Large Families – A Thing of the Past?

Recently, everyone mourned the  passing away of the telegram from our lives. Why,   letter-writing has gone out of vogue. Putting pen to paper  and writing even  a page  seems to be history. Individual houses and bungalows , even cottages have vanished. And along with these, beautiful mango, sapota, coconut, neem trees , and other flowering  plants like jasmine, hibiscus  tulsi, arali, pavalamalli used for pooja , have all moved from residential areas.  Live-in, dedicated servants are also a thing of the past. Home made sweets are not to be found.  What is also now disappearing is the large family. 

Uptil  the first half of the 20^th century, families had ten or even sixteen children. During ashirvadam (blessings) at weddings , elders used to say ‘’padinaarum petru peru vazhvu vazhanum’’ (have a great life with 16 children ).’ Family matters and intrigues dominated the time and energy  of the family members.

It was the norm to also have joint families.  Land and food was aplenty in the green, rich, villages. Agriculture was the main  occupation. The family  consisted of a set of parents  and their say, one dozen children . If four were girls, they got them married early and sent them away to their husbands’ homes. The other six boys  stayed with the parents and grandparents as well.  First cousins got married  if their fathers were of a different famil line.

One by one they would get married, bring bahus home and at one stage there would be at least ten grandchildren or more in the large household. As everyone married early, even  the grandparents would be very young. If the mother had her first child at age 13 or 14, her daughter would  get a child at that  age   and the woman would be a grandmother at age 28. Unbelievable but true. In fact ,quaint situations would arise where both the  mother and eldest daughter would be pregnant at the same time- and would be exchanging tips and notes on childbearing.Women relatives pitched in to look after the newborns with care and traditional upbringing.

Family planning was unheard of. But some women willfully  abstained  after having many children. At that juncture, men would accept and  set up secondary families   to satisfy their normal urges.   In those days many men had two wives and a number of children from both sources. Wives accepted this placidly as they were fed up of getting more and more progeny. All children were delivered at home- in large comfortable houses by midwives and women relatives adept in theses methods. A percentage of women died in childbirth too. Promptly the patriarch would make his son remarry  – more often than not it would be the  wife’s own younger sister. Marrying inside the family fold ensured that family wealth stayed within the family.

In this old family photo (circa1952) there are a gentleman(age45, donning  a coat)  ,  his wife,(age35)  a lady in a white and black - bordered silk saree (seated). Next to her  (on her right) is seated their  eldest daughter(sari-clad(age 21). On her lap is the family’s  last child- a baby girl of  8 months. The two elder sons are at  two corners(ages 19 and 17). A cousin (wearing specs)  also stands with the group. He, being an only child,  grew up with the rest of this brood.

Two charming young girls in pattu pavadais(silk skirt,aged 8and7) and a fair, plump , well- dressed boy at extreme right(age 4) complete this ensemble. There are the parents and 7 children and a cousin.  A typical family.   The age gap between the parents is  ten years, common at that time. The mother’s age is just thirty five  From age fifteen to thirty five she has produced seven children .     She, however looks very young, fresh and energetic. She does not look as if the number of children affected her in the least.  In fact she is slim, and very beautiful. The father,  too, looks very cheerful and not as if he is burdened by a large demanding family.                                        

At present , people have  one or two, or nil, children . Late marriages are in vogue.  Nuclear families are the norm and  careers are given preference over early marriage. Children don’t have uncles and aunts , young energetic grandparents , and numbers of cousins to play with . Nowadays children sit alone with computers and laptops, i-phones or Tv sets – and feel the void in their lonely lives.The old large family gave support to one and all. There were never any dull moments. Adults and relatives met often  and exchanged news  and long conversations. Though privacy was hard to find, the family was its own entertainment.  Family fights and misunderstandings were legion. Every family was its own soap opera.  Getting involved and keeping in touch with thirty or forty people of the family was itself a  fulltime occupation.  During festivals and weddings  this was seen in all its grandeur .There was an unspoken bond and loyalty  within every family.

One can see the changing world – now still some remnant  old families have siblings who are in their 60’s to 80’s, reminiscing about old times, and sticking to each other for comfort.   ’Vasudhaiva kutumbakam ‘means the ‘ world is a family’- but for one from a large family- the family itself is the world .

