Musings on Music
a handy music diary for writing notation by S.Rajam
Text by S.Rajam, Text assisted by "Garland" Rajagopalan, Illustration by S.Rajam
Composers
BHADRACHALA
RAMADASA - Composer: (1620-1680)
Religious bent of mind from boyhood.
Was Tahsildar at Bhadrachalam & he rebuilt the temple of Rama. Was
incarcerated at Golkonda. Divine will got his release. Exquisite songs
of Ramadasa are popular. He was the 'Mulapurusha' of harikatha sampradaya.
Ramadas was the son of Linganna
& Kadamba ( sister of Madanna, a brahmin minister to TaniShah). His
real name was Gopanna. His native place as seen from one of his own stotras,
was a place called Nelakondapalli. his guru was Raghunatha Bhattacharya.
His whole family was devoted to Bhakthi. Ramadas too sread bhakthi through
his bhajans & festivals and was soon reduced to poverty. His uncle
Madanna arranged for him to be the Tahsildar of Bhadrachalam. Initially,
Ramadas forwarded the revenue of his division promptly. In his craving
to renovate the Rama shrine, he started spending the collections towards
the decoration of Rama & repair to the temples and surroundings &
was soon put in prison for his deeds. In spite of all the sufferings he
underwent in prison, his strong feeling that Rama was always by his side,
kept him going and the songs that he sang in prison, reveal his ultimate
faith & love for Rama.
Rama & Lakshmana in the guise
of employees paid up his dues. TaniShah had the darshan of Rama too along
with Ramadas. Ramadas has created the whole Ramayana story in the form
of prose- poem, a Choornika. His mudra was Ramadas.
From Musings on Music - a handy
music diary for writing notation by S.Rajam
Text by S.Rajam, Text assisted
by "Garland" Rajagopalan, Illustration by S.Rajam
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