Watch: Exploring the history of Mallari music 

Mallari is a special music played on nagaswaram accompanied by the thavil in temple rituals. It is played when the temple’s presiding deity is taken out for a procession and it will be played when the deity reaches the temple’s entrance.

It is always set to Ghambeera Nattai ragam. As it is followed in nagaswam concerts, mallari begins with the playing of the thavil.

In mallari, the thavil playing will start with alarippu and it will be in kantakathi. The alarippu will inform the public about the starting of the procession. Interestingly, there are no sahityams (keerthans) for mallari. Only sorkattus are played.

Theertha mallari will be played during the abishekam ceremony. Ther mallari is for the occasion of Car festival of temples. Thiripuda thala mallari or periya mallari is a special mallari and late nagaswaram player Thirumeignanam Natarajasundaram Pillai excelled in it. Chidambaram Vaidhyanatha Pillai and Radhakrishna Pillai were the names to recon with in the art form. Achalpuram Chinnathampia Pillai is another expert.

Pancharatna Mallari is set to five ragas like the Pancharatna keerthans of St. Thiagaraja. It was composed by nagaswaram player Kuzhikari Pichaiappa and thavil player Valangaiman Shanmugasundaram Pillai. It is also played in Thiruvaiyaru during the procession.

Published – March 20, 2025 03:30 pm IST