Queens of Travancore and Mysore  

Champions for Universal Education and 

Immunisation against Smallpox

Health and education are important markers of progress in any society. Two specific goals that independent India aimed for were universal immunisation against Smallpox and universal education. Both these issues were on the radar of many rulers and the British Indian government before 1947 too. 

Today India sees mixed results - the efforts for universal immunisation and the eradication of Smallpox in 1975 have seen resounding success. Universal education has also made great strides - more than 90% of urban children and more than 85% of rural children go to school. However, we have a way to go before every child in India goes to school and every adult is literate. 

Efforts at smallpox immunisation by vaccination and universal education were given a fillip by the pioneering Queens of Travancore and Mysore in pre-independent India. 

   

Gowri Parvati Bayi of Travancore

Uthrittathi Thirunal Gowri Parvati Bayi (1802-1853 CE) was ruler of the state of Travancore in the years 1815 -1829. 

Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Travancore

Travancore followed the matrilineal system of succession in which the eldest daughter of the family was the ruler, with executive powers being with her son. Gowri Parvati Bayi was only 13 years of age at the time of her ascension to the throne but had the counsels of her brother-in-law and her husband to manage the affairs of the state.

Kowdiar Palace of Travancore

Gowri Parvati Bayi’s reign is known for the several pathbreaking reforms that she carried out in the territory of Travancore. Two among them are universal education and vaccination.

Universal education was introduced in Travancore by Royal Rescript on June 17, 1817. Gowri Parvati Bayi was just 15 years of age at the time. This decree had far-reaching effects on the education system in the kingdom, whose impact is still being felt more than two centuries later. 

Today the present state of Kerala (of which Travancore became a part after State Reorganisation on November 1, 1956) has achieved near 100% literacy, an achievement no other state in India has been able to match.

State funding for education in the State of Travancore

The Travancore Royal Rescript was the first ever attempt in the world to provide complete state funding for education. 

The concept of universal education was novel in 1817, with very few governments ensuring that their citizens - regardless of gender and economic standing - were educated. This was due to several reasons. One, education was simply not considered a priority. Two, many kingdoms did not have the resources to ensure universal education. Three, the British who ruled over large sections of the Indian mainland were only interested in providing just enough education to ensure workers who were Indian by race but British in their thinking, in order to further their own colonial agenda.   

The rescript (decree) of 1817 on universal education issued by Gowri Parvati Bayi clearly states “The state should defray the entire cost of education of its people in order that there might be no backwardness in the spread of enlightenment among them, that by diffusion of education they might become better support and public servants and that the reputation of the state might be advanced thereby.”

The rescript decreed that every school would have two trained teachers paid by the state. 

Education in Kerala down the ages

The modern state of Kerala was founded after the amalgamation of the princely states of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar, after Indian Independence in 1947. 

In the Sangam Era (approximately 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD) the women of the areas that comprise the modern state of Kerala were well educated. In later times there was a drop in literacy due to a decrease in women’s status in society. 

It is to the credit of Gauri Parvati Bayi that the tide started to be reversed with sound state patronage for universal education.

Popularisation of vaccination

The second important reform, introduced by the earlier ruler Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, was of vaccination against Small Pox. It was the first ever large-scale public health measure to combat the historically dreaded disease. 

Gowri Parvati Bayi took it forward by introducing new initiatives and policies, avoiding coersion. 

She thus did not hesitate to introduce and take forward reforms that were revolutionary for the times, but were much-needed for the benefit of the population at large.

Three Queens of Mysore

The history of Smallpox vaccination in India

Edward Jenner discovered the smallpox vaccine in 1796 in England. Within six years the British tried to introduce inoculation in the areas in India governed by them.

 

However the task was not as easy as it seemed. They met with vigorous resistance which grew stronger as time went by. 

People resisted the idea of being injected with cowpox bacteria to build resistance and were unwilling to listen and be convinced with the scientific reasoning behind vaccination. 

They were also very wary of foreigners tampering with their health and introducing strange invasive processes such as vaccination.

The British were oppressors in all aspects of the people’s lives. Hence the distrust carried over to any and every measure that was proposed by the government. 

