ULLAM URUGUTHADA MURUGA

composed by Sri Andavan Pichai

Also sung as Ullam Uruguthaiya Muruga by T.M. Sounderarajan

ULLAM URUGUTHADA MURUGA.: Among all deities, Sri. Andavan Pichai felt closest to Muruga, especially, Bala Murugan.  She sang his praises as a fond mother would to a delightful child.  One such song is  Ullam Uruguthada Muruga as sung by Andavan Pichai and engraved for eternity on a stone slab in Kalikamba temple in Chennai in 1952; it was made famous by Sri T.M. Sounderarajan who sang it as ‘Ullam Uruguthaiya Muruga.  The abhishekam was going on for Lord Muruga and there was a throng of people near the Murugan Sannidhi. Andavan Pichai was leaning against a pillar with her eyes closed. And suddenly she started singing this song in Raga Attana. The lilting melody and the beautiful words describing the emotional state of a true devotee was felt by everyone around her. She sang 18 verses in all. Her devotees Ramani and others quickly wrote down the words even as she sang it. It was printed on a leaflet and distributed to everyone who came to the temple. A little later, the temple Dharmakartas took the decision to describe it for eternity on a marble slab in front of the Murugan Sannidhi.

This song has become a popular icon due to Sri T.M. Sounderarajan, who sang it as Ullamuruguthaiya. The Andavan Pichai Bhajan Mandali, led by Smt. Kamakshi Kuppuswamy, sang this in many temples and sabhas in the original tune in Raga Attana. It has been posted on You Tube by her daughter. However, neither the APBM nor T.M. Sounderarajan has sung the entire song.

Andavan Pichai songs:

‘Kalmari Adiya Karanam yedaiya?” – What is the reason for your lifting the right leg instead of the left and dancing, she asks Lord Shiva.   

Other artists who have been rendering some of the songs are:

Smt. Sudha Raghunathan has sung ‘Kalmari adiya kanakasabesa un mel’ in Raga kuntalavarali

Sri Maharajapuram V. Santanam has sung ‘Pahi Pahi Sarade’ in Raga Kalyani

Smt. D.K. Pattammal has sung ‘He Kamakshi’ in Raga Yedukula Kambodi

Smt. Vasanta Kokilam has sung ‘Pittan endralum…’ in Raga Bhimplas/Aberi.

The Andavan Pichai Bhajan Mandali, started by her daughter, Smt. Kamakshi Kuppuswamy 1982, has been bringing about a set of her songs every year during their annual day.  While her mother did put tunes for many of her kritis, more than 80% of the songs have been composed by Kamakshi Kuppuswamy.  Herself a Sangeetha Shironmani from Delhi University, having got her diploma under the tutelage of Prof. V.V. Shadagopan, she has composed a lot of songs on her own too. Her mother, Sri Andavan Pichai, gave her blessings and copyright to all her works (including, but not limited to songs, biography, shlokas, kavachams etc.,) to her daughter Kamakshi Kuppuswamy, who later handed them over to her daughter, Meera Prakash to bring them out so that many may sing them for generations to come.  Meera Prakash has made Preeti Vinayak (Andavan Pichai’s great-granddaughter) and Hrishikesh Ram (Andavan Pichai’s great-great-grandson) the custodians of all Andavan Pichai’s works after her.

Sri Andavan Pichai specifically wrote in a letter to her daughter that once the songs have been composed and taught, anyone who sings them in the future should sing them only in the set tunes and not change them in any way. The melody and appropriate ragas chosen by Kamakshi Kuppuswamy, keeping the mood of the song in mind, have made these songs popular.  Kamakshi Kuppuswamy has taught these songs to the Andavan Pichai Bhajan Mandali for over 26 years. Her daughter, Meera Prakash has copyrighted all the songs and has brought over 250 of them in a collection of 5 CDs along with the book ‘Sri Andavan Pichai Arut Padalgal’ in 2016.

“Nee Manamirangi Varuvai”, a varnam in raga Latangi, composed by Kamakshi Kuppuswamy. She composed it for her Sambandi, Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, whose student Sangeetha inaugurated it, has become very popular among dancers.  Many other dancers, including Priyadarshini Govind, have danced to this varnam and posted it online.

There are four other beautiful varnams in the ragas Kalyani, Sankarabharanam, Vachaspati and Ramapriya wherein, a line was taken from one of Andavan Pichai’s shlokas and expanded on and composed by Kamakshi Kuppuswamy, for her granddaughter, Preeti Vinayak. These have been choreographed by Preeti Vinayak along with the songs ‘Ada Payindradu’ , ‘Adiya Paadam Kanden’,and ‘Adinan Kannan’ for her students and are copyrighted.

Her songs and shloka’s, with music composed by Smt. Kamakshi Kuppuswamy have been uploaded on You Tube by her granddaughter Meera Prakash. Given below are some links:

• https;//youtu.be/Lgi62Bsda8k Haranethrothbhava Shasti Kavacham

• https;//youtu.be/hm5Ra-iOt-1 Sri Rangarajanai Kriti

• https;//youtu.be/RNXa4Ue7VVM Senthil Natha Muruga