Bhajans and the River Cauvery

FOR THOSE who perhaps know the river Cauvery as a mere subject of dispute between politicians and farmers, water is important only in it's most mundane sustaining power. The waters of the Cauvery has for more than a thousand years fed
the culture of the land it has touched. Cauvery is thus a Mother, a Goddess. In the troubled times we live now, looking back at the spiritual life which the Cauvery nurtured is like trying to understand fanciful myths. But a closer look will tell us that as recent as a mere three hundred years ago, great men lived on the banks of the river their land ruled by great kings, who were Indian first, and Nayaks and Marathas only incidentally. The Thanjavur of those times enjoyed the enlightened rule of kings who were Bhaktas (devotees), poets, musicians, and scholars. In accordance with their own culture and their inborn intelligence, this line of kings built temples, restored old ones, patronised music, dance and literature. Their respect for scholarship was so immense that one of them, Shahaji, endowed a vast village with cultivable lands for Pundits and invited them from far and near to inhabit this place and continue their service to mankind. This was known as Tiruvisanallur. Forty-five savants settled here. They are immortalised by their own works which they produced on palm leaves, some of which survived to be published by the Thanjavur Saraswathimahal library. The works of many of the savants, were passed on to their disciples only orally. Tiruvisanallur was home to composers of spiritual songs as well.

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