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Swathi Thirunal

A proud icon of Kerala’s music

As is well known, 1760-1850s was really a special period in the history of Carnatic music. Beside Kaveri river we had the three suns shining together bringing up the high noon of Carnatic music. Towards the end of the period, farther down south, beside the Karamana river in Thiruvananthapuram, the Swathi star appeared, shining brightly but briefly. Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma (1813-1846) was a great ruler of Travancore, present southern part of the state of Kerala. Swathi Thirunal is today Kerala’s most proud icon of music tradition in general and carnatic music tradition in particular. In a short life span of 33 years, he composed over 300 songs in Sanskrit, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Telugu. He attracted artists, scholars and rare talents like a magnet. He also ushered in modernity through establishing an observatory, an English school, a hospital, a Govt press etc. The first publication of his songs was done in 1853, and it is the first printed book of songs in Carnatic music.

The Leadership

Shri. Pinarayi Vijayan

Chief Minister of Kerala

Shri. Saji Cherian

Minister for Cultural Affairs

Dr. Rajan N. Khobragade IAS

Additional Chief Secretary, Cultural Affairs

Shri. Pinarayi Vijayan

Chief Minister of Kerala

Testimonials

Prof. Achuthsankar S. Nair

Prof. Achuthsankar S. Nair

Researcher on Swathi Thirunal and former Director of C-DIT

Swathi Thirunal was a poet, musician, composer, patron of arts, modernist, administrator, nationalist and a great human being. He was a contemporary of the trinity from Kerala, who through his own music and royal patronage, established Carnatic music in Kerala. ...Read More
Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon

Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon

Historian & former Registrar, University of Kerala

He [Swathi Thirunal] read a chapter of Malcolm’s Central India; the Governor-general’s Persian Letter ... a passage in Sanskrit; another in Malayalam, and seemed equally clever at each. ...Read More
Shri. Maneksh P.S.

Shri. Maneksh P.S.

Secretary, Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan

Swathi Thirunal (1813-1847) is Kerala's greatest contribution to the world of music, which knows no boundaries or languages. He was a genius who brought music into the realm of modern sensibilities during a time when Kerala was transitioning into the modern era. ...Read More

" This is a Thaanam performed on the violin in Raaga Bihag. The distinctive feature of Raaga Bihag here is that Swathi Thirunal was the first to compose a keerthan in this raaga in South India — the reason this Thaanam has been chosen as the BGM for this website. "Smara Janaka Subha Charita..." is a famous composition composed by Swathi Thirunal in the Raaga Bihag."