Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam

Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam was born on November 25, 1956, in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu, India.

He comes from a family of traditional musicians and is a renowned mridangam Vidwan.

In 2021, he was awarded the prestigious Sangeetha Kalanidhi award by The Madras Music Academy.

He started his vocal training under his mother, Sangeetha Vidushi Smt.

T. R. Anandavalli.

Later, he began playing the mridangam, a double-headed drum, under the guidance of his maternal uncle, Mridangam Maestro Thiruvaarur Sri Krishnamurthy, in gurukulavasam style.

He accompanied his mother in concerts from the age of nine.

At sixteen, he moved to Chennai, the cultural hub of Carnatic music, and performed widely in all prestigious Sabhās and organizations.

He won several prizes in all the Sabhas in Chennai as a young mridangist.

All India Radio recognized his exceptional talent and gave him a double promotion from 'B' to 'A' grade, bypassing the 'B high' grade.

Soon after, he attained the coveted top grade from All India Radio, making him one of the most celebrated artists at a very young age.

In 1984, Pt. Ravi Shankar invited him to join his ensemble for an international tour after hearing him play at the Music Academy in Chennai.

He also had the rare privilege of playing at the opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games held in Barcelona, Spain.

Sri Bakthavathsalam was interested in spirituality from a young age and visited several religious ashrams and mutts in South India.

Over the years, he became very close to the heads of these institutions.

He was conferred with the title "Mridanga Vadya Mani" by Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekara Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi Mutt, making him the youngest recipient of this award among many other veterans.

He belongs to the Tanjore style of playing, but he has developed his own style that focuses on im proving the entire concert, not just the rhythm.

He is known for his energetic playing and his expertise in a variety of kritis and compositions.

He founded the Laya Madhuraa School of Percussion in 2000 and has since trained many students worldwide.

Several of his disciples have become star performers, accompanying the top-ranking and popular artists of today.

Some of them have even established their own schools in different parts of India and abroad, including New Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Canada, and the USA.

Many of his students are also teaching at schools and universities.

Dr. Bakthavathsalam is a renowned musician who has had the privilege of sharing the stage with numerous yesteryear artists.

He has accompanied three generations of musicians throughout his career and has represented India in numerous cross-continent and cross-cultural festivals across the globe as an ambassador of Indian Classical Music.

He has also performed alongside many veteran musicians from both Indian and Western music systems.

Dr. Bakthavathsalam has played in several fundraising concerts for various social and national causes, such as the Kargil Fund and organizations like the Shankara Nethralaya and the Cancer Society.

He has also given many lecture demonstrations and concerts for the youth under the organization SPIC MACAY and represented ICCR in many musical ventures across the country and around the world to create awareness and interest in classical music.

Dr. Bakthavathsalam has received several accolades for his contribution to classical Carnatic music.

He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the President of India in 2006 and the Kalaimamani Award by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

He has also been honored by several Sabhas in Chennai and other places with Lifetime Achievement awards and titles.

He has established a unique outfit of traditional Carnatic music called LAYA MADHURAA "Divine Ensemble," which features traditional instruments like the Nadaswaram, Flute, and other percussion instruments.

This outfit is much sought after in all social functions.

Dr. Bakthavathsalam is the first classical artist in the South to have an exclusive fan club in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

His fans conduct music festivals, awareness programs, and other social events in his honor.

His contribution to classical Carnatic music in the last fifty years has been tremendous, and he hopes to continue this worthy effort in the future for the benefit of society.

For over seven years, Dr. Bakthavathsalam served as Secretary of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Mummoorthigal Jayanthi Vizha festival held at the Arulmigu Thyagarajaswamy Temple in Thiruvarur every year.

This festival is a week-long celebration of the beauty of Tamizh culture, heritage, and art.

Numerous artists take part and pay their tribute to the great composers and the great trinity by offering timeless compositions and renderings to thousands who gather inside the temple premises.

In May 2010, during the 68th birthday celebrations of Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji, a unique musical presentation called "Laya Madhura Mridanga Yagna" was organized at the Avadhoota Datta Peetham in Mysore.

This musical offering was led by Mridanga Maestro Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam and had 108 mridangam artists from all over India participating in it.