Navam and the Karnatak Group Krtis

DETAILS : 

• Author : N.K. Padma 
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanishka Publishers Distributors
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 January 2002
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English, Sanskrit
  
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 283 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8173914494
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8173914492
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 550 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

Navam and the Kaṛṇāṭak Group Kṛtis, co-authored by the pioneering musicologists and classical vocalists Dr. Leela Omchery and Dr. N. K. Padma, is a highly specialized musicological treatise and structured manual on the structural architecture of South Indian classical music. Published by Kanishka Publishers in 2002, this academic text serves as an essential core curriculum reference for postgraduate music students, research scholars, and advanced practitioners across South Asian universities. The core philosophy of this text centers on theosophical structural aesthetics—proving that the number nine (Navam) serves as a divine mathematical and spiritual compass governing the thematic organization, modal selection, and compositional metrics of Carnatic Samudaya Kritis (group compositions).

The book is structured as a continuous, deep diagnostic exploration, moving past general performance overviews to focus directly on the hidden compositional dynamics within traditional classical repertoires. The authors deliver a detailed, unbroken prose narrative that analyzes how iconic classical composers utilized the number nine to construct integrated cycles of praise, yoga, and philosophy. The text provides an exhaustive analytical breakdown of legendary group masterpieces, examining the complex tantric and mandalic layouts of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Kamalamba Navavarna Kritis, the structural elegance of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi's Navavarnams, and the poetic, raga-shifted timeline of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal’s Navaratri Kritis. Furthermore, the work focuses heavily on the structural unity between dhatu (the melodic and rhythmic composition) and matu (the literary and philosophical text), revealing how shifts in grammatical case (Vibhakti), tempo modulation, and raga selection mirror the stages of spiritual evolution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Leela Omchery and Dr. N. K. Padma are elite contemporary Indian musicologists, researchers, and legendary classical performers known for their preservation of traditional performing arts. With decades spent directing university music departments, their collaborative literature focuses on bridging the gap between historical performance manuscripts and modern stage rendering.

Their authorial and analytical style is exceptionally precise, classical, and structurally detailed. Writing with the analytical sharpness of veteran music theorists, they avoid romanticized performance clichés, choosing instead to present clear modal breakdowns, linguistic translations, and systematic tala-graha matrices. Their prose runs at a steady, academically demanding pace, using continuous, fluid paragraphs rather than fragmented bulleted lists to trace the melodic links within a song group. By balancing ancient tantric scriptural philosophies with practical vocal delivery, their text remains an indispensable benchmark for university music libraries, concert vocalists, and musicological research panels worldwide.