🌸 A Listener’s Reflection on Ilaiyaraaja’s Timeless Composition from Oru Odai Nadhiyagirathu (1983)
Prologue — When the Lotus Learns to Bow:
There are songs that seem written about beauty, and then there are songs that become beauty itself. Thalayai Kuniyum Thamaraiye belongs to that second kind. The moment its first notes emerge, the world slows down — not into silence, but into listening.
“Reethigowai is not just a scale; it lives quietly in my heart, unfolding with every note of Ilaiyaraaja.”
Reethigowai is my most loved raga. Even if one woke me from sleep and asked me to identify it, I would recognise it instantly. I have no formal training in music. What little I know of ragas, I’ve learnt by listening — and more than anyone else, by listening to Ilaiyaraaja. His music is a kind of university for the ear.
“Every listen reveals a new whisper — a faint counterpoint, a paused note, a subtle glide — that the raga offers only to those who truly listen.”
This song, in Reethigowai, taught me that even surrender can have a melody.
1. The Raga — Reethigowai, the Language of Grace
Reethigowai (or Reetigowla) has always felt to me like a quiet morning raga — the kind that doesn’t need to announce its arrival. It just appears, like dawn seeping into the sky.
Technically, it is derived from Kharaharapriya (22nd Melakarta), with a vakra arohanam (S R₂ G₂ M₁ P N₂ S) and avarohanam (S N₂ D₂ P M₁ G₂ R₂ S). What gives it its charm, to my ear, is the smooth glides (gamakas) on the gandharam and nishadam, and the subtle oscillations on the madhyamam.
Ilaiyaraaja handles Reethigowai not as a classical showcase, but as a living language. His phrases feel like spoken emotion — natural, unhurried, deeply human.
2. The Voices — The Master and the Scholar
The song brings together two worlds:
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S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, the eternal voice of warmth and expression.
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Dr. S. Rajeswari, Carnatic musician and former Principal of the Tamil Nadu Government Music College, who sang only this one song in her cinematic career — and left behind something immortal.
“SPB’s warmth, Dr. Rajeswari’s poise, and Ilaiyaraaja’s invisible hand together create a truth beyond words.”
For a song so steeped in classical serenity, Ilaiyaraaja chose a scholar — someone who could bring the purity of Reethigowai as it is taught, not merely sung.
Dr. Rajeswari’s voice has a clarity that reminds one of a veena string — poised and perfectly pitched. SPB’s voice, with its velvety phrasing, flows beside hers like water around a rock. Together, they form a musical dialogue — tradition and tenderness walking hand in hand.
3. The Composition — A River in Sound
The film, Oru Odai Nadhiyagirathu (1983), translates to “A Stream Becomes a River” — and how apt that title is for this song. The music flows like a quiet river, gathering depth as it moves.
The Opening
Soft strings — violins in whisper, deep cellos breathing beneath — and hints of flute or nagaswaram-like timbre create a sunrise effect. Even a gentle double bass undercurrent gives the melody gravity.
The Pallavi
“Thalayai kuniyum thamaraiye” — SPB sings it as though offering it to the listener. The glide from ni to dha, the pauses, and the phrasing are subtle yet expressive.
Dr. Rajeswari enters with precision, her voice pure, unembellished, almost veena-like, adding a meditative calm.
Interludes & Charanam
The orchestration alternates between Indian and Western instruments — nagaswaram, strings, subtle percussion, and double bass. Rhythms are delicate, likely in slow Adi tala, holding the melody without forcing it. Each interlude allows the raga to breathe.
SPB and Rajeswari alternate — his voice exploring, hers centering. The melody seems to bow in itself — a musical gesture of reverence.
The Ending
The song closes in soft resignation. Orchestral layers withdraw gracefully. Silence, finally, becomes part of the music.
