Koteeswara Iyer

Koteeswara Iyer (1869 - 1938), was a pioneer composer of Indian classical music Carnatic music. He was a grandson of Kavi Kunjara Bharati(1810–1896) attributing to a strong lineage of accomplished musicians. He was born in Nandhanur to Nagarathinam iyer who was a Sivagangai Samasthana Sangeetha Vidwan. His ancestors lived initially in Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) and later in Raja Hiranya Garba Thirumalai Sethupathi's village in Perungarai (Ramanathapuram). Koteeswara Iyer studied music under Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar (1860–1919) and Patnam Subramania Iyer (1845–1902). He composed mainly in the Tamil language and used the mudra Kavi Kunjara Dasan in tribute to his grandfather. While studying his BA in English Literature in Trichy, Koteeswara Iyer started performing in small Kutcheries singing Kavi Kunjara Bharathi's Skanda Puranam, Perinba Keerthanaigal. Noted devotional singers K. Somu (Somasundaram) and K. Veeramani were the grandsons of Koteeswara Iyer, and thus the great-great grandsons of Kavi Kunjara Bharathi.

Literary works

• Madurai Pottramarai Pathigam
• Madurai Shanmugha Malai
• Sundareshwarar Pathigam
• KayarKanni Pathitru Pathanthathi
• Indhiya Maanmiyam

He has worked as an English Professor in Mylai Venkatramana Dispensary Ayurveda College and Mylai Sanskrit college. Later, he worked as an English translator in the Madras High Court.

He is one of the first vaggeyakara who composed songs in all the 72 melakartha ragas. His contribution to the illustration of Vivadhi Ragas is invaluable. He published his grand father's works (Kandapuranam, Azhagar Kuravanji, Perinba Keerthanaigal).

List of Songs composed in 72 Melakartha Raagams

He is one of the few to have composed in all 72 Melakarta ragams. All of his 72 kritis (songs) in the Melakarta ragams are dedicated to his family deity Muruga.

To open the series of 72 kritis, he sought blessings of Lord Vinayaka by composing a prayer song dedicated to Vinayaka, Vaarana mukhava, set to Hamsadhvani ragam and Rupaka taalam.

	Name	Ragam	Talam
1	Kanakaangaka	Kanakaangi	Adi
2	Tharunam Ithe	Ratnaangi	Adi
3	Maamathura	Gaanamurthi	Adi
4	Daasa Nesa	Vanaspathi	Adi
5	Nijabhakthi	Maanavathi	Rupakam
6	Va Velava	Taanaroopi	Khanda Chapu
7	Vandarul	Senavathi	Misrachaapu
8	Kalitheera	Hanumathodi	Misrachaapu
9	Karunai Kadale	Dhenuka	Aadhi
10	Irangatha	Naatakapriya	Aadhi
11	Sugha Vazhvadainthu	Kokilapriya	Rupaka
12	Naalaguthe	Roopavathi	Aadhi
13	Naadha Nilai	Gayakapriya	Kandachaapu
14	Nambinen	Vagulabaranam	Aadhi
15	Naan En Seiven	Mayamalavagowla	Aadhi
16	Kaanakankodi	Chakravaakam	Rupaka
17	Kanjam Konjum	Sooryakantham	Aadhi
18	Aalalaghatha	Haatakambari	Aadhi
19	Varam Thaarum	Jhankaradhwani	Misrachaapu
20	Ambhoruha	Natabhairavi	Rupaka
21	Velava	Keeravani	Kandachapu
22	Kanpaaraiya	Karaharapriya	Aadhi
23	Paarai	GowriManohari	Aadhi
24	Srungara Kumara	Varunapriya	Aadhi
25	Maalaginen	MaaraRanjani	Aadhi
26	Neethan Appa	Chaarukesi	Aadhi
27	Malaiyathe	Sarasangi	Rupaka
28	Neeye Ghathi	HariKambojhi	Aadhi
29	Enai Aalaiya	Shankarabharanam	Aadhi
30	Naayen	NaagaNandhini	Aadhi
31	Sambu Sathasiva	Yaagapriya	Aadhi
32	Kalankathe	Raagavardhini	Aadhi
33	Ninaimaname	Gaangeyabhooshani	Rupaka
34	Nathaanu	Vaagadheeshwari	Aadhi
35	Paramugha	Soolini	Aadhi
36	Eddaya Gathi	ChalaNaatai	Aadhi
37	Gaanamutham	Saalakam	Aadhi
38	Kanaka Mayura	Jalarnavam	Aadhi
39	Anaatha Rakshaka	JaalaVaraali	KandaChapu
40	Saami Ithe	NavaNeetham	Rupaka
41	Anjathe	Pavani	Misrachapu
42	Sadhanantha	Raghupriya	Rupaka
43	Viraivaagave	Gavambhodhi	Aadhi
44	SethiruVelan	Bhavapriya	Aadhi
45	Velane	Subhapanthuvrali	MisraChapu
46	AndharangaBakthi	Shadvidamarghini	Aadhi
47	Igapara	Suvarnaangi	Rupaka
48	Appa Murugaiyane	Divyamani	Aadhi
49	Kaarunya	Dhavalambari	Rupaka
50	Een Maname	NaamaNarayani	Aadhi
51	Ka Murugaiyya	Kaamavardhini	Aadhi
52	Saami Satha	Ramapriya	Aadhi
53	Ihame Sukham Tarum	Gamanashrama	Aadhi
54	Paramanandha	Viswambari	Rupaka
55	Kandha	Syamalangi	Misrachapu
56	Sugame Sugam	Shanmukapriya	Aadhi
57	Unnaiyallal	SimhendraMadhyamam	Aadhi
58	Manathe	Hemavathi	Rupaka
59	Kandha Bakatha	Dharmavathi	Misrchapu
60	Mohanakara	Neethimathi	Rupaka
61	Naadhasugam	Kaanthamani	Aadhi
62	GhanaNaya	Rishbhapriya	Aadhi
63	KaiKoodaVenume	Lathangi	Kandachapu
64	Igaparasooga	Vachaspathi	Rupaka
65	SadhaNanathame	MechaKalyani	Aadhi
66	SaamaGhanaLola	Chitrambhari	Misrachapu
67	VeluMayilume	Sucharithram	Rupaka
68	GhanamuthaBhanam	Jyothiswaroopini	Misrachapu
69	SookaKara	Dhathuvarthini	Aadhi
70	Thantharul	Naasikabhushani	Rupaka
71	Ka Guha	Kosalam	Rupaka
72	ArulSeiya	Rasikapriya	Aadhi

A final closure song to close the series, traditionally called the Mangalam is also composed in Surutti set to Adi tala.

See also

• List of Carnatic composers

External links

• https://karnatik.com/co1025.shtml