TTD’s tribute to musical legend M S Subbulakshmi

Subbulakshmi was born in Madurai to the blessed couple Shanmukavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer in 1916. She started learning Carnatic music at an early age and trained under Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. She also trained in Hindustani music under Pandit Narayanrao Vyas. 

MS gave her first public performance at the age of 11 in 1927. She shot to global fame for her rendering of ‘keertans’ . She bagged  many prestigious awards,  not only from Government of India, including the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna, but also many in foreign lands. 

The temple management of TTD had chosen the  ‘Nightingale of India’  as former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru  used to call her , as the Sashwatha Asthana Vidhwan of TTD in the year 1975.  Subbulakshmi s rendering of Balaji Pancharathnamala , including Vishnu Sahasra Namam, Venkateswara Suprabhatam and  Bhaja Govindam made her a household name  Even today dawn breaks in  the hill town of Tirumala to the melliflous strains of  Venkateswara Suprabhatham, which MS had rendered.