Charumathi ramachandran

(carnatic vocalist, musicologist and writer)

Ariyakudi - The Concert Planner Non-Pareil

It suddenly struck me that   a full-fledged  carnatic concert is  very much like the sumptuous ‘ elai-sappad’  (meal on a banana leaf), at our weddings. Why, the very word ‘’saappad’’-does contain  sa (basic note) and  paad (sing) say some wags. Music rasikas appreciate  gourmet traditional food as well as traditional music.  People say  that in December ,   there is equal attendance at the concert halls and the gourmet canteens . Food is for the tongue and music for the soul of course. Both delight  the afficianado.

First, my pranams to the person or persons who discovered the use of banana leaf for the feasts.What a beautiful shape and colour, fresh and healthy green,  with its own mild flavour.  It is  divided horizontally into two equal parts. The top part used for different concoctions. And the bottom half used for rice and the changing accompaniments. It is eco-friendly and bio-degradable- according to  current terminology.

Carnatic concerts before Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar ,  the doyen of music,  were pretty different. First  ,there would be an elaborate varnam in 4 or 6 speeds. Next, a smallish kriti. Then would come a very long and detailed ragam , thanam and pallavi.  After that would be a  thani avarthanam (also long )  a  slokam or a mangalam . These few items would take at least 4   hours. This concert can be compared to a basic curry(vegetable), a very huge helping  / helpings of “’ sambar’’ and rice, and a small  cup of butter-milk. No other  special ‘’items’’ or frills.

Those were leisurely days, and male Vidwans performed in front of Kings or Mirasdars.  There were no female artistes .Other learned poets and musicians appreciated them.   Such  concerts happened  in  Raja Serfoji’s court or in the courts of  Mysore or Ettayapuram  or other such venues. . Rajas gave  generous gifts of gold, pearls, silver, land, etc to the talented folk. Even Tyagaraja’s ancestors were gifted houses by the Rajas. In return, these  benevolent  rulers  expected a degree of sycophancy and fawning.  And a few compositions praising them to glory. We all know that Tyagaraja refused to do so- which he put forth frankly in his kriti “’nidhi chala sukhama?( are riches  comfort  enough or –Rama bhakti ?).

 As things changed  and gradually progressed  , Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, a great musician and thinker, came on the scene and revlutionised the concert pattern   .He came like  a bright  meteor. He was  the disciple of Ramnad(poochi) Srinivasa Iyengar. Poochi(fast flitting bee) because of his fast-flitting , nimble voice. He came in the lineage of Tyagaraja , via   the redoubtable singer and composer , Patnam Subramanya iyer.    At that time sabhas were also being established and court patronage was declining.   Ariyakudi Iyengar felt that the concerts were stale and without variety.  He was too talented  to follow this. So he  accelerated the pace from Chaukam (very slow) to madyama kalam (medium pace). He chose many medium-paced kritis like ‘Raju vedala’(thodi) Evarimata and Majanaki(Kambhodi) and many other  slow kritis which he speeded up to a brisk pace.  He included tamil, telugu, Sanskrit , kannada language kritis in abundance. He also tuned the Tiruppavai hymns and the Rama nataka kritis admirably. He cut short the raga alapanas, added racy and interesting  swaras and never allowed  his concerts to sag from start to finish. In fact even between items ,he paused  only for one or two seconds . The accompanists could not remove their fingers form their instruments. The audiences  were enthralled and had no time for idle chit-chat. Three or four hours sped by in enchanting fashion.

 Not only that, the “pithamaha”’ gave variety. Just like a kalyana ‘’elai-sappad”. A varnam in 2 speeds ( 2vegetable curries), a brisk ganesa vandhanam ( koottu  , avial) first ragam and song suite ( paruppu usili and kosmalli), another fast kriti(curd pachadi). Next, a sub-main ragam, kriti ,neraval, and swaras( rice and sambar with appalam ),A chauka kala kriti or two ( rasam and vadai )-  Then  ragam, thanam and pallavi ( payasam , followed by curd rice and pickle) .There were also the usual Iyengar wedding staples-(puliyodarai, poli and  kara sevai) in the form of various catchy and beautiful songs.. Musically, they were- tiruppavai, rama nataka kirtanam  other tamil songs, javalis  and virutham. The rasikas had a  satiating concert no doubt.

