Iravivarman Thampi, better known as Irayimman Thampi (1782 October 12 - 1856 July 29), was an Indian

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...

ian, music composer and poet from the Kingdom of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

. He was a vocalist in the court of

Swathi Thirunal ( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള്‍ രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 40 ...

. His compositions include the lullaby ''

Omanathinkal Kidavo Omanathinkal Kidavo ( ml, ഓമന തിങ്കള്‍ കിടാവോ) is a lullaby in Malayalam that was composed by Irayimman Thampi on the birth of Maharajah Swathi Thirunal of Travancore. To date, it remains one of the most popular ...

'', one of the most popular lullabies in Malayalam.

Biography

Irayimman Thampi, named Iravivarman Thampi after his grandfather, was born in 1782 at Kottakkakom Kizhake Madom, in

Karamana Karamana is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly and often still known as Trivandrum), the capital city of Kerala, India. It is one of the most densely populated but green parts of Thiruvananthapuram. The land is serviced by the Karamana Riv ...

to Kerala Varma Thampuran, of the royal family of

Cherthala Cherthala, , (formerly Shertalai, Shertallai or Shertallay) is a Municipal town and a Taluk located at National highway 66 in the district of Alappuzha, in the state of Kerala, India. Cherthala is the satellite town and industrial hub of Ala ...

, and Parvathi Pillai Thankachi of the Puthumana

Ammaveedu Ammaveedus were the residences of the consorts of the Maharajahs of Travancore in Trivandrum. The descendants of the Maharajahs were considered as members of these Ammaveedus, with a status subordinate only to royalty. The chief four Ammaveedus ar ...

Thampi The Thampis and Kochammas are the sons and daughters of the maharajahs of Travancore and their consorts belonging to Samanthan Nair caste Thampis and Thankachis form a part of the Nair caste and had no title of succession to the throne. The v ...

family, the daughter of Prince Makayiram Thirunal Ravi Varma and niece of the Maharajah

Dharma Raja Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma ( ml, ധർമ്മരാജാ കാർത്തിക തിരുനാൾ രാമവർമ്മ, 1724–17 February 1798) was the Maharajah of Travancore from 1758 until his death in 1798. He s ...

of Travancore royal family. Thampi was brought up by his parents at a house called ''Kizhake Madom'' and after early education from his father, he went under the tutorship of Shankaran Elayathu in grammar, linguistics and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

literature. He dedicated his first poem, written at the age of 14, to Karthika Thirunal Dharma Raja of Travancore which earned him a notable position in the Travancore court, enjoying the patronage of four kings viz. Dharmaraja, Balarama Varma, Swathi Thirunal and Uthram Thirunal as well as two queens, Gouri Parvathy Bai and Gouri Lakshmi Bai. Irayiman Thampi was married Kali Pillai Thankachi, daughter of his maternal uncle Puthumana Krishnan Thampi, and the couple had had seven children including a daughter, Lakshmi Kutty Pillai Thankachi, better known as Kutty Kunju Thankachi (1820–1914), who continued her father's artistic and poetic legacy. Another daughter of Thampi was married to Sri Narayanan Thampi of Arumana, son of Maharajah Visakham Thirunal. Irayimman Thampi was already thirty one years of age when

was born, but outlived him for a decade. It was for putting Swathi Thirunal to sleep, when he was a baby, Irayimman Thampi wrote the lullaby ''Omanathinkal Kidavo'', which went on to become one of the most popular lullabies in Malayalam language. Thampi is believed to have died in 1856.

Contributions

Thampi's contributions range from ''attakathas'', ''kirtanas'', ''varnas'' and ''padams'', and has been published as books.

Verses and songs

# ''Kichakavatham Attakatha'' # ''Utharaswayamvaram Attakatha'' # ''Dakshayagam Attakatha'' # ''Subhadraharanam Kaikottikalippattu'' # ''Murajapa Pana'' # ''Navarathri prabandham'' # ''

'' - set in

Rāga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...

Neelambari # ''Vasishtam killippattu'' # ''Rasakrida'' # ''Rajasevakramam Manipravalam'' # ''Somapoma'' - set in Rāga

Saveri Saveri (pronounced sāvēri) is a Carnatic music ragam. This raga is a janya of the 15th Melakarta raga Mayamalavagowla. This raga brings out karuna rasa, i.e. it brings mood of compassion.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ...

# ''Adimalar'' - set in Rāga Mukhari

Kirtanas

# ''Neelavarna pahimam'' (surutti - chempata) # ''Pāhimām giritanayē'' - Rāga

- miśra cāpu # ''Karuna Cheyvan'' - set in Shree ragam (Later made in Yadukula Kamboji by

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar a.k.a. Vaidyanatha Iyer (1 September 1896 – 16 October 1974) was a Carnatic music singer from Palakkad (state of Kerala, India). Known by his village name ''Chembai'', or simply as ''Bhagavatar'', he was born to ...

) # ''Adimalarinnathanne'' (Mukhari - chempata) * ''Nityamāśrayē'' - rītigauḷa -

Adi tala Adi tala (Sanskrit: ''ādi tālà'' {{lang, sa, आदि ताळ, Kannada: ಆದಿ ತಾಳ, literally "primary rhythm" also spelled aadi taalam or adi talam) is the name of one of the most popular tala or rhythms used in Carnatic Music. I ...

Varnams

# ''Ambā gauri girikanyē'' - stava varNam - Ārabhi # ''Manasi parithapam dussaham ayyo'' (Sankarabharanam - chempata)

Padams

# ''Aroducholvan Azhalullathellam'' (indisa - Jhampa) # ''Kamaladikalam Narumalarellam'' (Kamodari - chempata) # ''Enthujnanihacheyvu'' (Neelambari - chempata) # ''Prananathanenikkunalkiya'' (Kamodari - chempata)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thampi, Irayimman Writers from Thiruvananthapuram People of the Kingdom of Travancore Malayali people Musicians from Thiruvananthapuram Malayalam-language writers Carnatic composers 1856 deaths 1781 births Musicians from Kerala Indian male classical musicians Indian male composers 19th-century Indian composers 18th-century Indian composers 19th-century male musicians