A native version of ‘vaccination’ was already in place in some parts of North India. The scabs taken from an infected person were first washed in the Ganga and placed on healthy people to develop Smallpox pustules. This was the non-invasive and well-known method, but not always effective. 

Another method of inoculation entailed extracting pustules and spots from recovered patients which were ground to dust and blown on the noses of people not yet infected. This process was called variolation.

This early vaccination process was arduous and involved painful lacerations, and of having to wait a week for a pustule to develop on the arm of the person to whom it had been transferred. Once it developed, the lymph from the arm of the infected person had to be dried to be transported in a sealed container for further vaccinations. Very often the smallpox germ being transported died due to heat, nullifying all the earlier effort.

The British effort to overcome vaccination resistance

The British, in turn, were determined to vaccinate the population because of several reasons. 

Firstly they wanted to prevent smallpox among the several Europeans who lived among the civilian populations in India. 

Secondly, they wanted to safeguard the working population in India so that the hugely lucrative British commercial enterprises which exported goods to England would not be impacted by smallpox epidemics.

Traditional caregivers were not convinced about vaccination and tried to discourage people. The British solved this problem by pensioning off many caregivers to reduce their influence.

The dilemma was how to convince people that vaccination was the way forward to battle the ancient scourge of smallpox. It was then that the British hit upon the idea of involving Indian royalty who were literally worshipped by their subjects. The reasoning was that if the rulers adopted vaccination, why would the general population not agree.

Vaccination in Mysore

Among the kingdoms generally amenable to the British was that of Mysore (now known as Mysuru) ruled by the Wodeyars.

Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Mysore

Devajammani was a young girl who had been betrothed to the crown prince Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (1794-1868CE). 

Involving royalty in the vaccination effort

The Mysore royalty was known to be scientific-minded and friendly with the British. Hence the kingdom of Mysore was considered to be an ideal testing ground for a countrywide vaccination programme. 

Around 1805 three women of the Wodeyar royal household were chosen to be the torchbearers of the vaccination effort. The king’s two wives, both named Devajammani, were a part of the effort. The third person was Lakshmiammani, another relative of the king.

Mysore Palace

A fillip to the vaccination effort

The effort was widely publicised. Inoculating the royalty of Mysuru gave confidence to people that the vaccine they would receive was effective, and worth taking due to the royal bloodlines of the persons from whom the pustules were taken.

Over time, this strategy worked safely without endangering life. It proved effective enough for the British to persuade other Indian royalty to also undergo inoculation themselves and influence their subjects.

At the time the Wodeyar royalty agreed to be inoculated, vaccination was still a nascent procedure, with equipment which was extremely rudimentary and primitive by today’s standards. It took courage to be among the earliest recipients ever of a procedure which had still not been completely tested. Yet these three women agreed to be pioneers and the early recipients of the vaccine, with no guarantee that it would not be fatal.

The impact today on these initiatives in India

These royal women from Travancore and Mysuru helped to take forward ideas and revolutionary procedures, bringing a sea-change in the public discourse on education and health. 

 

In 2023 India has made huge strides but has not yet achieved universal education. That goal is yet a couple of decades away. However, inoculation against Smallpox for the entire population nearing 1.38 billion is a massive success story. Smallpox was eradicated in India in 1975 and a very successful programme is in place today for regular immunisation at all age groups and across demographics.

Universal education and universal vaccination against smallpox started with a germ of what seemed like an impossible idea a couple of centuries back. Colonization kept India shackled, and its population at the mercy of epidemics and ignorance. 

A few intrepid women willing to walk new paths started the process of improved general health and education, transforming Indian society in many ways beyond recognition. 

Vengamamba

The poet who lived life on her own terms

7th August 2022 was the 205th death anniversary (vardanthi) of Tarigonda Vengamamba as per the Hindu calendar, commemorated simultaneously at Tirumala, Tirupati and at her birthplace Tarigonda. Remembrance of a person after centuries is only for a select few - either for those who have left behind a legacy of having done good, or for their notoriety.

Vengamamba is of the first category.

Vengamamba’s life (20 April 1730 – 21 August 1817) was one of personal hardship and deep devotion to her chosen deity Venkateswara, which took the form of worship at temples, offering free food to pilgrims and composing operas and songs that are still performed today. Vengamamba’s life is celebrated even now for her literary output and the life of devotion that she led. She wrote poetry in the Dwipada Kavyam style, as well as operas to be performed in Yakshagana. 

