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Role of Harikatha

Harikatha kalakshepa is a composite art, in which music plays a significant part. It is a heritage bequeathed by the Maharashtrians who settled down in Tanjavar during the Maratha rule. Krishna Bhagavatar (1851-1903) of Tanjavar, who was guided by Morganakar Ram Chandra Bawa, was the pioneer in performing Harikatha in Tamil and propagating it. He modified the mode, but not the format, to suit the non-Marathi audience. Adored as the 'Harikatha Pitamaha', he made Carnatic music an integral part of his discourses. Tanjavur Govinda Bhagavatar, Tiruppazhanam Panchapakesa Sastrigal, Tiruvaiyaru Pandit Lakshmanachar, Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavatar, Chidambaram Srirangachariar, Chitrakavi Sivaramakrishna Bhagavatar, Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Tiruvaiyaru Annaswami Bhagavatar, Embar Vijayaraghavachariar and many other story tellers also used music to telling effect. The first lady-bhagavatar was C. Saraswati Bai (1894-1974) and the one who followed her immediately was Padmasani Bai, trained by Melattur Bharatam Natesa Iyer. Many Harikatha performers, in due course, became concert musicians. Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer and Palakkad Anantharama Bhagavatar may be cited in this context. Similarly some who started their careers as concert musicians, switched over to Harikatha, like Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (who is claimed by Rarnataka as its own) and Chitrakevi Sivaramakrishna Bhagavatar.

Harikatha exponents mostly employed Carnatic music, though some Hindustani raga-s or some folksy tunes also found a place to suit the song and occasion. Though they could not be expected to do a raga alapana in the midst of their discourse, they would reveal the quintessence of a raga when rendering even a single phrase or two.

The Hindu article about Harikatha is worth reading. Have a look

This article is about Sri Kalyanapuram Aravamudhachariar who was inspired by Sri Embar and took up harikatha kalakshepa. Source The Hindu.

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