Rudrapatna
Encyclopedia
Rudrapatna is a small village on the banks of the Kaveri river
in Arkalgud
taluk of Hassan district
in the India
n State of Karnataka
.
The village is known for its rich musical heritage. The village was an abode of Veda, Nada, and Taranga, according to the renowned Carnatic
vocalist, R K Padmanabha. Rudrapatna stands apart as it has the honour of having contributed many artistes to Carnatic music
.
Unlike other contemporary musicians, it is claimed that musicians from this village did not aspire for Rajashraya(patronage of royalty). Renowned musician from Rudrapatna R K Padmanabha adds that a mass desertion of the village took place following a plague. He also claims that nearly 60 per cent of the currently performing Carnatic
musicians in Karnataka hail from Rudrapatna.
), R.K. Raghavan, R.K. Prakash, R K Prasanna Kumar, R.K. Padmanabha, R.S. Ramakanth, R.N. Sreelatha and Rathnamala Prakash (a renowned light music artist also), who have carved a niche for themselves, hail from this village.
R.K. Krishna Shastry was another noted vocalist and Harikathe Vidwan, who hailed from Rudrapatna. Venkataramiah, popularly known as Thimmappa, was a renowned Veena
vidwan. He is best known for his Viriboni Varna in Bhairavi raga. Shathavadhani Venkataraya was another popular veena vidwan. Veene Shamanna, Veene Shrikantaiah, Veene Ranganath and R.S. Keshava Murthy, who was a disciple of the legendary Veene Subbanna are all from Rudrapatna. Music critic Mysore V Subrahmanya has noted that the village has produced several musicians and scholars, including Veena Rangashastry, who have occupied the position of court musicians at the Mysore palace.
Kaveri River
The Kaveri , also spelled Cauvery in English, is a large Indian river. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the...
in Arkalgud
Arkalgud
Arkalgud, also known as Arakalagudu is a panchayat town and is one among the eight taluks of Hassan district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is situated 30 km from Hassan and 195 km. from Bangalore. The river Hemavati forms the entire northern boundary of the Taluk; river Kaveri...
taluk of Hassan district
Hassan district
Hassan is a district in Karnataka state, India. The district headquarters are Hassan.Hassan district was the seat of the Hoysala Empire which at its peak ruled large parts of south India from Belur as its early capital and Halebidu as its later capital during the period 1000 - 1334 CE...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n State of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
.
The village is known for its rich musical heritage. The village was an abode of Veda, Nada, and Taranga, according to the renowned Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
vocalist, R K Padmanabha. Rudrapatna stands apart as it has the honour of having contributed many artistes to Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
.
Musical history
The village has had a rich musical history. Bhaskar Avadhani, an authority on the History of Rudrapatna calls the place the confluence of Veda Brahma and Nada Brahma. He recounts that the people of the village migrated from Sengottai in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu. They came in two groups. While one group settled down at Koushika village in Hassan, another came to Bettadapura. People from there started inhabiting on the banks of river Cauvery and one such village formed as Rudrapatna. Sanketis, as they were known, practised Vedas and music. While Dikshitars and Somayajis performed Yajna and Yaga, others spent most of their time learning Shathavadhana, chanting of Veda and music. It was a place of Ghanapaathi, Shathavadhani, Asthavadahani and musicians. The Channakeshava Temple of this village is more than a thousand years old.Unlike other contemporary musicians, it is claimed that musicians from this village did not aspire for Rajashraya(patronage of royalty). Renowned musician from Rudrapatna R K Padmanabha adds that a mass desertion of the village took place following a plague. He also claims that nearly 60 per cent of the currently performing Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
musicians in Karnataka hail from Rudrapatna.
Noted musicians
Several noted musicians such as R.S. Keshavamurthy, R.K. Srikantan, R.K.Srinivasamurthy, R.K. Suryanarayana, R.N. Thyagarajan and R.N. Tharanathan (also known as Rudrapatnam BrothersRudrapatnam Brothers
Rudrapatnam Brothers, Shri R.N.Thyagarajan and Dr. R.N.Tharanathan, popularly known as Rudrapatnam brothers, hail from a family of musicians of repute, who zealously keep their tradition for three generations from Rudrapatna, a sleepy village off the Kaveri banks in Arkalgud Thaluk of Hassan...
), R.K. Raghavan, R.K. Prakash, R K Prasanna Kumar, R.K. Padmanabha, R.S. Ramakanth, R.N. Sreelatha and Rathnamala Prakash (a renowned light music artist also), who have carved a niche for themselves, hail from this village.
R.K. Krishna Shastry was another noted vocalist and Harikathe Vidwan, who hailed from Rudrapatna. Venkataramiah, popularly known as Thimmappa, was a renowned Veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
vidwan. He is best known for his Viriboni Varna in Bhairavi raga. Shathavadhani Venkataraya was another popular veena vidwan. Veene Shamanna, Veene Shrikantaiah, Veene Ranganath and R.S. Keshava Murthy, who was a disciple of the legendary Veene Subbanna are all from Rudrapatna. Music critic Mysore V Subrahmanya has noted that the village has produced several musicians and scholars, including Veena Rangashastry, who have occupied the position of court musicians at the Mysore palace.