4. Orchestration — The Art of Saying Little
Ilaiyaraaja’s restraint is masterful. Even with strings, cellos, double bass, subtle percussion, flute, and Indian winds, he never overwhelms. Each layer serves the raga and the emotion:
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Strings: violins, cellos — flowing like gentle waves
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Indian wind instruments: nagaswaram, shehnai-like tones — infuse classical character
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Percussion: soft, minimal, almost imperceptible
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Harmony layers: subtle pads and drones supporting, never dominating
The orchestra breathes, never performs.
🎼 Technical Notes (From My Listening)
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Raga: Reethigowai (Reetigowla), derived from Kharaharapriya (22nd Melakarta)
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Arohanam (ascending): S R₂ G₂ M₁ P N₂ S
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Avarohanam (descending): S N₂ D₂ P M₁ G₂ R₂ S
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Distinctive gamakas on gandharam and nishadam; smooth madhyamam transitions
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Vocalists:
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S. P. Balasubrahmanyam — expressive, velvety phrasing, playful glides
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Dr. S. Rajeswari — precise, veena-like tone, calm, disciplined
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Instrumentation:
Strings: Violins, Cellos, Double Bass — flowing waves supporting melody
Indian winds: Nagaswaram-like tones, subtle shehnai inflections
Percussion: Minimal, slow Adi tala, likely soft mridangam or tabla touches
Others: Subtle keyboard pads, harmonic drones, gentle flute interjections -
Orchestration Style: Sparse and restrained; each note deliberate
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Musical Phrasing: Alternating vocals create a dialogue of exploration (SPB) and centering (Rajeswari); pauses, slides, and bowing gestures reflect humility and introspection
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Emotion: Slow tempo, reflective, devotional; music itself bows, like the lotus in the song
5. What I Heard, Not What I Knew
“I may not read swaras, but I feel them; I may not count talas, but I live them — that is the language of Reethigowai.”
Every listen reveals something new — a faint counterpoint, a paused note, a subtle modulation. That is the power of Ilaiyaraaja — he teaches the ear through emotion.
6. Dr. S. Rajeswari — The Voice of a Single Bloom
It feels poetic that Dr. Rajeswari, who taught music all her life, left behind only this cinematic song — and that too, one as introspective as this. Her voice is disciplined, precise, and humble, perfectly reflecting the spirit of Reethigowai.
7. The Emotion — The Philosophy of Bowing
This song is about acceptance — the graceful act of bowing, not out of weakness, but wisdom. Reethigowai’s gentle curves give voice to this emotion.
“This song bows like the lotus — graceful surrender expressed through melody, rhythm, and silence.”
8. The Lotus and the River
Between Chinna Kannan Azhaikiraan and Thalayai Kuniyum Thamaraiye, one hears Ilaiyaraaja’s evolution — from youthful exuberance to mature introspection. The stream became the river.
“Between the stream of Chinna Kannan Azhaikiraan and the river of Thalayai Kuniyum Thamaraiye, Ilaiyaraaja taught me to listen with the heart.”
Epilogue — When the Song Ends, the Listening Begins
When the last note fades, I find myself quieter inside. Not sad, not happy — just calm. Reethigowai has done its work. Its gentle curves, its bows and dips, its very essence — speak instinctively to my heart.
“Dr. Rajeswari lent purity. SPB lent soul. Ilaiyaraaja lent eternity.”
And the listener — like me, like you — can only bow.
🎵 Listen here:
#Ilaiyaraaja #Reethigowai #OruOdaiNadhiyagirathu #SPBalasubrahmanyam #DrSRajeswari #CarnaticMusic #TamilFilmMusic #IndianClassical #MusicAnalysis #TimelessMusic #ListeningWithHeart
Copyright
© Dhinakar Rajaram, 2025. All rights reserved.
This article — including text, analysis, illustrations, reflections, and formatting — is an original work of the author. It may not be reproduced, republished, or redistributed — in whole or in part — without explicit written consent. Readers and enthusiasts are welcome to quote brief excerpts for academic, journalistic, or non-commercial purposes with proper attribution.
The photograph of Dr. S. Rajeswari receiving an award from then CM MGR is sourced from Narthaki Interview and is used here solely for illustrative and educational purposes, with full credit to the original source.
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