About
Competition
Competition
(Reg. No. 18/92)
(EIN - 87-3622290)
With great pleasure we are happy to inform you that we are conducting an All India Carnatic Music Competition for young talents for the last eight years. This year the music competition is based on the krithis of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, who hails from Kerala (Previously Travancore), India and who had composed more than 400 krithis. The winner will be awarded with cash prize and citation.
The prize distribution will be held on 11/04/2026 on the occasion of Swathi Thirunal Music and Dance Festival.
We are thankful to all who has supported over the years for this Music Competition as well as for our monthly programmes. On behalf of Nadopasana and Swathi Thirunal Sangeetha Sabha, USA, we invite you all to enjoy the Music Competition
Expecting your continued patronage and thanking you,
Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma was born into the Chera Dynasty of the royal family of Travancore, which is now a part of Kerala, on 16 April 1813. He was born to Rani Gauri Lakshmi Bai of Travancore & Raja Raja Varma Koyi Thampuran, a Samskritam scholar, of Changanasseri Palace. While in the womb itself, he was proclaimed King and was referred to as Garbha Sreeman. The most famous lullaby in Malayalam “Omana thingal kidavo…” was composed by Irayimman Thampi for Swathi Thirunal.
As a young prince, he was trained in several languages, including Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Hindustani, Telugu, Marathi, Sanskrit, English and Persian. The extraordinary intellectual exuberance of Swathi Thirunal and the deeper interest and insight he showed in music and literature, amazed his tutors, and the Britishpersonalities who visited the state.
Swathi Thirunal was deeply interested in music right from childhood. Besides being an able ruler, he was a patron of music and was a musician himself. His mudra in compositions are Padmanabha, Sarasijanabha etc. and its synonyms. He is credited with composing over 400 compositions in Carnatic & Hindustani systems. His literary works include Bhakti Manjari, Syanandurapuravarnana Prabandham, Padmanabhasatakam, Muhanaprasa Antyaprasa Vyavastha, Ajamila, Kuchela Upakhyanas & Utsava Varnana Prabandha. He has composed Varnams, Swarajathis, Krithis, Keerthanams, Javalis, Padams and Thillanas in various languages.
He was contemporary to the musical trinity of Carnatic music Thyagaraja (1767-1847), Syama Sastri (1762-1827) and Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835). Many great artists of his time adorned his royal court such as the famous Thanjavur Quartet brothers, Thyagaraja’s disciple Kannaya Bhagavathar, Ananthapadmanabha Goswami, Shadkala Govinda Marar to name a few.
He was also a very efficient administrator and is credited with introduction of English education, construction of an observatory, installation of first Government printing press, establishment of the first manuscripts library etc. for modernizing Travancore.
At the age of 33, Maharajah Swathi Thirunal died on 27 Dec 1846.
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