How Tiruttani Swaminathan has dedicated his life to the preservation of the Tevaram hymns

Fourteen-year-old Sarangapani dropped out of school after class eight due to financial constraints at home. It did not bother him as he was inclined towards music. One day, vocalist Madurai Somu’s father-in-law heard him sing, and was impressed. At his suggestion Sarangapani enrolled at the Pichai Kattalai Estate Thevara School in Thirukkadaiyur, where he studied for five years. After this, he continued his music training at Dharmapuram Adheenam School for two years. It was during this period that the pontiff of the adheenam gave him a new name. Thus, Sarangapani — until then a staunch Vaishnavite — came to be known as Swaminathan.

Once Swaminathan completed his training, he began singing the Tevaram in temples administered by the adheenam. Then followed a four-year stint at the Kunnakkudi adheenam. In 1975, Swaminathan became a full-time odhuvar at the Tiruttani temple, where he served until his retirement in 2000. Post this, he taught at the Chidambaram Thevara Patasalai, and his students have been placed as odhuvars in temples across the world. Swaminathan, who has been chosen for the Padma Shri (2026), now teaches 49 students at Dharmapuram adheenam school. He continues to sing in Tiruttani during the Padi utsavam and presents Tevaram during kumbabishekams in temples.

“Vaarappaadalgal of Sangam music and devapani of Panchamarabu laid down rules for music, which have been followed in the Tevaram verses. Swaminathan, who has been attending discussions of the Pann Araichi Kazhagam for 40 years, has provided valuable inputs in the analysis of the raga equivalents of panns,” says Bhageerathy,  a member of the Pann Araichi Kazhagam of Tamil Isai Sangam.

What does the term odhuvar mean? “Odhudal means to recite. From there comes the name odhuvar,” explains Swaminathan, who also clarifies that odhuvar service is not hereditary. Asked if women are prohibited from being odhuvars, Swaminathan responds: “There are no such restrictions, although traditionally, only men have been odhuvars. But now 16 women, who trained in the Karur school, serve in various temples. Interestingly, the old tunes were passed on to posterity, thanks to a woman. When Raja Raja Chola recovered the Tevaram, he was disappointed that the original tunes were lost. He later went to Erukkattampuliyur (modern name Rajendrapattinam), where Thiruneelakanta Yazhpana Nayanar lived.  Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar had played the yazh as Gnanasambandar sang his verses. In the presence of the king a woman, who was Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar’s descendant, sang the original tunes, composed by Gnanasambandar, and these were noted down by Nambi Andar Nambi. These events are recorded in Umapathy Sivachariar’s Thirumurai Kanda Puranam.  

About inscriptional evidence for the odhuvar tradition, Swaminathan says, “An inscription in the Big Temple has a reference about how Raja Raja Chola appointed 48 Tevaram singers, an udukkai player and a kotti maddalam player.”

What instruments are used now? “We use only the talam (cymbals),” says Swaminathan. How many panns have been used in the Tevaram? “Twenty four. Thirukkurunthogai does not have a pann structure, so we can sing these verses in any of the 24 Tevaram panns. There is a lot of interest in Tevaram panns among the diaspora.” He has recorded more than 50 discs of Tevaram verses, which are used by Tamilians abroad for learning pann isai.

“Over the years there have been changes in Tevaram. In concerts outside the temple, we have incorporated a few changes. For example, we sing some padhigams a little faster. But nothing has changed in the way we present Tevaram hymns in temples. The aim is to preserve the tradition,”