Abraham Pandithar - Profile

RAO SAHIB M. ABRAHAM PANDITHAR - MUSICOLOGIST...............(August 2, 1859-August 31, 1919) Born of Muthuswami Nadar and Annammal at Sabavar Vadagarai near Tenkasi, Abraham Pandithar studied at the Normal Teachers' Trainng School, Dindigul and became a teacher at the same school.

Abraham learnt music under Dindigul Sadayandi Patthar and a nagaswram artiste at Tanjore and blossomed into a knowledgeable musicologist and a princely patron. No other commoner had done so much in those distant days for music as Abraham Pandithar. Even subsequently, if one could be cited for great service of such magnitude in the cause of music, it was Annamalai Chettiar, Founder of the Annamalai University. Pandithar was a composer, research scholar and organiser. He had done considerable research into the intricacies of Carnatic music in the context of ancient Dravidian (tamil) literature on art and music. Perhaps few had excelled him in this.

His prodigious work 'Karnamrita Sagaram' is really an ocean, as its name bears, of information on musical history, science, literature, musicians, etc. An encyclopaedia and a thesaurus, it is in two volumes and it is really a wonder that in those days of few facilities, he was able to compile and publish such a massive work. The monumental work is an addition to another 'Karnamarita Sagara Thirattu' (1907) containing ninty-five songs (gitam, swarajati, varnam) with swaras etc. on the pattern of Purandaradasa.

He was the centre of activity for musicians and musicologists. What the Tanjore rulers did earlier, he did and perhaps had excelled in certain aspects. He kept up contacts with all musical luminaries in the whole of India. He was the first to convene All-India Conferences on Music at Tanjore on a scale not witnessed before in the South and rarely witnessed eversince. The Conferences were held on May 2, 1912 and on August 19, 20 and 21 1916. The Assemblies were impressive. The Agenda was a focus of real issues and problems. There was solid work and purposeful discussions among patrons, musicologists, musicians, etc. The list of participants is a remarkable catalogue of everyone who counted.

He started the 'Sangeeta Vidya Mahajana Sangham' at Tanjore on December 14, 1912 with stalwarts like Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Ayyar, Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, Panchapakesa Bhagavathar, etc. In 1913, Muthiah Bhagavathar promised to donate one performance per annum for the continued upkeep of its activities.

For his excellent and remarkable contribution, Abraham Pandithar deserves the gratitude of everyone. Richly he deserves posthumous recognition.