Tarigonda Vengamamba

India Post, Government of India, 

GODL-India <https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf>, 

via Wikimedia Commons

Her early years - an indication of things to come

Vengamamba was a much longed-for daughter born to her parents after six sons. She was named Venkamma since she was a prayer answered by Lord Venkateswara of Tirupathi in Chittoor district of Telangana.

Even as a child she would spend long hours in prayer and contemplation at her village temple. She was unusual for her age, sitting apart immersed in composing verse instead of playing with friends.

Such uncommon behaviour in one so young, and the fact that she thought of Lord Venkateswara as her husband led the villagers to call her ‘mad’. These attitudes were unfortunately only early indicators of how she would be viewed throughout her life - with unfairness and persecution. 

Her father realised that his daughter’s precocious talent for writing and composing needed nurturing so he approached the renowned philosopher Subramanya Desika to be her guru. The teacher was thrilled to have such rare talent to mentor, and took up her education in right earnest. As her education intensified and her writing talent was honed her fame spread quickly. 

It was now time as per custom for Vengamamba to be married, but her beauty and intelligence drove away many suitors. When she did get married at an early age her young husband died soon after. 

This was a huge tragedy for any young woman of the time and, usually, Vengamamba would have had to adopt the dress and customs deemed fit for widows. She however absolutely did not agree to conform and to dress as a widow in plain clothes, without jewellery and the other accoutrements of a traditional married woman. 

In her mind she was much married…..to God. 

As she continue to dress and behave as a married woman, societal opposition to her only grew.

Education, education, education - her escape from a limited life

Vengamamba learnt Yoga from her guru Subramanya Shastri, and became proficient in it. Even while she was still living in Tarigonda, and with the encouragement of her guru, Vengamamba composed poetry and Yakshagana. Her first composition was Tarigonda Nrusimha Satakam. Following this she wrote these works for Yakshagana -  Narasimha Vilasa Katha, Siva Natakam and Balakrishna Natakam - and Rajayogamrutha Saram, a Dwipada Kavyam.

All through she continued to face the ire and jealousy of the local priest. Finally, unable to tolerate the priest’s behaviour, she left Tarigonda at the age of 20 and moved to Tirupathi. 

The lone traveller

Her journey to Tirupati as a lone young woman could not have been easy in those days. There were no facilities for travellers en route. She travelled nearly 100 kilometers on the  journey, crossing dense forests and climbing the hill of an elevation of more than 950 meters to finally reach the temple of Venkateswara.

This is the journey that must have brought home to her the difficulties faced by travellers and pilgrims all the time. It gave her a perspective on how to reduce this hardship in a practical manner by offering free food to devotees. 

At the time she reached the temple her compositions had preceded her and had made her famous. She was welcomed by the temple authorities, and also by the family of the famed composer Annamacharya.

Taking a stand against oppression

Some time later, an incident in Tirumala forced her to leave for Tumburakona in the Seshachalam hills, a little more than 250 kms away. There she observed penance for six years in a cave now named Tarigonda Vengamamba Gavi and also composed many of her Yakshagana operas. 

Over time the priests at Tirumala realised their folly and invited Vengamamba back. The practice now of ‘Muthyala Harathi’, aarati with pearls, as the last ritual of the day during Ekantha Seva at Tirumala dates back to this time. During this daily Seva Vengamamba was given the privilege of reciting her verses before the Lord.   

Her seva for devotees continues today

Vengamamba pioneered the idea of distributing free food at the Srivari temple at Tirumala which was situated amidst dense forest at the time. She made food and water available there every year for 10 days during the festival of Sri Narasimha Jayanthi.  

Today unlimited and free food is available for pilgrims on all days  at the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Anna Prasadam Centre near the Tirumala main temple. Such has been the impact of Vengamamba’s social work centuries later.

Vengamamba continued to write and compose kavya (poetry) and Yakshagana (opera) on themes from the Puranas. Her most famous opera is Venkatachalam Mahatyam which consists of nearly 2000 poems. 

About Yakshagana

Although now Yakshagana is popularly known in South Karnataka, the art form has had a long history in Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil speaking areas.