Iyengarval’s concerts were grand,   with all-inclusive aspects of compositions and improvisation (manodharma). And as Semmangudi  Sir used to say often—‘’ they had PROPORTION’’.  He lamented often that  ‘’proportion’’ went out of the window with Iyengarval.  Though I had listened to Ramanuja Iyengar’s concerts when young , it was only later that I was dumbstruck by his recordings. What tempo, what raga delineations in crisp fashion, what imaginative short avartanam swaras, what bhavam , and what a repertoire. No wonder Semmangudi, GNB and others followed him everywhere and referred to him as’Anna’ out of great respect. They imbibed many aspects of his style. The main point was his madyama kala renderings. And his multi-faceted concert pattern .

GNB even played the tambura for his concerts. The decorative  concert pattern was laid out  by him. Though off-stage he was not very tall, on-stage he looked very magnificent and colourful. His full, three-striped namam, his real-zari angavastram and his huge solitaire diamond kadukkans(ear studs) , his traditional hairstyle (knot), all gave a leonine  stage presence. He was the first  vidwan with showmanship. He took music to the layman by way of sweet , short kritis and songs.He had three illustrious disciples- Sri B.Rajam iyer , Sri Madurai Krishnan and Sri K V Narayanaswamy- each of whom made a mark in the music field.

 This concert pattern has been followed now for many years.  The introduction of bhajans and abhangs and other songs can be compared  to North Indian   sweets in the wedding menu (chum-chum and Rasmalai)

Nowadays ,   Jugal- bandhis of North and South music   and vocal- instrumental concerts, and fusion concerts with western instruments are the ‘in ‘ thing. which take place regularly. These  can be  compared to the   present-day wedding buffets. They serve parathas, naans, cake , and Biryanis in good measure , apart from South Indian dishes. People eat both types of food and relish jugal-bandhis also. However  ‘elai-sappad’and traditional concerts still continue with regularity. Variety is the spice of life. And Iyengarval was the first  Carnatic vocalist to discover this.

Nauka Charitram in Paris And the Moody Mikemen of Madras

           IN 2003, not only were we invited to  stage  Tyagaraja’s opera on Krishna , “Nauka charitram ‘’ in France but got to learn how the French viewed  matters like mikes. At the  Charles de gaulle airport   we were pleasantly surprised to see the mini-van  which was arranged for us,  bearing the words’’NAUKA CHARITRAM’’ on its side. Tyagaraja had prophesied just this in his song ‘’dasarathi’’ in Thodi-- “’Rama you are the greatest rasika of mine who makes my music go to far-off lands”. It was thrilling to say the least. The planning by Mr and Mrs Ledoux of the Theatre- de la Ville was impeccable and had been done two years in advance.They hosted our group of ten in service apartments and took us shopping –no  not for French perfume , but for rice, dhal and vegetables. So concerned were they that we should eat our own food.  When we bought twenty five  kilos of rice  without batting eyelids, they raised their eyebrows in surprise. We augmented this with bottles of ‘paruppu podi’’(dhal powder) and mango pickles. They sure knew that the way to a musician’s heart is through his gastronomy.

As team leader , I had already scored the background music and put together the whole  opera- a tale of the young boy Krishna  and the enamoured Gopis- and their fateful boat(nauka) ride on the Yamuna river.    The  professional attitude towards stage management  in  Paris  at this prestigious theatre  was an eye and ear-opener. Having arrived in Paris with all its serene beauty and having settled down in    in the quaint old  district of Montmartre, I was  informed by Mr Ledoux (our impresario) that we would have breakfast, walk to the  theatre,(a few miles away) do sound checks for some hours, partake of food and rest in the theatre basement rooms , and then perform in the evening.  Quite different from India where we check the mikes only  after the concert starts and where the audience comes only after the third song--- to allow the mikes to settle down – one way or the other.    I gently broke the news to everyone. Being true professionals , whether in Paris or Palani,  we  were used to listening to the organizer, whoever he was.  So we set off ,pulling our small suitcases  behind us , like some gaggly group,   and adjusting our sweaters and scarves. The accompanists were a bit upset  as they had to also drag along their instruments.

