literature came an increased specialization of roles. Whereas poetic and musical composition were often combined in the creation of dramatic and poetic works, the dual role of Kirthana(musical text) composer and erudite poet was becoming unusual in the 19th century. U. V. Swaminatha Iyer reports the contempt of his teacher, Pillai, for poets who composed musical works; music was thought to be a distraction from the more important aspects of grammar, poetics and mastery of traditional commentaries.




Notable works


Sthala Puranas constitute one of the 96 minor literary genres of Tamil, which gained prominence after the 16th century and came to be recognised as an important literary text for studying temples in the context of socio-economic milieu. Pillai is said to have composed 90 Sthalapuranas (history of ancient temples) about various temples and imparted puranams to his pupils. His major works are listed below.

Prabanda Tirattu
Kanthimathiammai Pillai Tamil
Sri Mangalambigai Pillai Tamil
Perunthipirattiyar Pillai Tamil
Thiruvidaikazhi Murugar Pillai Tamil
Prabada Tirattu - Paguthi 10 - Sri Ambalavanathesikar Pillai Tamil
Vaatpokki Kalambagam
Thiruvavauthurai Atheenathuk Guru Parambarai Agaval
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 11 - Sri Ambalavana Thesigar Kalambagam
Thiruvidaimaruthur Ula
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 13 - Seekazhi Kovai
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 14 - Thirupanjeelithirupandathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 15 - Thiruthillaiyamagavanthathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 16 - Thuraisaiyamagavanthathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 17 - Thirukudanthai Thiripandathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 18 - Thiruvidaimaruthur Thiripanthathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 19 - Palaivana Pathitranthathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 20 - Thirvooraipathiranthathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 26 - Thiruchiramalaiyamagavanthathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 27 - Thirupanjeeli thiripanthathi
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 28 - Kalaichaichidambareswarar Malai
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 29 - Agilanda Nayagi Malai
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 30 - Subramaniya Thesika Malai
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 31 - Sri Sachithananda Thesikar Malai
Thiruvanaikka Agilandanayagi Pillai Tamil
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 2
Seizhkizhar Pillai Tamil
Thirugnana Sambandar Aaanantha Kalippu, Thirukkarkudi malai
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 32 - Thesikar Nenjuvidu Thoothu
Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 33




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Hinduisme di Thailand
• Daftar penerima penghargaan Padma Bhushan (1970–79)
• Meenakshisundaram Pillai
• Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai
• Mrinalini Sarabhai
• Muthuswamy Pillai
• Thanjavur K. P. Sivanandam
• Pandanallur style
• Gopalakrishna Bharati
• Tara Chaudhri
• Minati Mishra
• Brahmin Tamil