Yakshagana is a performance art that includes music, dance and drama. It has particular costumes, usually explores themes from the Puranas (The Ramayana and The Mahabharata) and is wholly based on the Natya Shastra, the ancient treatise on performance arts written by Bharata in about the 2nd century BC.

Yakshagana has been a prevalent art form since the times of the Satavahanas (100 BCE to 2nd CE). While many other theatre arts modified and evolved to be today’s classical arts, Yakshagana retained its popular touch and rural flavour. It has remained accessible to the common person although rooted in the same origin as all Indian performance art forms. 

In Telugu speaking lands where Vengamamba lived, Yakshagana took inspiration from Telugu literature and current events. As such, Telugu Yakshagana is considered to be a treasure trove on history, culture and society. It took wing during the medieval period Bhakthi Movement and formed a way for even the poor and uneducated to take part and perform this art form. Chindu Yakshaganam, a form performed in Telangana has always been open to women performers, which has not been the case with Yakshagana from other places. 

Yakshagana formed a channel for people to vent against feudal and oppressive rulers down the ages with the choice of themes readily available in the Puranas.

In such a milieu, Vengamamba’s operas were also an important resource for not just people’s entertainment but also for spiritual solace and secular knowledge. 

Venkamamba’s works

Vengamamba’s works are poetry and Yakshagana operas. Some of her compositions are Srikrishna Manjari, Rukmini Kalyanam, Gopika Natakam, Jalakreeda Vilasam, Vashishtha Ramayanam and Ashtaanga Rajayogasaaram among several more. 

For all her achievements, Vengamamba always played down her work. She claimed she was untaught and unworthy of composing great poetry. 

Venkamamba’s legacy today

Her devotion to Venkateswara at Tirupati is acknowledged and celebrated to this day. During the nightly Ekantha Seva for the Lord her name is included as a devotee during the service. Her descendant continues to contribute towards this service in her beloved temple. 

The TTD (Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam) has begun to encourage and popularize Vengamamba’s works by sponsoring the training and the performance of her Yakshagana compositions. The compositions were fading away due to not being discussed and researched among experts nor being performed for the general audience. This move by the TTD is a much-needed effort to keep Vengamamba’s works alive and relevant. 

References -

https://www.tirumalahills.org/2021/08/matrusri-tarigonda-vengamamba-tarigonda.html

 Indian Women on Venus

Here's something interesting I had not been aware of previously - many features on the planet Venus are named for women. 

This in itself is not surprising, and is really quite apt. Venus is, after all, the Roman goddess associated with love, beauty, prosperity and victory. She was a very popular deity in the Roman pantheon.  

Venusian features are named after women achievers from all over the world, both mythological and real. This convention was begun by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

The only exceptions to this are features which were named before the convention began.

The naming convention

The features named on Venus include chasms, craters, mountains, plains, valleys, and other natural elements. 

Large craters are named for real women from the world over, smaller ones have generic female names. 

Chasms and high plains are named after goddesses from Aztec, Roman and Mayan civilizations among others.

The India Connection

Deepa is a small crater on Venus with a generic popular name for Indian girls.  

Indian women who have had features on Venus named after them are Jerusha Jhirad, Anandi Gopal Joshi and Pandita Ramabai Medhavi.

Jerusha Jhirad  1891-1984. Among the first gynaecologists in India. The Venusian crater is Jhirad.

Anandi Gopal Joshi  1865-1887. First female physician in India. The crater on Venus is Joshee.

Anandi Gopal Joshi
Dall, Caroline Wells Healey, 1822-1912, 
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Anandi Joshi was the first Indian woman to obtain a medical degree. She received it from Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP), which is now called Drexel University College of Medicine. She graduated with high honours but succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of 21 without having had the chance to practice medicine. She made tremendous personal sacrifices to overcome gender prejudice to study abroad.

Pandita Ramabai Medhavi  1858-1922. The crater named after her is Medhavi.

Pandita Ramabai was a social reformer who stood against child marriage, the caste system and for women’s education. She was among the 10 women delegates to the fifth Indian National Congress annual session of 1889. She was a passionate advocate for women teachers and women doctors, which had a positive impact on allowing women in medical education.