   But soon, the winding , busy streets and sights of Montmartre cheered us up no end. There was a clothing shop called TATI  which drew us  all like a magnet. Outside the shop were  several  bins full of sale merchandise,  with lace and satin trim.  We five women in the troupe, made a full stop at  TATI. The bins yielded cheap and lovely items. After forty-five minutes of engrossed searching , we looked up and found the five men missing. As leader,they were  my responsibility and for a moment I was aghast. Tales of lost men and lost passports flitted through my fast, tense  brain. What was the French word for ‘police’- was it ‘polizio’---no-- that sounded  Italian ? Then someone pointed out , trying at the same time to stifle giggles-THE  same  five men were rummaging bins of shirts in the  shop  opposite us . I heaved a sigh of relief and we resumed our walk, all the time praising  Mr Ledoux for having made us walk through a busy shopping area  before a   major concert .  What  a free concept-  coming just after the French Revolution , I guess.  French style is French- style .  Easy does it. No’kutcheri’ tension in Paris.

            The theatre  was beautiful, with  gleaming old wood and rich curtains. A very young  and handsome team of technicians took over and  we were putty in their hands.  Who wouldn’t listen to these young Gods.  If they said high we went high -low- we went low- we were ready to obey these techies who were unlike our sad, ill-informed moody mikemen.  Yes, they were very cheerful and did not make the mikes squeal like our  Madras- mike-wallahs - renowned for their quirks and know-it-all attitude .  So we co-operated  --four vocalists with different types of voices,  violin, veena, flute, mridangam and   ghatam  were balanced , recorded and rebalanced.The five men in the team were not as happy as  us five women.Well- cant please everyone , right?

The  dancer was given the appropriate spotlight when she made her entry- or was it ‘entrée’ in French.  In Madras, if there was a lone dancer in an opera, chances were that the light-man -(cousin of the mike-man) would just not switch on the spot- at the crucial moment –as he would have gone to get a quick cuppa.  Stage monitors were extremely audible , not like Madras where usually we had  to shout and strain due to the lack of feedback. (  And  in Madras   we dare not complain – as that would ruin our career for at least 25 long years-- in exile.) Our places were marked and we were told to retain the  same positions during the evening’s show. Reluctantly  bidding –au revoir’ to the techies we went down stairs . A huge round table was laden  with superb French croissants,  yellow pats of real butter,  jams and jellies, honey jars,  sandwiches, butter-cookies, Belgian chocolates,  fruits, juices, dried fruits  and nuts and elegant coffee services with sweet-smelling milk  in  white porcelain  jugs on the side.

We were stunned . Even in America where we have been many a time, this type of repast was not arranged. There of course, our hosts always ensured that we had  our favourite ‘tiffin’ before the concert and our favourite ‘palagaram’’ after the concert.  Even if we wanted Western food they would not give it to us- why go Western when’ desi’ food was prepared from scratch ? they would ask.  And  eggs and  animal fats are added  in the reataurants , they would warn us with grave faces.  

In America, the land of plenty ,we got to eat at many houses serving ‘potluck’ dinners- and believe me the ladies there are expert gourmet food- preparors. At the end of an American tour we musicians always look plump and well fed, hardly fitting into the clothes we take with us. As badams are plenty there ,we always get’badam kheer’-or  badham halwa . Here in Madras the last time I had it was a’ fake’ one at a wedding- where the  astute cooks  usually grind peanuts to make badamkheer.  When we were kids we used to pronounce it as ‘badhangeer’-for some quaint reason.   Now- -I have digressed enough.  So , in Paris - we ate and ate and even stocked the fruits and chocolates  to eat at night .Then into the lovely posh green rooms to dress up and put on some make-up. These green rooms were surely designed for royalty? Not for us lowly madras musicians who are used to – well- rickety green rooms – painted pink  . I immediately tried out the new French lipstick and it looked great. I was transformed, I thought. And smiled more than usual .

   The concert  was wonderful and the sound-balancing was excellent-not too loud  and not too soft.   The  huge  French audience  appreciated with shouts of’bravo, bravo’ and gave us repeated curtain calls. They loved the sweet voice of my daughter Shubasree and asked for her’encore’.

Post the concert,  odious comparisons started-- with all of us rueing the  state of ‘sound’ in Madras. How is it done in  Madras/?Well,  barring some places ,  mikes are owned by somebody who lets it out to somebody. A third somebody- who is just passing by or visiting, is instructed to turn knobs and sit with bowed head near the  ‘mike- set;’ as it is called- reminding one of ‘set-dosas’ or whatever.  After  a few disastrous  wailing concerts this chap or man  starts understanding that right- turn of the knob is increase and left- decrease.  So, while vidwans clench teeth( real or false) in anger, the chap  twiddles and twaddles for three hours.  His main aim is to turn right  whenever the  appropriate vidwan nods at him slyly. So, when violin nods- he turns, then mridangam , then vocal glares and he goes out to drink energising tea to  face these  free-flowing  fast  instructions. He looks more like a puppet on  strings  when he turns knobs continuously. Wise listeners in Madras  search for the correct spot- which is far from the black menacing speaker and right under a 1940’s  antique  ceiling   fan . Their ’gnanam’  has to be appreciated two-fold. Mylapore   mama   maminna chummavaa?

