Adi Shankracharya

Upon the death of his mother, a young sanyasin defies tradition to perform her funeral rites. The upholders of tradition are appalled, but he doesn't give a damn. It was his mother, and she had every right to a decent funeral. The incident typifies the character of Shankracharya who was at once the rescuer of Vedic knowledge, a reviver of Hinduism which had become stagnant in his days, a social and political reformer, and above all a philosopher of outstanding merit who achieved in a very short life years of life, what a long line of generations fail to achieve.

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 Saint Thyagaraja

Experts consider Saint Thyagaraja (1767-1847), as the greatest name in Carnatic music. He was one of the so-called Trinity of composers who were born in Thiruvarur, South India, the centre of Carnatic music. He was the son of a Brahmin scholar, Ramabrahmam, and his mother, Santa Devi, was an accomplished musician. He studied vina and singing with Sonti Venkataramanayya. His devotion to Rama was so intense that he had visions. Many of his songs are in praise of Rama, and his name is virtually synonymous with the kriti form, which reached its zenith during this so-called Golden Age and dominates Carnatic music to this day. Although Thyagaraja was born in Tamil Nadu, his mother tongue was Telugu, and he used this language in his songs. He lived an austere life of begging and meditation, turning down invitations to sing in the courts, including even one from the great composer, Maharaja Swathi Thirunal of Travancore.

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