Pandita Ramabai
India Post, Government of India, GODL-India
<https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf>, 
via Wikimedia Commons

She received the coveted title of Pandita at the age of just 20. She spoke out against the societal ills of ill-treatment of widows. 

Ramabai travelled to Britain in 1883 to study Medicine, but could not continue due to progressive deafness. She however proudly attended the graduation ceremony of Anandi Gopal Joshi at Women’s Medical College, Pennsylvania. 

Pandita Ramabai was proficient in 7 languages and wrote poetry. She founded the Arya Mahila Samaj to ‘empower and educate women to lead a dignified life’. Ramabai translated the Bible into Marathi from Hebrew and Greek.

Ka Phan Nonglait - Freedom fighter from Meghalaya

 Ka Phan Nonglait

Freedom fighter from the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya

Background 

In 1826 the British had control over the Brahmaputra valley in Asom (Assam). Earlier they had captured the Surma valley in Bengal. Now they wanted to connect the two, only possible through the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya which had a very conducive climate for a sanatorium where the sick could recuperate. The road would also save travel time. 

The British approached one of the chiefs in the Khasi Hills, U Tirot Sing, to facilitate road construction through his territory. He was assured complete control over the area so that trade could flourish there. He was also interested in regaining the dooars or passes in the Himalayan foothills in exchange for the permission.

After the road construction began, a rival chief objected to U Tirot Sing’s claim over the dooars, confident that the British would support his claim. Instead he was confronted by British sepoys. 

When news came to U Tirot Sing that the British were amassing troops in Asom, the Khasi Council convened and ordered the British to leave Nongkhlaw. When this was not done the Khasi attacked on 4 April 1829. 

Two British officers were killed in this operation and the British immediately retalitated against the Khasi.

The Anglo-Khasi War lasted for 4 years. The Khasi lacked modern firearms and fought with bows, arrows and swords. When it became obvious these were no match for British firearms, the Khasi resorted to guerilla warfare and were undefeated for 4 years.

Phan Nonglait Falls, Nongrmai, Meghalaya

(Arijitabani, Wikimapia)

Ka Phan Nonglait’s exploits

When British soldiers started to move out of Moirang village and headed for Nongkhlaw, Phan Nonglait set a trap for them with the help of soldiers of Tirot Sing at Langatlehrim. Due to the heat it was but natural that the British soldiers would rest near a milky-white waterfall on the route. This cascade is named Phan Nonglait Falls today. Phan Nonglait made the soldiers of Tirot Sing wait in the shadows nearby.

She made arrangements to provide the British soldiers who rested at the waterfall with cooling drinks to catch them unawares. As they relaxed in the cool environs of the falls Phan Nonglait had her people quietly take away all the weapons of the British soldiers and throw them into a rock hole in the waterfall. Unable to retrieve their weapons the British soldiers could not put up a fight against U Tirot Sing’s men and were easily captured.

The desire for freedom

When the Khasi were facing overwhelming odds with imbalance in technology with the arms they used, they used their native knowledge of local areas and a desire for freedom to keep up the fight for four long years.

Today a park in Shillong has been renamed Phan Nonglait Park in honour of the first Khasi woman who revolted against the British. 

Ref.

https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/phan-nonglait-the-first-khasi-freedom-fighter/

Veena Dhanammal 

Her music transcended all barriers

Veena Dhanammal, also known as Dhanam (1867-1938) is considered the most influential musician of the early 20th century.  Dhanam played the Saraswati Veena to her own exacting standards and set the benchmark for her style - of a melody of alluring, unhurried notes, for proficiency in her artform and for her conduct as a performing artist.

She was a household name in her heydays, much respected for her art and had a career that lasted almost sixty years which is remarkable by all standards. Her’s was a lyrical style of playing known for its simplicity, not of a flashy display of virtuosity. The song forms called pada and javali that she specialised in were also part of dance performances. Dhanammal was able to express the essence of the raga in a succinct and subtle manner, without being too vigorous or fast.

Dhanammal was born in Chennai (earlier, Madras). Her main source of inspiration, and the one who took her musical education in hand, was her grandmother Kamakshi Ammal. She ensured that Dhanam learnt from the best teachers and did not lack for anything that helped in taking her musical education forward.

