DESCRIPTION:
Kriti: RAKTHA GANAPATHIM - Muthuswamy Dikshitar
Raga: Mohanam / Talam: Aadi / Language: Sanskrit
Indian Classical: Carnatic
Vocal & Harmonium: Thomas M. Abraham
Composer: Muthuswamy Dikshitar (1775-1835) - South Indian poet & composer, who was the youngest of the Musical Trinity of Carnatic (Indian Classical) music. Different from the Trinity (who composed mostly in Telugu), he composed most of his 461 songs in 191 ragams in Sanskrit.
Song:
RAKTHA GANAPATHIM - A Carnatic Kriti
This is a kriti that is a Prayer (Bhajeham in Sanskrit) to Lord Ganesha, son of Lord Shiva & Parvati. Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Swami Temple situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala is the only temple in Kerala dedicated to Lord Parasurama and is supposed to be the inspiration of this Sanskrit Kriti or musical composition - RAKTHA GANAPATHIM in the raga Mohanam, set to Adi tala by the great Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835) - one of the Trinity of Carnatic or Indian classical music.
Parasurama (Rama with an axe), known in Hindu legend as the creator of Kerala, the 6th avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism received his famous axe after undertaking great penance to please Shiva, who in turn taught him Kalaripayattu (the mother of all martial arts). Parasurama is most known for ridding the world of kshatriyas twenty-one times over after the mighty king Kartavirya Arjuna killed his father.
As per the Mahabharata, Parasurama single-handedly successfully conquered the entire world and killed thousands of crores of kshatriyas. Parasurama conducted hundreds of Ashvamedhas and gave away the entire earth he conquered as alms to sage Kashyapa. He plays important roles in the Mahabharata & Ramayana, serving as mentor to Bhishma, Drona and Karna. Kerala's Namboodiri Brahmins are supposed to be descendants of Parusurama, and based on that, so would many St. Thomas Christians of India.