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The raga gambhira naattai uses the pentatonic
scale of
S G M P N S
S N P M G S
 This
scale is also used by the tevara pann nattapaatai (as in the
patikam todudaiya seviyan). Thus the use of this scale goes back
to the ancient period of Nambiyandar Nambi, who lived during the
rule of Raja Raja Cholan the great. Gambhira naattai is
associated with marches and processions. Energetic and spirited,
it is easily the king of raagas played during temple festivals.
Mallaari is the name that denotes the class
of music that is played on the naadaswaramat the commencement of
a temple procession; more specifically at the time where the
deity leaves or is just about to leave the premises of the
temple, on a mount or in a chariot.
The mallaari is a composition performed
exclusively in the raga gambhira naattai. There is no saahitya
associated with the mallaari - only sollukkattu syllables are
used and there is focus on the laya or rhythm aspect of the
composition/performance.
The mallaari occupies the pride of place in
the naadaswaram repertoire. Unique to Tamilnadu, it is a treat
both to the ears and to the eyes. The rapport between the
naadaswaram and the tavil players during the performance of a
mallaari and the precision with which the instruments play in a
synchronized manner is something that attracts connoisseurs of
music to temple processions.
There is a tremendous amount of energy and
even a competitive spirit in the air when more than one
naadaswaram plays the mallaari and when the entire ensemble is
literally on a razor's edge, playing in total sync. The musical
richness of the semicircular space between the ensemble and the
image of the processional deity is something unparalleled.
No other part of the world is blessed with
such a tradition that literally brings the finest in classicism
to the precincts of the maada veedhis or the processional
streets in various towns and villages in Tamilnadu.
There are many (types of) mallaaris
associated with the calendar of temple traditions. For instance,
there is one that is specifically associated with the 7th day of
the Bhrahmotsavam, i.e. the ter tiruvizha, where the mallaari is
in the khanda gati (5 beat gait) often in the mandra sthaayi
(lower octave). It is to be noted that even within the context
of a single procession, the mallaari could be played in
different rhythmic gaits that indicate the progress of the
procession from one cardinal point to another.
There are also other mallaaris associated
with processions where the abhisheka tirtham (sanctified water
for ablution) is taken around in procession prior to rituals
such as shankhabhisheekam.
Mallaaris get played in temples in Chennai
too. Witness the pradosham celebration at the Kapaliswarar
temple, you are sure to hear it. The presence of special
naadaswaram troupes from elsewhere in Tamilnadu at the fifth day
Bhrahmotsavam celebrations in temples in the George Town area of
Chennai, where I was raised was not uncommon at all in the
1970s.
The greatest of the mallaaris that I have
heard was an occasion where three different sets of naadaswaram
players i.e. a total of 6 naadaswaram vidvaans and 6 tavil
vidvaans and three cymbal players played together as the
teruvadaichaan chariot, made by artistes from the interior of
the state, using palm leaves and other natural material as raw
material stood in all its grandeur, with the image of Shanmukha
in it, at the entrance to the Kachabesvara temple in Armenian
Street Chennai. The contrast between the artificial lighting and
the natural material used to build the chariot presented an
interesting picture.
Interestingly, the temple staff had chopped
off a few protruding branches of a mammoth naagalinga tree that
protruded into the chariot's passage in the maada veedhi.
The seventh day of a Brahmotsava festival is
an occasion for communities to come together. A processional
image of the presiding deity of a temple is taken around the
streets in chariot that is drawn by members from the entire
community. The ter festival is an age old tradition and it
varies in grandeur from temple to temple. The playing of a
mallaari, often in a five beat cycle commences, even prior to
the processional exit through the temple gates, i.e. even when
the deity is taken around very swiftly in procession within the
precincts of the temple, prior to the performance of pujas at
the foot of the chariot at the assigned auspicious time. This
mallaari consists of repeating phrases just using the swaras pa
in the mandra staayi and sa in the madhya staayi. As a rare
exception, this kind of a mallaari uses text. Yes. The mallaari
is said to vocalize the name of the deity (Tyagaraja as in
Tiruvarur), heralding the kingly procession of Tyagaraja on the
maada veedhis.
The role of the naadaswaram in temple
traditions and in keeping the music of the south alive is a
topic of a separate article. The naadaswara repertoire played in
the Tiruvarur temple hails from a tradition that was codified
thanks to Ramaswamy Dikshitar (father of the celebrated composer
Muthuswami Dikshitar) in the 1700s.
Do other instruments play the mallaari? I
have even heard temple bands (the Indo European variety with a
bass drum, a snare (side drum), a clarinet, a saxophone and an
occasional trombone, trumpet or a tuba) play their version of
the mallaari which is devoid of the rhythmic complexity that is
second nature to the naadaswara vidwaans of Tamilnadu. Such
performances are rare and are probably extinct now.
The mallaari was taken to the concert stage
by violin virtuoso Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan, who had a blast on
stage playing this with the deft accompaniment of Valayappatti
Subramaniam on the tavil, a traditional naadaswara
accompaniment. The mallaari also finds a popular place in dance
performances.
We started this discussion on mallaari with
an introduction to the scale of the raga gambhira naattai. Sri
Jaalandharam asrayamyaham, gnaana vinaayakane saranam are
examples of compositions in this raga. The well known
tiruppukazh kaittala niraikani is usually sung in this raga.
Composer Illaiyaraaja used the scale of this raga in one of his
compositions in the film Singaravelan (Innum enna seyya) I had
composed an orchestral version of the mallaari that was played
by an ensemble of Indian instruments and a chamber orchestra
first in 2004. The entire experience was structured as a
dialogue between the Indian ensemble of the Veena, flute and two
mridangams -- and a 25 piece western chamber orchestra,
choreographed to a high energy dance based on Indian classical
traditions.
It is to be noted that the scale of the
gambhira naattai, the root of all mallaaris - is also seen used
in the gamelan music of Indonesia. .The cultural connection
between Tamilnadu and Indonesia during the time of the Cholas is
well known. An investigation into the actual migration of this
scale into the Far East is bound to further reveal exciting
cultural links.
Kanniks Kannikeswarani (The author
Kanniks Kannikeswaran can be reached at
kanniks@yahoo.com or at
www.kanniks.com)
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