Veenai Dhanammal, India Post 2010

Dhanammal and her milieu

George Town in Chennai where Dhanam chose to live was buzzing with musicians, scholars and patrons in the late 19th century. Her house saw three generations of artistes in her family live and practice their art for which they became justly famous. Her renowned weekly concerts were also held here. 

Chennai itself was seeing an increase in the number of sabhas and performance spaces for music and Harikatha sessions at this time. Harikatha is a composite art form composed of storytelling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Rich merchants built temples and employed musicians and dancers to perform there. Live bands and orchestras played in public spaces and on special occasions. The Madras of Dhanam’s time was a very happening place. 

And then there were the devadasis who lent colour and energy to the city. These proficient dancers and singers were known for their repertoire of dance and music, their learning and prowess on stage. Pre-eminent among them was Veena Dhanammal. She commanded clout and respect in this large group of artistes. 

Musical lineage for generations

Dhanam’s music was the authentic classical tradition that had evolved over the centuries. So much so that even as she carried forward the legacy of five generations of her ancestors who were musicians and artistes, she ensured the heritage was preserved and enhanced to the same high standards by her descendants. 

Dhanam’s earliest known ancestor is Papammal who lived in the 18th century. Her daughter Rukmini had a daughter named Thanjavur Kamakshi who was famous as a musician at the court. After the British annexed Thanjavur in 1856 Kamakshiammal moved to Chennai. She was Dhanammal’s grandmother, and a student of Subbaraya Shastri a son and student of the great Shyama Shastri - one of the pre-eminent composer trinity of Carnatic music which includes Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar. Dhanam’s mother Sundarambal, in turn, learnt music from Annaswamy Shastri, Subbaraya Shastri’s son.

The house in George Town was where Dhanam’s grandchildren took their first steps in music and dance - T Brinda and T Mukta the eminent Carnatic vocalists, T Balasaraswati in Bharata Natyam, Abhiramasundari the violinist, T Shankaran the writer, scholar and historian, T Vishwanathan with the flute and T Ranganathan with the mridangam. By all accounts the thirst for the arts continues in the current generation too.

It is indeed very rare for several generations of one family to reach the pinnacle of the art form they practise. Dhanam’s family has shown that such mastery is possible with proper nurturing, the proper atmosphere to imbibe and by learning with good teachers. As the matriarch of the family, Dhanam ensured that the treasure left with her by her foremothers found its moorings with the generations ahead.

Dhanam’s musical inheritance

Dhanam learnt to play the Veena from the age of ten. She took to the veena instead of dance on the suggestion of her uncle. She also sang for her sister Rupavati’s dance performances and performed with her grandmother Kamakshi.

Dhanam inherited a rich legacy of vast learning, including Shyama Shastry’s compositions, from her grandmother and mother. Her first vocal music teacher was her grandmother and later Shatanur Panchanada Iyer who taught her the entire corpus of Tyagaraja’s compositions. His guru in turn was a direct disciple of Muthuswamy Dikshitar so Dhanam received those works too into her repertoire. As a result of these influences her style of music represented all these three important composers. 

Then she became a student of the blind singer Baladas who was an expert on the compositions of Kshetrayya known as padam. Dhanam helped preserve and transmit the tradition of padam through her own concerts and the dance and music of her descendants. Dhanam’s repertoire also included original compositions that contemporary composers wished her to play to perpetuate their work, and their interpretations of classics.

Dhanam the teacher

Dhanam taught music to all her four daughters and it was a proper guru-shishya relationship with no leniency. They were expected to pay her for the classes as soon as they started earning to inculcate the habit of proper preparation for each class, to respect the learning and not to waste the resources of finance and time. It encouraged professionalism and maintained the standard for the arts in the family. Dhanam’s four daughters would sometimes perform in duos as the ‘Dhanam Sisters’. 

One student from outside the family Dhanam taught passionately was her favourite pupil, Saravanam. Listening to both of them play the Veena together has been described as ‘a profound experience’ by family members. The bond they shared was unique. When Saravanam tragically died in childbirth, Dhanam did not accept another student for a long time.

Dhanam the musician

Dhanam was demanding about the atmosphere in the room as she prepared to play. Absolute silence was necessary as was perfect tuning or shruti. She would never start without these in place.

