It is said that all his compositions were not known for more than 200 years because he has no disciples so they were within the family. Later for so many years ago the great popular musicians hard effort they found them and popularized to the Carnatic music world. Otherwise they might be a hidden treasure. That Mahan’s name is Sri Venkatakavi Or now Popularly known as Oothukadu Venkatasubbaiyar..
The great Ootthukkadu Venkata Kavi was a leading composer of Carnatic music. He lived in Tamil Nadu (c.1700 - 1765 CE). His original name is Venkatasubba Iyer, his attribution is over 400 compositions. These were handed down from generation to generation by the descendants of the composer's brother's family. It is said that he was not married.
Venkata Kavi was a complete master of the science and art of music specify in melody, rhythm, the lyrics in Sanskrit and Tamil. He was well advanced skilled 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 blending a vast variety of subjects and inspired expression; all his works barely contain of his own experiences and his life history notes, also all reveal the natural mental and emotional mood;
Venkata Kavi, alias Venkata Subramanian, was born as the eldest son to a Tamil smarta couple of Subbu Kutti Iyer and Venkamma, according to his family history Venkata kavi was unmarried and his family was living in and around villages near Kumbakonam. Finally Venkatakavi moved to Oothukadu where his cousin was living.
It is said during his time venkata kavi had no guru to initiate any lesson, so he was pleading to Lord Sri Krishna and Krishna answered to his prayer and he received initiation from the Lord Krishna himself, as asserted in one of his Tamil compositions, Guru paadaravindam komalamu - in the raga Abhogi, he declares that "I have never studied the scriptures or yoga nor pretended to have done so. I received the fortune of knowledge in the goodwill glance of my guru Krishna." Venkata Kavi composed at least 14 songs only on the greatness of his Guru Krishna. Another account of a legend says that he may also have had another human guru, for spiritual purposes. Named Bhaskara Raya, the “Sakta” ardent authority of Devi worship of his times. This is further improved by the immense of graceful knowledge seen in his Kamakshi Navavarana krtis dealing with many interrelated facets in details of avarana pooja (Srividya worship).It is said that his hereditary deity is Kamakshi. Primarily he was a Krishna devotee though he composed Navavarna keertanas on Kamakshi. The Navavarna Carnatic composers are two one is Muthuswamy Deekshidhar the other is Oothukadu Venkatakavi. With these experiences he reached great spiritual and philosophical heights. Also he composed many songs on all other deities, all are unique qualities
The evidence of his musical greatest excellent is all his compositions have very good musical approach, practices and even technical terms of ornamentation like aahatam and pratyaagatam. Venkata Kavi believed that music has to be blended with devotion (bhakti). (Because divinely music is the path to salvation). So he composed sangeeta margame paramapavana mahume this philosophy, bhakti yoga is similar to the great composer Tyagaraja’s sangeeta gnanamu bhakti vina sanmargamu kalade.
His vision of the raga and melody as a whole is considerable and can be seen in the number of different styles in which he composed various krtis in the same raga. For instance, his krtis in Madhyamavathi – Shankari Sri Rajarajeshwari, Sundara nandakumara and Aadadu ashangadu vaa Kanna - bring out different facets of this beautiful raga. He also employed attractive swaraksharas – a technique where the lyrics match the set of syllables notes of the tune. He has also given raga mudra mentioning the names of ragas of his composition in several krtis. Like Shuddha Saveri, Navarasakannada. Several other compositions contain names of many other ragas influencing its meaning or effect. Venkata Kavi's lively bright imagination and picturisation can be seen in Taye yashoda in Todi ragam , where the gopikas are complaining to Yashoda about her son Lord Krishna. This song has eight charanams (stanzas) and each one describes the “Krishna Leela” very humorously. Another piece, Illai illai in Mohanam, also with eight charanams. There are literally hundreds of similar examples in his operas based on the Bhagavatam, Ramayana, Pranavopadesham like similar epics and legends. He was master of finishes, in several songs are in interesting rhythmic patterns
Venkata Kavi also had great command over rhythm. One can see all his works into certainly attempted talas such as Khanda Dhruvam (17 units per cycle), Sankeerna Mathyam (20) and Mishra Atam (18). He made complex eduppus (starting or landing points of various sections of a composition) he used them naturally, without ever affecting the flow of the music or the lyrics. Venkata Kavi had deep scholarship in Sanskrit and Tamil. His vocabulary and the use of words and phrases are unique in Carnatic literature.
Message: Any one if visit to Kumbakonam please visit to Oothukadu Kalinga Narthana moorty temple (about 16 miles from Kumbakonam) which is said the temple is more than 1000 years old.
All the entrance walls has written Sri Venkatakavi’s composition on Lord Krishna . I have come to know that Lord is for fine arts like music and dance. This temple is fruitful for all amateurs, professionals in all forms of fine arts - music, dancing, acting and entertainment. Abishekam on Rohini Nakshatram is a well-known parihaaram for Rohini star born people. Similarly a parihaara sthalam for vaishnavites for sarpa, naga, rahu,kethu dosham. Also can see the house Venkata Kavi lived in near the temple,
Any one visiting this temple has to stay in Kumbakonam. Because that is a small village with few houses, there are no lodges, restaurants.
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