Sabhanayaka: M. Krishnamurthy

Parthasarathy Swami Sabha

A meeting with Sri. M Krishnamurthy, Secretary since 1988 threw a lot of light on the history of a sabha that has stood the test of time and ranks among not only the oldest but also the most prestigious sabhas of Chennai. Culling through the souvenirs over the last 100 years he was able to share its evolution to its present day eminence.

Parthasarathy Swami Sabha is the oldest sabha in South India and is the first of its kind, making an auspicious start in the hallowed Thiru-alli-keni or Triplicane which is one of the most ancient villages that became part of modern Madras. The earliest records of Triplicane are enveloped in the cloak of antiquity. Lord Parthasarathy, the presiding deity of its 5th-6th century Pallava temple is said to have appeared here with his family in response to the prayers of King Thondaiman. A neighbourhood like this has much to be proud of. It was home to the great mathematician Ramanujan and the spirited nationalist poet Subramanya Bharati. As it was the first suburban village to be acquired by the British, it was also the home of many colonial servants.

Today the sabha as an organisation is taken for granted but the trendsetter was the Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. The moving force behind this sabha was Manni Thirumalachariar, a prominent and respected member of the prosperous Mandyam community. Thirumalachariar felt the need for an association to conduct bhajans and Harikatha regularly for the local community. The neighbours on the street enthusiastically supported him and the sabha, named after the presiding deity began its activities in the hall of the “Blue House” on Gate East Tank Square with a membership of 50.

The sabha had no permanent premises for a very long time and the open terrace of a house in TP Koil street became the venue for some time. Support gained momentum and the need for a larger premises made the sabha turn to the two big schools in the area-the Hindu School where “kutcheries” could be held and the open air auditorium of the NKT school that was the right choice for dance and drama.

It was not until 60 years after its humble beginnings that the sabha acquired the property in Triplicane. Ironically this vacant land was a “Karmandra Thotam”, a place to perform the last rites. The president Sri. Ramanujam faced a lot of opposition and put forth the argument that a snake temple on the land sanctified the area and was thus able to get the clearance from them.

Some more years went by as funds had to be raised and finally in 1962 the open air theatre consisting of the stage, a ticket hall, canteen and basic utilities was declared open by Maharaja Fatehsingh Gaekwad. Periodic improvements were made possible by the untiring efforts of fund raising committees, the services of architect Sri. K. N. Srinivasan, a Government of India grant and the contributions of philanthropists of the city. It was rated as one of the biggest and finest in the city. The services of Sri Nalli Kuppuswami Chetty are commendable and the glory of the sabha was restored by him. Sri Kuppauwami Chetty was the chairman for the 91st year celebration committee.

Reading the history of the sabha makes it apparent that the going was not easy though it fulfilled its aim to provide the lower and middle class inhabitants of Triplicane the best of programmes from the top talent at the time. In spite of the paucity of funds the sabha kept its subscription rates at the unbelievable figure of Rs. 5, 3 and 2 a month which barely covers the cost of the programme tickets mailed to the members. The present secretary Sri. Krishnamurthy says the trend continues and life membership is at Rs. 150!

The sabha’s history can be put into 3 different slots which is a reflection of the cultural trend in Madras at that time. The first two decades were devoted to Harikatha and Bhajans, the Twenties brought in classical singers and the Forties saw Tamil drama which had gained populzarity. T. Krishnaswami, one of the oldest members reminisced that the plays of Nawab Rajamanickam Pillai drew crowds from all over the city. “He camped on our grounds with 250 people and seven wagonloads of equipment and put up the play every night for 10 nights”, he said. The bias against women appearing on the stage was part of the traditional psyche and it was not until women artistes gained popularity that the members relented and Balasaraswati was the first woman dancer to perform. Kamala Laxman’s dance recital followed soon after.

Many of the Titans in the cultural field have had their first performances here. Many dramatic associations and dancers believe that it is auspicious to hold their first performance here. Ariyakudi and Vijayanthimala inaugurated their “Tiruppavai” music and dance recitals here. Padmini and Ragini gave their first Chennai performances here. Sri. Y. G. Parthasarathy recalled how he was “thrilled beyond imagination” when the then secretary asked him to stage his drama under the auspices of the sabha. Such was the charisma of the sabha that Sri. YGP says he was literally dancing excitedly before the show. The present chief Minister Dr. Jayalalithaa’s dance drama ”Kaveri Thantha Kalaichelvi” was also first staged here. Dr. R. S. Manohar considered this sabha so auspicious that he first staged many of his dramas in this sabha. Vidwan Madurai Somu said that his guru Sri. Chitoor Subramaniam Pillai had also given concerts here. He recalls that his guru had said that one Sri Kancheepuram Vayaprammam Sri K Subramania Pillai [Nayana Pillai] of his guru’s dynasty had also given concerts in this sabha.

The Platinum Jubilee celebrations, 80th year celebrations, Centenary celebrations have been marked off as very historic days in the cultural calendar of Chennai. In 1978 the sabha was adjudged by the Mylapore Academy as one of the best maintained auditoriums in the city and a certificate of Merit was awarded. One of the memorable moments in Sri. Krishnamurthy’s memory is the concert given by Sri. Semmangudi at the age of 92. 

A sabha that has members that are from middle and lower class families and are certainly not the elite still commands a vast amount of respect in the cultural world. Sri. S. Raghunathan, one of the past secretaries had this explanation. "It is the blessings of Lord Parthasarathy whose name we bear. Every year the idol of the lord is brought into the sabha on its way to Ekkadu Thangal in Saidapet. His presence gives sanctity to our sabha” .Cine artiste Major Sundararajan, who staged his plays here and worked enthusiastically for the welfare of the sabha is said to have remarked that it is not just faith that explains the popularity of the sabha. “The members of the Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha are a pefect barometer of public opinion. A play that succeeds here will succeed anywhere”, he declared. Y. G. Mahendra quipped once that “other sabhas have 200 cars outside and 200 people inside but Parthasarathy Swami sabha has 20 cars outside and 2000 people inside and each one is an active critic”.

The sabha has been honoured by all the doyens in the field of music, political figures like Sri. Madan Mohan Malaviya and its list of artistes and people associated with it reads like a page from Who’s Who. Sri CP Ramaswamy Aiyar , commending the work of the sabha jocularly remarked that it was rich in tradition, had a rich heritage and rich in everything except perhaps resources! It has overcome all the obstacles and even those dismal 10 years from 1980-1990 says Sri. Krishamurthy but has kept moving forward because of the tremendous support of its members and office bearers and, without any shadow of doubt, the munificence of Lord Parthasarathy Himself.

Geetha Iyengar

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