With the traditional reliance on memory and not written notations, Dhanam’s routine of training and daily practice was exacting. As a result, she knew not only her music inside out but also the subtleties associated with performing each composition such that she was able to play it at will, even after a great lapse of time. Later in life she became blind but Dhanam was always well prepared for her weekly concerts at home having a repertoire of over one thousand compositions.

Dhanam was fluent and able to understand the subtleties of poetry in six languages - Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada, Marathi and Hindi.

She regularly performed for the raja of Vizianagaram at his palace and at private performances for the Gaikwad of Baroda, the Maharajas of Travancore and Mysore and the musical giants of the era.

Learning  to cope with change 

Technology

Dhanam’s career was ending when recording devices such as the gramophone began to be first used in India in the early 20th century. Hence there are not many samples of her performances and veena recitals for us today. We instead have the written accounts of her contemporary musicians, and reviews by knowledgeable members of the audience. For a majority of Dhanam’s musical career the equipment for sound at concerts and the output was still rudimentary. 

Given the technology at the time Dhanam believed the veena was an instrument for chamber music. Also that a veena recital did not require any accompaniments.

Society

Dhanammal’s style and lineage are important elements of the changes that Carnatic music was undergoing in the early part of the 20th century. She was at the cusp where the old order was yielding to the new - audience tastes were evolving, the devadasi system that was Dhanam’s milieu was fading away and artistes had to look for patronage from non-traditional avenues, not royal courts nor the wealthy connoisseur or rasika.  

Thus Dhanam performed privately in concerts in the homes of Chennai’s elite and mercantile classes apart from public concerts in sabha or halls. It is believed that in 1895 Dhanammal was the first female musician to perform in a public hall in Madras.

Dhanam the person

Dhanammal’s love of life and sense of humour is the stuff of legend. She is remembered for her uncompromising stance on her music, her love for betel leaf and her wit. Her aristocratic lifestyle and her refined manner of interacting with visitors set her apart. She used the best of perfumes and clothes, was a connoisseur of the best fruits of the season.

Dhanam was famed for her Friday evening concerts amidst Jasmine plants at her home in Ramakrishna Chetty Street in Chennai. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan of the Kirana gharana was one in the audience whenever he was in Chennai. Dhanam would sing as she played the veena. The audience was a mix of vidwans, connoisseurs, people completely new to music and others who just happened to stop by. Dhanam played for two hours, and each week the songs were different. 

Her requirement from the audience was absolute pindrop silence all through the programme, and the patience to sit until the end. Even the slightest noise from outside would make her stop the concert, so her street was cordoned off to tradesmen, and neighbours learnt to ensure no kitchen noises during the time. Members of her audience would rather miss the last train at 8 pm from her area and be ready for the inconvenience, than leave the concert midway and incur Dhanam’s displeasure.  

The room on the first floor of her house seated about 15-20 people and would be packed each week. Dhanam had unfortunately become quite impoverished in her old age due to heavy spending, and was virtually blind in the later years of her life, but the concerts continued. 

She was always open to teaching whoever wished to learn - and her list of such visitors is filled with legendary names from the spheres of Carnatic and Hindustani music - Bangalore Nagarathnamma, Gauhar Jan, and many more.  

Dhanam’s last public performance, sponsored by the Madras Music Academy was on 28 December, 1937. Dhanammal died on 15 October 1938. Even as she lay dying she told her family that her one regret at the moment was of parting with her beloved veena.

As distinguished novelist and journalist R Krishnamurthy, also more famously known as Kalki, said ‘The name Dhanam means ‘auspicious’ and ‘wealth’. There are two different types of wealth: first, the wealth of learning; second, material wealth. Dhanammal has none of the second but all of the first. She is an aged blind lady, there’s a quaver in her voice. But true musicians still go to her house in Georgetown.’ - Ananda Vikatan, August 20, 1933.

References:

1. Veena Dhanammal - The Making of a Legend by Lakshmi Subramanian

2. http://www.madrasmusings.com/vol-29-no-18/lost-landmark-of-chennai/

3. Legacy of Veena Dhanammal - In conversation with Ritha Rajan, www.sahapedia.org 

4. Unfinished Gestures - Devadasis, Memory and Modernity in South India, Davesh Soneji

5. Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life, Douglas M.Knight Jr.