Royal Carpet Carnatic Composers: Veenai Kuppiyer

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karnATik

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Famous Carnatic Composers - VK

Veenai Kuppaiyyar - (1798-1860) Vina Kuppayyar, a distinguished disciple of Tyagaraja was a genius. Born of Sambamurthi Sastri, Kuppa Ayyar had his training under his father and became a versatile vidwan both in vocal and on the veena. Veena Kuppayyar was honoured with the title of 'Gana Chakravarthi'. Sambamurthi Sastri was a famous vocalist and vainika and people would say, 'Sambadu (Sambamurthi) should sing and Sambadu (Lord Siva) should listen' - Sambadu Vayinchavala, Sambadu Vinavala. As was the father, so was the son in the field of music. A scholar in Sanskrit, Telugu, Kuppayyar was a genius in composing bhajan - divyanama kirtanas, varnas, kritis and tillanas. He was versatile on the violin also. His creative abilities were remarkable and being deeply devoted to his family deity, he adopted 'Gopaladasa' as his signature.

Veena Kuppayyar became a disciple under Tyagaraja. One day, he was playing on the veena of his guru surreptitiously in his absence. When Tyagaraja entered, he was suprised to hear captivating music and brilliant play on veena with remarkable felicity and competent fingering. When he found that the player was none other than his own disciple, he was most agreeably astonished. He immensely liked the disciple and pleased him by going over to his house at Tiruvottiyur and singing 'Venugopalaloluni' (Kedaragoula) in praise of the family deity of Kuppayyar; and also by staying at the Madras house of Kovur Sundara Mudaliar, where Kuppayyar enjoyed the status of asthana vidwan, for seven days and made a magnificient display of the potential and intricacies of Devagandhari raga.

From Tiruvottiyur, Kuppayyar shifted to Muthialpet in Madras. His fame and popularity were such that eminent musicians like Vadivelu of Thanjavur used to visit him frequently and take part in festivals and bhajans conducted by him regularly. Like Maha Vaidyanatha Ayyar he kept a big retinue of disciples, undergoing gurukulavasa at his house (free accomodation, food, dress, education and training - all included). His son Tiruvottiyur Tyagayyar, Kothavasal Venkatarama Ayyar, Sitaramayya and Fiddle Ponnuswami Pillai were among his disciples.

Mudra: GOpaaladaasa

Compositions:

updated on 06/16/2025