Bangalore Nagarathnamma

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Bangalore Nagarathnamma (1878-1952) was an Indian Carnatic singer and cultural activist who started the Tyagaraja Aradhana festival in memory of Carnatic singer Tyagaraja at Thiruvaiyaru.

Early life

Nagarathnamma was born in a devadasi family of Bangalore in 1878. Her mother was Puttalakshmi amma. Her ancestors served as singers and musicians in the court of Mysore.

Career

Nagarathnamma started as a singer early in her life and emerged as one of the best Carnatic singers of her time. She sung in Kannada, Sanskrit and Telugu. Narahari Rao, a judge in the Mysore High Court was one of Nagarathnamma's patrons.

Activism

Marble notice board at ashram of singer Tyagaraja at Thiruvaiyaru

Nagarathnamma inaugurated the Tyagaraja Aradhana festival in honour of the singer Tyagaraja at Thiruvaiyaru in Tanjore district in 1926. The festival has since been held annually and kirtanas or songs composed by Tyagaraja are sung at the festival by accomplished singers. She also constructed the Tyagaraja Temple in 1921.^[1] Nagarathnamma also discovered the long-lost Radhika Santwanam a book on devadasi arts written by Muddupalani and tried to popularize it.

Along with T. Balasaraswathi in the Madras Presidency, Nagarathnamma virulently opposed the abolition of devadasi system and fought a losing battle with social reformers like Kandukuri Veeresalingam.

Death

Nagarathnamma died in 1952 at the age of 74.

Notes

↑ "A shrine built by Nagarathnamma". The Hindu. 12 January 2012.

Persondata
Name	Nagarathnamma, Bangalore
Alternative names
Short description	Indian singer
Date of birth	1878
Place of birth	Bangalore
Date of death	1952
Place of death

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