04-29-2005, 03:02 PM
<b>Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar's Samadhi-A target of Administration's vandalism </b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Aneka Paadhabhivandanams to Periyava and Pujya Swamiji,
The Samadhi of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the most revered Trinity of the Carnatic Music, that includes Sri Thyagaraja Swami and Sri Shama Sastri; is situated at Ettayapuram, Tamil Nadu.
The Panchayat records of Ettayapuram reveal that the the land on which the Samadhi lies is classified as "Oorini Poramboke".
An effort was made, sometime ago, to re-classify the land to facilitate it to be a heritage site.
<b>A petition made to the Tehsildar and the local Revenue Department was dismissed by both the insensitive administrators.</b>
A review petition was made to the Land Commissioner, Chepauk, Chennai and this is pending before the Commissioner.
<b>Meanwhile, last week, the Tehsildar of Ettayapuram initiated moves to demolish the Samadhi as this is situate on the government Poramboke land.</b>
Immediately, our good friend and Vigil Public Forum's official, Sri Swaminathan (a practicing attorney at Madurai) moved the Madras High Court Bench at Madurai praying for relief from demolition of the Samadhi that should be rightly be preserved as a Heritage Site. The advocate on record is Shri Aravind Subramaniam. The petition was made in their personal capacity.
Hon'ble Justice D.Murugesan heard the brilliant petition of Shri Swaminathan two days ago and <b>granted relief from demolition</b>, pending the clearance of the Review petition before the Land Commission at Chennai.
The relief thus obtained is just temporary and there is an immediate need to focus attention on this heritage site, to save it from the administration's vandalism.
I pray to the lotus feet of both the Acharya and Pujya Swamiji that the options open to us would be to:
1. Bring this to the notice of the senior Carnatic Musicians and ask for their concerted action to preserve the Samadhi of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar.
2. Ask them to represent to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to declare it a memorial site and urge her for construction of a memorial for the revered composer. The fraternity of the Carnatic Musicians are best suited to make an appeal to the Chief Minister.
3. The musicians should be asked to initiate an annual Aradhana/festival on the lines of the one at Tiruvaiyaru held annually for Sri Thyagaraja Swami. This would enable the perpetuation of the memory of the great composer and ensure that there would not be any future adventure from the local administration.
4. I pray to Periyava and Pujya Swamiji for your guidance in this noble cause.
<b>The musicians who owe their lives and life styles to the compositions of this Trinity of Carnatic Music should come forward to protect the Samadhi of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar.</b> The need of the hour is for them to come together to ensure that the Samadhi of one of our most revered composers is preserved for posterity.
Should they fail to act, then the best of their rendering would ever remain "apaswara" to the devout Hindu ears.
Paadhabhivandanams to Acharya and Pujya Swamiji,
xyz
Chennai <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Aneka Paadhabhivandanams to Periyava and Pujya Swamiji,
The Samadhi of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the most revered Trinity of the Carnatic Music, that includes Sri Thyagaraja Swami and Sri Shama Sastri; is situated at Ettayapuram, Tamil Nadu.
The Panchayat records of Ettayapuram reveal that the the land on which the Samadhi lies is classified as "Oorini Poramboke".
An effort was made, sometime ago, to re-classify the land to facilitate it to be a heritage site.
<b>A petition made to the Tehsildar and the local Revenue Department was dismissed by both the insensitive administrators.</b>
A review petition was made to the Land Commissioner, Chepauk, Chennai and this is pending before the Commissioner.
<b>Meanwhile, last week, the Tehsildar of Ettayapuram initiated moves to demolish the Samadhi as this is situate on the government Poramboke land.</b>
Immediately, our good friend and Vigil Public Forum's official, Sri Swaminathan (a practicing attorney at Madurai) moved the Madras High Court Bench at Madurai praying for relief from demolition of the Samadhi that should be rightly be preserved as a Heritage Site. The advocate on record is Shri Aravind Subramaniam. The petition was made in their personal capacity.
Hon'ble Justice D.Murugesan heard the brilliant petition of Shri Swaminathan two days ago and <b>granted relief from demolition</b>, pending the clearance of the Review petition before the Land Commission at Chennai.
The relief thus obtained is just temporary and there is an immediate need to focus attention on this heritage site, to save it from the administration's vandalism.
I pray to the lotus feet of both the Acharya and Pujya Swamiji that the options open to us would be to:
1. Bring this to the notice of the senior Carnatic Musicians and ask for their concerted action to preserve the Samadhi of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar.
2. Ask them to represent to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to declare it a memorial site and urge her for construction of a memorial for the revered composer. The fraternity of the Carnatic Musicians are best suited to make an appeal to the Chief Minister.
3. The musicians should be asked to initiate an annual Aradhana/festival on the lines of the one at Tiruvaiyaru held annually for Sri Thyagaraja Swami. This would enable the perpetuation of the memory of the great composer and ensure that there would not be any future adventure from the local administration.
4. I pray to Periyava and Pujya Swamiji for your guidance in this noble cause.
<b>The musicians who owe their lives and life styles to the compositions of this Trinity of Carnatic Music should come forward to protect the Samadhi of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar.</b> The need of the hour is for them to come together to ensure that the Samadhi of one of our most revered composers is preserved for posterity.
Should they fail to act, then the best of their rendering would ever remain "apaswara" to the devout Hindu ears.
Paadhabhivandanams to Acharya and Pujya Swamiji,
xyz
Chennai <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->