- Irayimman Thampi
Ravi Varman
Thampi better known as Irayimman Thampi(Malayalam : ഇരയിമ്മന് തമ്പി ) (1783-1862) was a famousCarnatic music ian as well as a music composer fromKerala ,India . He was a vocalist in the court ofSwathi Thirunal . His compositions are still considered extremely popular and are sung byMalayalees all around the world. One of his best known songs is the lullaby Omanathinkal Kidavo.Life
Born as Ravi Varman Thampi in 1783 to Kerala Varma Thampuran of the Royal family of Chertallay and Parvathi Pillai Thankachi of the "Puthumana
Ammaveedu "Thampi family, daughter of Prince Makayiram Thirunal Ravi Varma and niece of the MaharajahDharma Raja ofTravancore . He was named after his grandfather and was known as Ravi Varman Thampi which was popularised as Irayimman Thampi. Thampi was brought up at a house called "Kizhake Madhom" by his parents. His early education was from his father but later he went under the tutorship of Shankaran Elayathu in grammar, linguistics and sanskrit literature. He wrote his first poem when he was fourteen and dedicated it to Karthika ThirunalDharmaraja ofTravancore . Since then he occupied an enviable position in theTravancore court.Irayiman Thampi married Kalli Pillai Thankachi, daughter of his maternal uncle Puthumana Krishnan Thampi, and they were blessed with seven children including a daughter who continued her father's artistic and poetic legacy, Lakshmi Kutty Pillai Thankachi, better known as Kutty Kunju Thankachi (1820-1914). She grew into a prominent poetess and got many rewards from her cousin and king
Swathi Thirunal . Irayimman Thampi was already thirty one years of age when Swathi Thirunal Maharajah was born. Irayimman Thampi wrote the famous lullaby Omanathinkal Kidavo for Swathi Thirunal, Swathi Thirunal affectinately called him "Thampi maman". Irayimman Thampi passed away in the year 1862.Famous Compositions
Some of his famous
Kriti s (Compositions) are* Omanathinkal Kidavo - set in
Rāga Neelambari
* Karuna Cheyvan - set inRāga Shriragam
* Somapoma - set inRāga Saveri
* Aarodu Cholvene - set inRāga Nadamakriya
*nIlavarNa pAhimAM - set inRāga Surutti
* Adimalar - set inRāga Mukhari
* Ambā gauri girikanyē - stava varNam - Ārabhi
* Pāhimām giritanayē - sāvērī - miśra cāpu
* nityamāśrayē - rītigauḷa - Ādi
* kamalādikalām - khāmbhōjiReferences
External links
* [http://www.swathithirunal.in/composeres/iryimn.htm About Irayimman Thampi]
* [http://www.carnatica.net/special/irayimman-ppn.htm Irayimman Thampi Biography]
* [http://www.kerala.gov.in/music/music6.pdf Govt of Kerala]
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