K. C. Kesava Pillai | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1868-02-04)February 4, 1868 |
| Died | September 2, 1914(1914-09-02) (aged 46)[1] Kerala, India |
| Occupation | Teacher, poet, musician |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Notable works |
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| Spouse | Kalyani Amma Nanikutty Amma |
| Relatives | Valiyavelichathu Veettil Raman Pillai (father) Desathu Lakshmy Amma (mother) R. Narayana Panickar |
Kanakku Chembakaraman Kesava Pillai (1868–1914) was an Indian composer ofCarnatic music and a poet ofMalayalam literature. He was the Poet Laureate ofTravancore and was known forKesaveeyam, amahakavya in Malayalam, twoattakathas and severalbhajans andkirtans. He also translated theSanskrit text,Narayaniyam, into Malayalam under the title,Bhashanarayaniyam.
K. C. Kesava Pillai[note 1] was born on February 4, 1868, inTravancore kingdom to Valiyavelichathu Veettil Raman Pillai and Desathu Lakshmy Amma.[2] His early schooling was at Paravur Malayalam School where he studied up to 5th standard and followed it up with Sanskrit studies under the tutelage of Paravur Kesavan Asan and grammar studies under Enakkattu Rajaraja Varma.[3] As a boy, Pillai regularly watchedKathakali and learnt the basics ofKathakali literature, costumes andmudras, besides gaining proficiency in music. Aged 15, he wrote his firstattakadha,Prahladacharitham.[4] Simultaneously, he studied English with the help of a few friends while working as a Sanskrit teacher at a Vaidya School. In 1897, he joined as a Sanskrit teacher at a Malayalam school in Kollam but shifted to an English school in 1901 before moving toThiruvananthapuram in 1901 as the teacher of Velayudhan Thampi, the son ofSree Moolam Thirunal, the thenMaharajah of Travancore.[2]
Pillai married Kalyani Amma in 1890 but she died after two years. He married again in 1894; Nanikutty Amma, his father's niece, was the bride. A close associate ofPandalam Kerala Varma andA. R. Raja Raja Varma, Pillai died on September 4, 1913, at the age of 45 years.[4] On account of his musical and poetical achievements, he was awarded the title ofSarasa Gayaka Kavimani byKerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran.[5] Noted writer and Sahitya Akademi Award winner,R. Narayana Panickar, was his son-in-law.[6] Dr.Sreenath.P.R, Neurosurgeon at KMCIMS is his relative.[7]
Kesava Pillai's body of literary work, written in Sanskrit and Malayalam languages, comprises an epic, threeattakathas forKathakali, twoThullal songs, eleven short poems, sixkhandakavyas, four plays, two stories and four commentaries.[8] He wrotePrahlaada Charitham, later renamed,Hiranyasuravadham, the first of this three attakathas, when he was only 15. It was reported that Pillai, with his advice, assistedA. R. Rajaraja Varma in writingVritha Manjari.[2] His plays, such asLakshmikalyanam, were reported to portray the social life of the Nair community of his times.[9]Kesaviyam, amahakavya andKerala Varma Vilasam, a poem on the life ofKerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran are two of his major works.[10]Kesaviyam has been written without observing thedvitīyākṣara prāsa (second syllable rhyming), which was in vogue during those times.[11]
Pillai composed six compositions, includingGanamalika, which has two volumes, besides over 100 songs.[8]Sadarama, one of his compositions,[12][13] is composed in the form of aGeya nataka, whileSangitamalika is an ensemble of 42 songs. The majority of his songs are devotional and are composed in ragas such asTodi,Sankarabharanam,Mohanam,Kapi,Kalyani andPantuvarali.[4][14] One of his songs, 'Omanappennallayo... has been reworked by the Malayalam music director,M. Jayachandran, for the 2010 film,Kadaksham.[15]
Raaga : Kaapi, Thaala: Aadi thala
A study on the literary contributions of poet K C Kesava Pillai
documentary
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