This article commemorates  Sri “Thiruppugazh” Raghavan (Sept 4, 1928-May 17, 2013),  who started a popular movement  in India in the mid 1950’s to spread the message of love, brotherhood, unity and self-discipline through the medium of music.  Guruji Raghvan, whose “Thiruppugazh Anbargal” movement has now spread and established itself around the globe, passed away last year this month.

Thiruppugazh

நாள் என் செயும் வினை நான் என் செயும் எனை
Naal en seyum vinai naan en seyum enai
நாடி வந்த கொள் என் செயும் கொடும் கூற்று என் செயும்
naadi vandha kol en seyum kodum kootru en seyum
கும ரேசர் இரு தாளும் சிலம்பும் சதங்கையும்
kuma resar iru thaalum silambum sathangayum
தண்டையும் சண்முகமும் தோளும் கடம்பும்
thandayum shanmukamum tholum kadambum
எனக்கு முன்னே வந்து தோன்றிடினே
en munne vandu thondridine

This popular Tamil hymn, in praise of the Hindu deity Lord Muruga, and  whose meaning can be summarized as “What is there to fear when our  Lord  is here?” (யாமிருக்க பயமேன்?),  appears in “Kandar Alankaram”, a collection of verses composed by the prolific  16^th century Tamil poet Sri Arunagirinathar Swamigal.  Sri Arunagirinathar Swamigal was the very antithesis of a saint in his earlier days. At one point his lurid life and its horrible consequences filled him with such strong feelings of shame and regret that he decided to take his own life, by jumping off the Temple tower at Thiruvanaamalai. Legend has it that he was saved by Lord Muruga himself who blessed him with creative powers. The eloquent poetry that started flowing from him after this led to a prodigious number of some of the greatest and most revered literary works in Tamil in praise of Lord Muruga, the most well-known of which is the “Thiruppugazh.” His works known for their beauty of expression, choice of words (“வில்லுக்கு விஜயன் வாக்குக்கு அருணகிரி” – “As Arjuna is to archery, Arunagiri is to verbal expression”), and rhythm created a new tradition of musical worship. For almost 450 years after that Thiruppugazh was forgotten, until it was rediscovered in  1871 by Munsif Subramania Pillai and his son Dr. Chengalvarayan,  who compiled and published the Thiruppugazh songs in book form. Thiruppugazh was brought into popular worship in the 1910’s by Sri Sachithananda Swamigal who organized Thiruppugazh recitals and introduced the tradition of singing Thiruppugazh songs while ascending the steps of hill temples (“Padi Vizhas”).

Guruji Raghavan

In the late 1950’s Thiruppugazh started gaining a new mass popularity, when Sri A.S. Raghavan, who was formally trained in classical Indian music, set the Thiruppugazh to music in various Raagas and Taalas. He chose the Taala of each song to be consistent with the Chandam or meter of the corresponding verse.  Sri Raghavan, who came to be respectfully known as Guruji  Raghavan to his disciples, compiled all available Thiruppugazh songs into a Thiruppugazh Madani, and set to tune more than 500 of these songs in over 100 Ragas. Guruji Raghavan lived in Delhi at that time, but as he started performing in various places and teaching students, his efforts slowly evolved into a popular movement called “Thiruppugazh Anbargal” (Devotees of Thiruppugazh) with the goal of spreading the message of love, brotherhood, self-discipline and unity through music.  Thiruppugazh  classes sprung up both in cities and rural areas, and Thiruppugazh Anbargal started performing in various forums including Temples, Music Sabhas and homes of devotees where they attracted large audiences.  Guruji  Raghavan’s music  drew and inspired large numbers of motivated disciples. Some of these students who settled in countries outside India started Thiruppugazh classes in their new communities, thus extending the reach of his movement to other continents, and giving the movement an international footing.

Guruji Raghavan brought Thiruppugazh to the masses and evolved the tradition of Thiruppugazh Isai Vazhipadu, a form of group worship through the medium of music. He also set to music other religious hymns such as the “Abhirami Anthadi” and “Abhirami Ammai Padhikam”, and created the new tradition of “Valli Kalyanam.”  Guruji Raghavan was recognized and decorated with titles such as “Thiruppugazh Gana Ratnam”, “Thiruppugazh Thondar”, and “Bhakta Ratna” by eminent personalities including Sri Kanchi Paramacharya, Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Swamigal of Sringeri, and Swami Chidanandji Maharaj of Sivananda Ashram.  His supporters included the then President of India, Mr. R. Venkatraman.

Commemoration in Boston

A year ago this week, on May 17, 2013, Guruji passed away at the age of 85. Guruji Raghavan was remembered and honored in the Boston area on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2013 at a “Chant for Dharma” event in Northborough, MA, in support of the Hindu Temple of New Hampshire.  Sri  Rajan Dewar (who is on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School, and who directs a Harvard Divinity School project to study the utility of spiritual practices such as chanting and singing in keeping wavering patients in rural India steadily engaged in medical treatment) and Smt. Shenbagam Dewar, organized this  â€œChant for Dharma” event in honor of Guruji . This well-attended event started with a vocal invocation and violin recital by Ms. Hiranmayi Dewar, student of Mrs. Tara Bangalore., followed by Vedic chanting by Chant for Dharma volunteer Ritwiks, a reading of excerpts on devotion to Lord Muruga from Kanchi Paramacharya’s “Deivathin Kural” by Sri Rajan Dewar, a speech by Sri Veeramani Ranganathan on Bhakti, and a speech on  Guruji Raghavan by Sri K.  Arvind. The highlight of the event was a melodious Thiruppugazh concert by “Thiruppugazh Anbargal” in the Greater Boston area led by Guruji’s daughter Smt. Malini Ramakrishnan  (who conducts Thiruppugazh classes in Boxborough, MA and Lexington, MA). The choral concert covered 32 Thiruppugazh songs in a variety of Raagas, starting with “Kaithala Niraikani” and ending in “Nadha Bindhu Kaladhi Namo Namo”.  The concert also included two beautiful  alankaram songs on Lord Muruga rendered by Smt. Malini Ramakrishnan. The Boston “Thiruppugazh Anbargal” group has also uploaded five rare videos on Guruji Raghavan to commemorate the anniversary.

|