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Singer Pithukuli Murugadas passes away

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Very soulful music in praise of Lord Muruga rendered by Shri Pithukuli Murugadas! He popularized Tamil kritis! I did not know that he lost his eye due to police high handedness when he participated in a Dharna against the British as part of our freedom struggle! May his soul rest in peace!

[h=1]Singer Pithukuli Murugadas passes away[/h]



PITHUKULI_jpg_2623468f.jpg


The Hindu
Singer Pithukuli Murugadas at an interview with The Hindu in Chennai.






[h=2]The devotional singer's style and his diction raised the bar for others in the field.[/h]
Pithukuli Murugadas, the devotional singer aged 95, died here on Tuesday. Murugadas was a writer, lyricist and music composer too.
The singer travelled extensively in the country and abroad and his songs on Krishna, particularly the compositions of Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer raised the bar for all other singers.
Born at Coimbatore on January 25, 1920, in a Brahmin family, Murugadas (Balasubramanian) learnt bhajans from his grandfather Gopalakrishna Bagavathar.
While participating in a freedom struggle in 1936, he was severely beaten up by police and lost vision in his left eye completely.
Murugadas, who started his musical career in 1947, has written and composed thousands of devotional songs and performed in Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the USA.
Brahmananda Paradesiyar, a saint, named him “Pithukuli” (a spiritual person) and Swami Ramadas, head of Aanandashram in Kanjangad in Kerala, added the title Murugadas meaning ‘the servant of Lord Muruga’
Be it Alaipayudhe Kanna or Aadadhu Asangadhu, his voice continues to find resonance with the public to this day. Murugadas was an expert in Tiruppugazh singing and cut a lot of records. He was known for his perfect pronunciation and diction.
Murugadas has many awards to his credit including the Kalaimamani from the Tamil Nadu government and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
(With inputs from PTI)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...kuli-murugadas-passes-away/article7886850.ece
 
I liked his ringing voice.

He commanded a huge following many years back.

But for the last so many years he had not been seen much in public.
 
Pithukuli Murugadas is from my native town Coimbatore.

I used to attend the Guru Pooja day at Sri Ramakrishna Vidhyalam at Perianaickenpalayam near our City (Coimbatore) every year. It used to be a grand function with Lectures, Music programs, exhibitions and free food etc. This must be in 1950s . On one such visit, after lunch suddenly a rich voice came from the loud speakers singing Bhajans. The crowds mostly of villagers rushed to the Pandal to listen this wonderful divine music. There on the dais was an young "Sanyasi" with a cooling glass with an yellow bandanna tied on this head singing bhajan to the accompaniment of his old harmonium played by himself. I am told his name was Pithukuli Murugadas. He kept every one mesmarised by his rich music. Later I came to know Sri Murugadas belong to Coimbatore and his name was Balasubramanian. My grandma told me that his parents were supplying good drinking water to Brahmin households in Coimbatore those days. He is very well known in the Tamil Speaking world for his rich bhajans.

He took us to the divine world of ecstasy by his music.He attracted common people by his rendering of Tirupugzh in chaste Tamil in his rich tenor voice.

I am sure Pithukuli Murugadas has realised his desire by passing away on Kanda Sashti day.

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
 
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P murugadas used to sport saffron. He had a large women following. He suddenly got married to some one who admired his music. It became a huge talking point.

His following dwindled after that.....
 
krish44 said:
P murugadas used to sport saffron. He had a large women following. He suddenly got married to some one who admired his music. It became a huge talking point.

His following dwindled after that.....
Click to expand...

I have met the couple in a Bhajan at a friend's house in the 70's when I was in my teens...His wife is also a very good singer..They complemented each other in the world of music pretty well
 
Sad news indeed. Listening to his songs closing your eyes gives always gives a feel that you have "sakshaat' Darshan of the diety. Highly gifted singer. vaccum created by his demise is difficult to be filled.
 
krish44 said:
P murugadas used to sport saffron. He had a large women following. He suddenly got married to some one who admired his music. It became a huge talking point.

His following dwindled after that.....
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This "sporting saffron" habit is a bane of hinduism, I will say. Most people try to do that thinking that it will project them as great religious or spiritually evolved beings; on the other extreme we have people who try to reduce their clothing to the bare minimum (like Ramana, some other swamijis, etc.,) to show that they are "realized" beings and have no worldly desires. The real truth is that all these physical bodies are made in the same way by nature and worldly (sensual) desires will be present in all such bodies, however much, efforts are put in hiding them. I have yet to see a swamiji who sports ordinary clothes like any ordinary man/woman!
 
I have yet to see a swamiji who sports ordinary clothes like any ordinary man/woman!
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If you wear Ordinary clothes like any ordinary man / women then you are no longer a Swami but an Aasami .
 