Then audience participation starts.  A somber lady  with heavily oiled hair,  rust coloured saree  and diamond    besari (nosering)  gets up, adjusts her’jolna  khadi’’ bag  and shouts’—‘’ please reduce mikes or we will all exit”’-  The CHAP is bemused- this is all Greek and Latin to him . he twiddles more and more and there is a huge bursting sound.  Now main Vidwan stops and puts his   palm to his head  and sits quietly- having lost all patience, first with the mike-volume- demanding  sidemen (pakka vadyam )  and then the thumb- twiddling  mikeman.  The assistant secretary  rushes up from the outside gate (his usual outpost) and conducts an one- man enquiry (the usual method for all things in India  be it helicopter  scams or  seat reservations ). Someone else takes over and the concert resumes- though the oily- head lady really exits- eager to go home and eat her ‘ tiffin’ in peace. She also ruminates about bygone concerts of 50 years’  antiquity-also the common practice of elderly music lovers. They never accept the present but always praise the past- saying’’old is  gold’’.In the corridors they talk about old concerts of 1940’s or so and  only then leave for their homes.

\           In concusion  I would say-       Mike-men are  a seperate breed.  They  are all depressed - that’s why they sit with bowed heads. Though they don’t know much , they  feel that its below their dignity to listen to  the musicians or public or the sabha people. They are  , just like the auto wallahs of madras, sticking to their own ideas and generally above the law. One thing they think is that the loudest instrument -   the mridangam- should have the loudest volume.  Then the second is given to the second- loudest – the violin.  Only the third volume is granted to the poor vocalist- and if it’s a woman- only fourth volume- as mikemen have  a gender bias too. See, there are no mike- women? Why cant educated young women take up this profession .?maybe in Manu shastra  the almighty  Manu has banned women from handling mikes .  I remember one line had an unclear meaning-   Maybe this message is hidden in the text- God  or Manu  knows.My research on this  topic will continue and maybe earn me a pHd. Miracles do happen.

Tyagaraja Ramayanam

            Tyagaraja  not only composed his divine kritis but taught his songs to many disciples of Walajapet, Thillaisthanam and Umayalpuram.   All these three branches have helped   in preservation and propagation of this  unique legacy.  Putting aside rivalries and controversies regarding the recognition or otherwise of the various sishya paramparas of Sri Tyagaraja , let us look into his descriptions of the Ramayana (  literally the coming of Rama) characters , starting of course with Rama himself .

               In’   bala kanaka maya chela ’-Rama is young and his physique    is adorned  with  a very rich  shining  gold raiment. In this song  Seetha is referred to as Ramaa, in the phrase ‘ramaalola”.And his blue shade of skin is adorned with  ‘vanamalikaabharana “- ornament of a variety of flowers from the forest/garden . In the next line he is called’Mahanubhava’-or mighty personage- and one who has a ‘Rajeeva netra-‘or eyes like lotuses.

                 In Janaki ramana (shudha seemanthini)- Rama’s complexion is compared to the ‘ghana thamaala neela’- thick blue leaves of the Thamaala tree. One must remember that Rama has a complexion which is actually blue-green---- neither blue nor green . That is why we have the colour- Ramar Green –a peculiar- mixed- shot colour , made famous even in kanchipuram sillk sarees of yore.   He has the ‘raktha nalina dhala nayana’’-  eyes like the blood-red lotus. He is  also  ‘karunala vaala- suguna sheela’- embodiment of compassion  and good virtues.

                 Lavanya rama(poorna sadjam) and Mohana Rama(mohanam) describe his beauty.

