Sahana, I have not met a person yet who has not fallen in love with this raagam. KB has used this raagam a lot in his serials and movies, indha veenaikku theriyadhu is a classic from rayil sneham.
I was listening to giripai nelakonna rendered by M.D.Ramanathan. The song apparently is just 4 lines long. However, the version I was listening to spans 38 mins. Can you imagine somebody singing 4 lines for 38 mins. Of course I have the song with a raaga alapanai (the artiste tries to build on the raagam with his creativity and brings out the nuances in the raagam), and kalpana swarams (same explanation as kalpana swaram, just that this is done using the swaras and has to be in-bounds with the thalam or the metering) M.D.R made this song so famous that it became synonymous to the vocal guru in the days to follow.
Apparently, this is the last song composed by the saint composer, Thyagaraja. The song is about how the saint is levitating in Ecstasy after the dharshan of the Lord (Rama) and boon that he would to take the saint with him in 5 days. He composes this song on the Shankaranthi day (Pongal day) and on the day of the bahula panchami, 5 days later; he attains Mukthi which is observed as the Aradhana today.
pallavi
giripai nelakonna rAmuni guri tappaka kanTi
anupallavi
parivArulu virisuraTulachEbaDi visaruchu gosaruchu sEvimpaga
caraNam
pulakAnkituDai AnandASruvula nimpuchu mATalADavalenani
kalavarinchagani padi pUTalapai gAchedananu tyAgarAja vinutuni
Meaning:
Unerringly I saw Sri Rama installed on the hill. Thrilled with ecstasy, with tears of joy, I tried to speak. He promised to bless me in five days.
