INDIA, January 28, 2024 (Swarajaya): Nadaswaram virtuoso Tiruvarur V. Prakash Ilaiyaraja’s mission is to revive fading temple traditions tied to rituals and nadaswaram play. Alongside his son Kavin, they recently played the sacred nadaswaram, the South Indian temple horn, at the Ayodhya temple during the consecration of Ram Lalla on January 22. Although nadaswaram isn’t easy to play as it demands lung power, its inherent loud volume too adds to a student’s woes to practice in crowded localities. But its enduring force has been strong as the instrument considered a Mangala Vadya (sacred instrument) is a hardy survivor both in traditional renderings and on classical platforms.

“There are no dearth of players in South India owing to its divine-connect and the pious ambience it emanates in any sacred event. But a reconsideration by nadaswara players to embrace hardcore paddhati (tradition) would help the instrument’s permanence, is what the Nadaswara vidwans taking across a lineage feel, ”says Nadaswara artiste V. Prakash Ilaiyaraja, a Tiruvarur-based artiste, and professor at Government Music College in Tiruvarur. Prakash Ilaiyaraja is the fourth generation of musicians in his family of thavil and nadaswara artists from Idumbavanam in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu.

Much more at source.
https://swarajyamag.com/culture/cant-ask-for-anything-more-says-prakash-ilaiyaraja-who-played-the-nadaswaram-at-ram-mandir-pran-pratishtha

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