                In the Mohanam song ‘Nannu palimpa’- Tyagaraja asks if Rama has come walking  all the way  to greet him . The story is that his disciple Walajapet Venkatramana bagavathar   brought a beautiful Tanjore painting of Ramar Pattabhishekam  as a gift for Tyagaraja’s daughter’s wedding.  On seeing the painting- Tyagaraja breaks  into song- and asks Rama  the affectionate question. He also refers to him  in this song, unusually, as ’Naa prana nadha’’- just as a wife would address her Lord- as ‘’Oh My Beloved Lord-my very life’s breath.’’Here it is interesting to note that indeed Tyagaraja prayed everyday to a Tanjore painting of Rama in his pooja  Mandapam.  This painting is still there with his descendants in Thanjavur.

               In Nadhupai (madyamavathi)-Rama’s   physique is described as  “’Aajanubahu ‘’- well-formed  and supple shoulders and arms. After all, Rama had archery and other training  in the forest under sage Viswamitra isn’t it, along with his brother Lakshmana.     And he was from the Kshatriya or warrior clan of Raghukula.  Again here he is called- ‘’payojaksha’’-lotus-eyed-using the different word-‘’payoja’  for lotus ‘-that which grows in water ‘’.

              In  the Sahana song  Dehi-thava  pada bhakthim- Tyagaraja prefixes ‘Vai’- and cleverly repeats the line as Vaidehi- another name for Sita. In the kambhodhi song  ‘’Maa jaanaki’’- he gives all out praise for  Sita. He says that  Rama’s claim to fame  is  only  by becoming her husband –by taking her hand in marriage(paanigrahanam)..

                Rama-  says Tyagaraja  has oka mata ,oka bana, oka pathni- one infallible weapon, one  way of straight sincere speech  and one wife.   He also has a steady mind(oka chitthamu) –in the song oka mata in harikambodhi.  This possibly also comments on the society of yore when two wives for a man  were a common occurrence.                                                  

             In the   Karaharapriya  piece “Vidamuseyave’’ –Tyagaraja takes a rare peek into the  very homely and personal scene of Sita offering betel leaves and ‘’paan’’ to her beloved, while Lakshmana keeps ready a silver goblet for the ritual. Lakshmana’s good fortune  is also mentioned  in the  song Sowmitri bagyame (Sowmitri refers to lakshmana).

             Tyagaraja is bereft of words to describe  the great good fortune of Sabhari  the forest maiden , the simpleton who  innocently  bites into and tastes fruits , before   giving them to her Lord Rama. In Entha ninne (Mukhari ) he expresses this idea beautifully.

              ‘’Sree Rama padama ‘’- is about the magical  touch of his feet. Rama and Lakshmana traverse the Dandaka forest  during their gurukula vasam with their Guru.. Again in the forest , is a stone image of a woman – Ahalya- cursed by ancient rishis for centuries. But hope is at hand for she will come alive – so reads the curse - once Rama’s delicate toe touches the hidden stone and she can spring back to life and look at herself ,and at Rama, in wonderment at the accurate prediction and fulfillment of her curse. Here-  one is reminded of the innumerable myths and stories in western films- copied from such mysterious  Indian  stories –of curses and stones and divine redemption and adventure.The Ramayana is indeed a fount of legends and interesting myths.

               Kodanda rama  Pattabhirama  kalyanarama- are the different names in the song nannuvidachi(ritigaula).

                In the song vachama gocharame (kaikavasi)  comes the reference to Maricha the asura  who comes disguised as the golden deer in the forest.   In kaluguna –(poorna lalitha) is the reference to Anjaneya –as ‘gandha vaha thanaya (son of vayu  , the wind God) . In Vinatha sutha  the role of Garuda is stressed.   In “sarasa sama dhana “- Rama’s wily actions  using  the four modes of action Sama, dhana  bheda and dhanda  are described. He uses ‘bheda(separating enemies) by awarding the throne of Lanka to Vibhishana. Tyagaraja says Rama would have offered even Ayodhya to Ravana to keep the peace. A flight of his imagination. 

            Not only the Ramayana characters , but Tyagaraja sings about the kingdom of Ayodhya-  Ramarajyam , in Karu baru (mukhari). It was  ruled so beautifully and  every month there were  three good bouts of rainfall (as in tamil-maadham mummari peidhu).  A very ecologically balanced region unlike today’s world.    Thus, Tyagaraja    paints  song and word pictures about Ramayana, the characters ,and the landscapes and brings to us the epic through his kritis.    And the central character Rama is portrayed in all His facets .A true ‘coming’ (aayana) of Rama.