Navaratri Songs

Navaratri Songs

One of the other things that is very unique and special for the Navaratri festival is the rendering of songs every evening for the Golu and the deities. Devotional songs of all types ranging from the most classical (full of swarajatis) to the simplest ones are sung by women folk – both at their own homes and in front of the Golu at other homes, which they visit regularly.

In this section, we shall specifically focus on the Nava-Avarana-Kritis, which are unique, very rich in tantric content, and extremely pleasing to the listener as well. There are three broad categories of navavarana kritis – penned by Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, Maharaja Sri Swati Tirunal and by Oothukkadu Kavi.

Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar

The Kamalamba Navavarana Kritis by Shri Muthuswami Dikshitar (1776-1836) are some of the most famous pieces of music in the Carnatic system of Indian classical music. They are treasures which embody not only the technical brilliance of the composer but also offer a peep into the advaitic school of Hindu philosophy and elements of Tantric rituals. They are very elaborate compositions which may be well compared with major symphonies in the Western system.

These songs are set in praise of the Goddess Kamalamba who is enshrined in Tiruvarur in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu in South India. The Goddess is the reference to the Divine Mother of the universe, or the Supreme Consciousness.

The lyrics and the descriptive details are loaded with the mystical symbolism of the Vedantic (advaita) tradition and the chakras of the human system are closely linked to the evolutionary aspects described in the compositions that reflect the scholarly reach, musical depth and mystical significance of the composer.

Musically, they are par excellence and the majestic sweep of well known ragas (melodic forms) like Todi, Kalyani, Kambhoji, Sankarabharanam, Sahana, Anandabhairavi and Bhairavi are offset against haunting melodies in lesser known ragas like Punnagavarali, Ghanta and Ahiri.

Dikshitar uses several talas (time measures) although Rupakam (3 beats) seems to be his favourite. Ata talam (14 beats) and Misra Jampa (10 beats) in the Kambhoji and Bhairavi pieces are rarely used because of the technical difficulty in executing these. An added element is the use of different case endings (which Dikshitar uses in his other group krities, like the Abhayamba and Nilotpalamba set). The Dhyana (invocatory) kriti in Todi is in the vocative case, followed by the Anandabhairavi in the nominative, Kalyani in the accusative, Sankarabharanam in the instrumental, Kambhoji in the dative, Bhairavi in the ablative and so on.

The ninth avarana kriti in Ahiri has all the cases; interestingly the raga itself has all the 22 Sruti (notes) in the octave. It is believed that such a fusion of all melodic and temporal elements in the same kriti is a musical way of expressing the advaitic ideal of "aham Brahmasmi" or complete union with the Absolute. Indeed the Ahiri composition is very unusual musically especially the pallavi which has a repeating and distinctive prose sections, are seamlessly put together.

The set concludes with a short and sweet mangalam (auspicious conclusion) in Sri ragam set in Khanda Ekam (5 beat talam). The entire set consists therefore of the dhyanam (invocation), the nine avaranas, and the mangalam (conclusion), a total of 11 pieces.

Dikshitar’s Kritis

The 9 kritis are as follows:

1. Kamalamba Samrakshathu - Anandabhairavi - Misra Chapu
2. Kamalambaam Bhajare - Kalyani - Adi
3. Sri Kamalambikaya Katakshitoham - Shankarabharanam - Rupakam
4. Kamalambikayai - Kambhoji - (Khanda) Ata
5. Sri Kamalamba param - Bhairavi - Misra Jampa
6. Kamalambikayaastava - Punnagavarali - Rupakam
7. Sri Kamalambikayam - Sahana - Tisra Triputa
8. Sri Kamalambike - Ghanta - Adi
9. Sri Kamalamba Jayati - Ahiri - Rupakam

The rendering of these Kritis are considered to be extremely challenging owing to the complexity of the words and the notations. The D.K. Pattamal and D.K. Jayaraman school are considered to be specialists in the rendering of these compositions. It requires years of training to render them to perfection.

You can listen to the Kritis online by clicking on the below link:
http://www.raaga.com/player4/?id=268147,268148,268149,268150,268151,268152,268153,268 154,268155,268156,268157

Maharaja Swati Tirunal

Maharaja Swati Tirunal, one is invariably reminded of Lord Padmanabhaswami of Thiruvananthapuram.

