Sounds of the nadhaswaram, thavil ring across the US

When economic pundits designed the rules for building a global village, they were probably thinking in terms of jargons like tariff, export-import regulations, foreign currency parity and so on. What has been untold, yet written strongly in the annals of history is the cultural implants across the borders, interestingly well-crafted by Indians immigrating to the US.

Can anyone imagine waking up every morning to listen to the tunes of Bhoopalam raga played on the nadhaswaram in a ritualistic ambience inside a temple in the US? Well, if you think I am joking then you are mistaken. Thanks to the striking role of the world’s most wanted professionals, wherever they set their camp, they have also established the Indian culture solidly and ensured that it gets acknowledged by mainstream lifestyle.

The latest and most noticeable one is the appointment of aasthana (stationed) nadhaswaram and thavil vidwans in temples. In the recent past, a new trend to play the Mangala isai by these artistes in select temples on a daily basis is a reality here. They perform for all pujas and festivals at length, enhancing the spiritual impact in these places of worship. The resonating sounds of the wind instrument rightly called ‘Mangala vaadhyam’ have thus been spreading a pristine feel in the foreign land.

Indians settled in New Jersey are among the blessed to experience divinity with music from the Nadhaswaram. The credit must go to the Guruvayoorappan Temple authorities, who have employed these artistes since June 2018 to play the Managal Isai every day for the Nithya puja rituals. 

Many people who come to the temple now have the opportunity to sit and relax to the reverberating tunes of the nadhaswaram and thavil, where the artistes play traditional compositions set in different ragas enhancing the bhakthi path. A rare and priceless experience for music lovers, even in India, this is only a practice in aagama or traditional temples, which we don’t get a chance to visit every day.

For the larger part, it has been a practice in the US that temples invite teams of artistes to perform on special occasions like the brahmotsavam days. Ganapathy Temple in Flushing, New York — one of the oldest and the most popular temples — had Nadhaswaram artistes come during the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival every year.  The detailed procession of Vinayakar around the temple with the resonating sounds of the Nadhaswaram used to be a delight for the residents, including the Americans. But they have to wait for that part of the year to enjoy this divine musical treat.

Now, however, though the presence of aasthana vidwans in temples is completely a new experience for the people here, children growing up in the US get the best expression of Indian culture in a traditional ambience.

“Typically, we start the day by playing for the morning Subrapatha Puja rituals and continue for every puja and abhishekam of each deity and stay engaged in music till the night. It’s a great feeling to see devotees walk up and tell us how the music makes them feel the divine presence. Many Americans do visit the temple as well. It is amazing to watch the way they engage with Indian music,” said Mohana Raj, a nadhaswaram artiste who plays along with thavil artiste Rathnavelu at New Jersey’s 

Guruvayoorappan temple.

Mohana Raj had a detailed music education in Chennai and under Lakshmanapillai, he perfected his nadhaswaram skills. He hails from a traditional family of nadhaswara vidwans, who play in temples as stationed artistes. Probably the first in the family to come overseas and serve, for Mohana Raj, the feeling that he is able to spread the great art form in a foreign land gives him an immense sense of satisfaction.

“Prior to coming to New Jersey, these artistes were stationed at the Sri Ranganatha Temple at Pomona, New York, for one and half years. When their visa tenure ended, we offered to employ them at the Guruvayoorappan Temple in New Jersey,” said Dr S Srinivas Iyer, the vice chairman of the temple board.

The temple also arranges to send such artistes to perform for functions and marriages. They are very busy during the wedding season, more so since around 40 weddings and other sacred ceremonies happen every year in the temple hall itself. “We have live nadhaswaram and thavil performances arranged to enhance the tradition of these ceremonies,” 

added Dr Iyer.

Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh has also employed artistes for nadhaswaram and thavil, who hail from India. They perform every day for all pujas and special occasions. “It gives us the feeling of being in Tirupati every time we visit the temple,” said a devotee, who regularly visits the Pittsburgh Temple.

We also see that temples receive many enquiries from genuinely passionate music lovers, who wish to learn the art of playing the nadhaswaram and thavil. It is expected that with more temples starting to employ artistes who are experts in these instruments, the focus on teaching young and talented local students will slowly begin to happen. 

Nadhaswaram artiste Mambalam V Raamachandran along with Thavil artiste Silambarasan, are already engaged in offering online and in-person workshops to teach students in the US. “The Minnesota Tamil Sangam had, earlier in 2017, organised a workshop and performance during an event that triggered interest in the art form,” said Ramachandran, who has students spread across the US. The presence of nadhaswaram and thavil in the US is a resonating truth that the Indian tradition and culture can penetrate into lands across the ocean with ease.