When I was working in Ammunition Factory between 1956 & 1966 ( in Poona/Kirkee, Murugadas did Bhajans & it was thrilling for the local people & Tamils lived then. One of the workers of the Factory had attended & we were at work in the factory the worker not only thanked me , but was repeatedly singing one line of the Bhajan " in Hindi. " Rama Nama Jap Chodfiya, par Jhute na Chhoda "
l never forgot the incident
A.Srinvasan( rishikesan)
 
Here is a request.:pray2:

When we are writing an obituary let us stick on to the Latin dictum "De mortuis nil nisi bonum. meaning "of the dead speak nothing except good", which advise us respect for the dead.
If need be the discussion on Saffron colour clothing can be taken as a separate thread

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
 
Brahmanyan said:
Here is a request.:pray2:

When we are writing an obituary let us stick on to the Latin dictum "De mortuis nil nisi bonum. meaning "of the dead speak nothing except good", which advise us respect for the dead.
If need be the discussion on Saffron colour clothing can be taken as a separate thread

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
Click to expand...
hi sir,

hats off...thanks for your comments....if somebody talk abt swamiji/safron color....a lot of unwanted discussions started...
 
This discussion will ultimately move in the direction of a politics since a political party has a close link with 'saffron'.
 
Dear Brahmanyan Sir,
You proved once again that you are a real senior! :pray2:

I have edited my post and request Yesmohan Sir to delete his post too.

Sorry for my comment on saffron color. :sad:
 
It is noble to not talk ill of the dead. But for that the dead should have done something noble to enable that.

Somebody misuses saffron and not live upto it while wearing it should we keep a discreet silence?.
 
Raji Ram said:
Dear Brahmanyan Sir,
You proved once again that you are a real senior! :pray2:

I have edited my post and request Yesmohan Sir to delete his post too.

Sorry for my comment on saffron color. :sad:
Click to expand...

Dear Mrs. Raji Ram,

I appreciate your immediate positive gesture to my request. Indeed it shows
your magnanimity in understanding the true purport of my message.
Thanks and warm regards,

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
 
yesmohan said:
Because they clad saffron on body but not on mind.
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One would understand the problems of old age ONLY when he / she gets old.

Sri. P.M. Das lived to a ripe old age of 95 years and was also visually impaired.

He definitely needed some one to take care of him. After a certain age a wife becomes a mother/ daughter/ sister / nurse/ aayah for a man.

She is not needed to satifsy his carnal desires- since there will be none.

As a wife a woman can assist a man more than she can as a nurse or a friend or a sister or a daughter.

Nothing ever happens without a purpose or reason.

A 95 year old is the same whether he is clad in white/ saffron/ black / blue or a riot of colors.

No one has the right to dissect a much respected person in the public in this manner... more so after his demise when he is not around to defend himself!

I know what the life of a 90+ year old person would be - by watching my mother and her brothers who lived past 92 years!

Such loose talks are likely to confer a famous title on Mr. yesmohan! :(
 
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Brahmanyan said:
Here is a request.:pray2:

When we are writing an obituary let us stick on to the Latin dictum "De mortuis nil nisi bonum. meaning "of the dead speak nothing except good", which advise us respect for the dead.
If need be the discussion on Saffron colour clothing can be taken as a separate thread

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
Click to expand...

As a request, I think we will all agree because it comes from one of our senior-most members. But talking of the Latin dictum which should be at least 2000 years old, I think we need not and should not be solely guided by such dicta. True, when a short speech is made on the occasion of interring the physical body we must scrupulously highlight whatever little good that was in the deceased person. But away from that spot and the bereaving family, an honest discussion of the pluses and minuses of the deceased person will be, in my view, a healthy trend for the present times.
 
sangom said:
As a request, I think we will all agree because it comes from one of our senior-most members
Click to expand...

Yes. I agree with this.

But talking of the Latin dictum which should be at least 2000 years old, I think we need not and should not be solely guided by such dicta. True, when a short speech is made on the occasion of interring the physical body we must scrupulously highlight whatever little good that was in the deceased person. But away from that spot and the bereaving family, an honest discussion of the pluses and minuses of the deceased person will be, in my view, a healthy trend for the present times.
Click to expand...

Yes. It is better to have a certain amount of healthy disrespect for the most respectable person too.

For instance, I somehow, can not appreciate the kind of brigaas that PM Das used to bring in in his singing. To me they sounded contrived/artificial and some how were affecting the otherwise smooth and natural flow of the music. Yes, he had a voice which was a gift from God and he sang only about God. I have my appreciation and respect for him but I am not able to give up my right to be critical of this particular aspect of his music.
 
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