Nagaswaram wizard Thiruvavaduthurai N. Rajarathinam Pillai, whose 125th birth anniversary was observed on Sunday, was a trend setter and a pioneer in using tambura instead of otthu or shruti box for concerts.
Interestingly, a tambura used by him is preserved by a family of musicians in Nagercoil. “The tambura was given to my uncle Eraniel Chellappa, a nagaswaram player, by Rajarathinam Pillai,” said S. Sreekumar, former head of the department of Tamil, S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil.
One could come across photographs of Rajarathinam Pillai performing with a tambura. An advertisement in 1939 for a concert in Indian Fine Arts Society, Madras, says: “Nadaswaram with Thamburasruthi, violin and Mrudhangam by T.N. Rajarathnam and Party.”What is in the possession of Mr. Sreekumar is a beautifully decorated tambura used by Rajarathinam Pillai, who used to perform regularly at Suchindram temple in Kanniyakumari district and palace festivals in Thiruvananthapuram.“
