Thirupoonthuruthy Venkatesan is no more

Thirupoonthuruthy Venkatesan, who dedicated his life to the propagation of Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini, the longest dance-drama in Sanskrit written by Sri Narayana Tirtha, is no more. He was 83. The sincerity with which he organised the Jayanti and Aradhana of the saint was moving. His forefathers were conducting the aradhana of the saint and the mantle fell on Venkatesan, who took it to a different level by organising festivals and Tarangam competitions. A disciple of Alathur Srinivasan Venaktesan was a top-ranking artiste of AIR and Doordarshan, his concerts broadcast several times in a span of 50 years. Thanks to Venkatesan, musicians got acquainted with many of the hymns because it was mandatory that songs should not be repeated at the festivals that he conducted. Veterans considered it an honour and aspirants a blessing to perform at the Akhandam. The Taranga Vidyalaya in Thanjavur, run by the Thirupoonthuruthy Narayana Tirtha Aradhana Committee, trains hundreds of children in the rendition of the saint’s songs. Another accomplishment of Venkatesan was the memorial that the Committee raised for Tirtha at Tirupoonthuruthy, where the saint attained samadi. A guest house with amenities and prayer hall on the banks of the Cauvery was raised with funds he collected from philanthropists. The family parted with their ancestral house to complete the project.

Venkatesan enjoyed the support of eminent musicologists, including Dr. V. Raghavan and artistes such as M.S. Subbulakshmi and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. Srinivasa Iyer notated about 50 gitams of Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini, which was published by the Trust. Dr. Raghavan was one of the main architects of the Thirupoonthuruthy Sri Narayana Tirtha Aradhana Committee. K.J. Yesudas has been a trustee from the inception of the Trust and has given seven performances at Tirtha’s brindavanam. The sleepy village of Thirupponthuruthy would come alive during the Aradhana festival. The villagers would come with milk and cartloads of vegetables and fruits, which would be offered to Tirtha and distributed. It was, therefore, not surprising when a van full of villagers arrived at the crematorium on Sunday last to pay their respects.

Venkatesan’s family — wife Rajalakshmi, daughters Neela and Lakshmi — supported Venkatesan in all his efforts. Continuing his legacy would be the best tribute to the man, whose life revolved round Sri Narayana Tirtha.