The Maharaja used the various paryayam-s  (equivalent phrases) of the proper noun "Padmanabha" as the mudra  (author's signature) in most of his musical compositions.  He has also composed kritis on various other deities in and around the courtyard of the temple. Among these, the nine kritis he composed, for singing the praise of Goddess during the Navaratri festival stand out as a distinct and precious collection.

The first six songs in the series are addressed to Saraswati, and the last three to Parvati. The composer bows to the Goddess, seeking Her blessings, with an earnest appeal to protect him and save him from sins and torments.

Swati Tirunal Kritis

The nine Devi Kritis to be sung on each Navarathri day as follows:

Navarathri day	Kriti (with clickable links to view lyrics and listen online)	Raga	Tala
Day 1	Devi jagat Janani	Sankarabharanam	Adi
Day 2	Pahimam Sri Vageeswari	Kalyani	Adi
Day 3	Devi pavane	Saveri	Adi
Day 4	Bharati mamava	Todi	Adi
Day 5	Janani mamavameye	Bhairavi	Misra Chapu
Day 6	Saroruhasana jaye	Pantuvarali	Adi
Day 7	Janani pahi	Shudha Saveri	Misra Chapu
Day 8	Pahijanani santatam	Natta Kurinji	Misra Chapu
Day 9	Pahi Parvatanandini	Arabhi	Adi

Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi 

Ootthukkadu Venkata Kavi The Great!! (c.1700 - 1765 CE) was a prominent composer of Carnatic music. He lived in South India in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. Also known by the name Oothukkadu Venkatasubba Iyer, he is attributed to over 400 compositions. These were handed down from generation to generation by the descendants of the composer's brother's family.

Venkata Kavi's compositions reveal that he was a complete master of the science and art of music in all senses of the term – melody, rhythm or lyrics and was eloquent in Sanskrit and Tamil. He was proficient in a variety of musical forms such as the kriti, tillana and kavadichindu. He used talas and themes that not many other Carnatic composers have preferred to handle.

His compositions are a blend of a high degree of scholarship on a variety of subjects and inspired expression. Several pieces also reveal his humility, reverence for the great personalities before his times and the high state of bliss that he probably experienced almost ceaselessly.

His works scarcely contain autobiographical notes and show that he had reached great spiritual and philosophical heights. His works also reveal the proximity he felt towards God and show his deep devotion.

Oottukkadu Navavarana Kritis

Venkata Kavi also composed Navavarnams (nine varnams) on the goddess Srividya to be sung during Dasara – popularly called Kamakshi Navavarana Kritis. Apart from the main nine songs for the nine nights, he has also composed Vinayaka stuti, Dhyana stuti and a Phala stuti.

There are several similarities (and differences) between his Navavaranams and that of Muthuswami Dikshitar but both reveal the composers’ scholarship in the various aspects of Devi worship. These are:
1. Sri Ganeshwara – Shanmukhapriya – Adi – Vinayaka stuti
2. Vanchayati yadi kushalam – Kalyani – Adi – Dhyana stuti
3. Santatam aham seve – Deshakshi – Adi - (1st avaranam)
4. Bhajaswa shree – Nadanamakriya – Adi - (2nd avaranam)
5. Sarvajeeva dayapari – Shuddha Saveri – Mishra Chapu - (3rd avaranam)
6. Yoga yogeshwari – Anandabhairavi – Khanda Triputa (2 kalais) - (4th avaranam)
7. Neelalohita ramani – Balahamsa – Khanda Dhruvam (2 kalais) - (5th avaranam)
8. Sadanandamayi – Hindolam – Sankeerna Matyam - (6th avaranam)
9. Sakalaloka nayika – Arabhi – Adi - (7th avaranam)
10. Shankari Shri Rajarajeshwari – Madhyamavathi – Adi - (8th avaranam)
11. Natajana kalpavalli – Punnagavarali – Adi - (9th avaranam)
12. Haladharanujam praptum - Manirangu - Adi - Phala stuti

You can listen to the Kamakshi Navavarana Kritis, by downloading the audio files.

Click the below link to download: 
http://www.mediafire.com/?x69c9e880l61i65