INDIA, April 29, 2025 (The Hindu): It’s 3:45am, and there’s a chill in the air. In the tender light of the morning, students line up for their daily schedule — practicing the nagaswaram and thavil in the Then Tirupati Lord Srinivasa temple in Jadayampalayam, near Mettupalayam. Till 6:30am, the temple echoes with the sounds of the instruments. These are students of the Then Tirupati Nagaswara and Thavil school, set up in 2008, seven years after the temple was built and consecrated as part of the prayer complex of the KG group of industries, Coimbatore. Says K.G. Baalakrishnan, chairman, KG Fabriks and founder of the school, “When the idea of doing something to foster art and culture came up, I decided to establish a nagaswaram and thavil school, because of the close connection of the instruments with temples.” Initially, only nagaswaram was taught. In 2010, thavil classes began. “Students are given free boarding and lodging, and a monthly allowance of US$11.80,” says Seshadri Bhattar, Principal of the school.

Pandanallur Subash has been teaching the thavil at the school since inception. He is the paternal grandson of vidwan Pandanalllur Rathinam Pillai. “I first learnt thavil from my father’s guru Pandanallur Vaidyanatha Pillai and later from my father Pandanallur Muthappan, Thiruppangur Govindaraja Pillai and Thiruvalaputhur Kaliyamurthy. I picked up a lot from Thirunageswaram T.R Subramania Pillai as well,” says Subhash. He was in Singapore and Canada before moving to this school. Currently, 32 thavil and 14 nagaswara Students learn at the school. They begin the day practising in the Srinivasa temple from 4:00am to 6:30am. They attend classes from 9:30am to 4:30 pm, with a short break for lunch. From 6:00pm, they resume sadhakam at the temple. The students play during utsavas at the temple. During the Purattasi Brahmotsava, three well-known nagaswaram and thavil vidwans play in the temple, in addition to the two resident teachers. Senior students take turns to play along with them. “This helps hone their skills,” says Subash.

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/how-a-temple-turned-into-a-nagaswaram-and-thavil-school/article69504377.ece

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