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How Alamelumanga Thayar became Banni Bai
by Merlot Daruwala Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:37 am
I was looking up the life of Bangalore Nagarathnamma, the woman who singlehandedly revolutionized the male-dominated Thyagaraga Aradhana in the 20s and created a space for women in Carnatic singing. Came across this article about her foster-child, Bani Bai, whose name and life might be seen as an early example of NI-SI synthesis 
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/a-storytellers-centenary/article2616192.ece
"Banni Bai was named Alamelumanga Thayar at birth. A Marwari neighbour felt the baby's complexion was more akin to those of his own community and she was dubbed a Baniya which in turn became Banni. A close friend of the family was the redoubtable Bangalore Nagarathnamma, who lived on nearby Srinivasa Iyer Street. Being childless, she practically adopted baby Banni."
...it was elder sister Janakavalli who first felt that she could take to a career in Harikatha. Women had already become Kathakars thanks to pioneers such as C. Saraswathi Bai. Even Nagarathnamma had performed occasionally. And so Kuppaiah Bhagavatar was engaged to train young Banni. Her debut took place at Perambur during the Ramanavami celebrations, when the ‘Bai' was added to her name as an honorific. She was all of 12. Soon she was performing across South India at various events and celebrations. Handbills had her name in Tamil as Panni Pai and this led to her dropping the double ‘n'. She became Bani Bai, at least in Tamil.
...The year 1927 was to be a turning point in her life. That was the year when Nagarathnamma organised an all-woman Aradhana for Tyagaraja at Tiruvaiyaru in protest against the prevailing male chauvinism of the festival. On the last day of the celebration, Banni Bai performed Bhadrachala Ramadas Charitram. In the audience was T.A. Ramachandra Rao, a Marathi aristocrat from Thanjavur. A close associate of Nagarathnamma, he became Banni Bai's patron.
Rao decided that Banni Bai's talent as a performer needed honing. Several tutors, beginning with Chitrakavi Sivarama Bhagavatar, were engaged, with no expense being spared. At the end of it all, Banni Bai emerged proficient in several languages, with a good working knowledge of English thrown in.
With sisters Janakavalli and Jivaratnam providing vocal accompaniment, Banni Bai became a success. She was honoured in the courts of Cochin and Travancore. In 1939, she acted in a film, “Shanta Sakkubai”, made by Sundararao Nadkarni. She played the shrewish mother-in-law to Ashwathamma's portrayal of the saintly Sakku.
In the 1940s, Banni Bai was to play an active role in the conduct of the Tyagaraja Aradhana at Tiruvaiyaru. She was to oversee the funerary arrangements of Nagarathnamma in 1952, part fund the sculpting, installation and consecration of her statue in Tiruvayyaru and also composing a Harikatha on her life."
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/a-storytellers-centenary/article2616192.ece
"Banni Bai was named Alamelumanga Thayar at birth. A Marwari neighbour felt the baby's complexion was more akin to those of his own community and she was dubbed a Baniya which in turn became Banni. A close friend of the family was the redoubtable Bangalore Nagarathnamma, who lived on nearby Srinivasa Iyer Street. Being childless, she practically adopted baby Banni."
...it was elder sister Janakavalli who first felt that she could take to a career in Harikatha. Women had already become Kathakars thanks to pioneers such as C. Saraswathi Bai. Even Nagarathnamma had performed occasionally. And so Kuppaiah Bhagavatar was engaged to train young Banni. Her debut took place at Perambur during the Ramanavami celebrations, when the ‘Bai' was added to her name as an honorific. She was all of 12. Soon she was performing across South India at various events and celebrations. Handbills had her name in Tamil as Panni Pai and this led to her dropping the double ‘n'. She became Bani Bai, at least in Tamil.
...The year 1927 was to be a turning point in her life. That was the year when Nagarathnamma organised an all-woman Aradhana for Tyagaraja at Tiruvaiyaru in protest against the prevailing male chauvinism of the festival. On the last day of the celebration, Banni Bai performed Bhadrachala Ramadas Charitram. In the audience was T.A. Ramachandra Rao, a Marathi aristocrat from Thanjavur. A close associate of Nagarathnamma, he became Banni Bai's patron.
Rao decided that Banni Bai's talent as a performer needed honing. Several tutors, beginning with Chitrakavi Sivarama Bhagavatar, were engaged, with no expense being spared. At the end of it all, Banni Bai emerged proficient in several languages, with a good working knowledge of English thrown in.
With sisters Janakavalli and Jivaratnam providing vocal accompaniment, Banni Bai became a success. She was honoured in the courts of Cochin and Travancore. In 1939, she acted in a film, “Shanta Sakkubai”, made by Sundararao Nadkarni. She played the shrewish mother-in-law to Ashwathamma's portrayal of the saintly Sakku.
In the 1940s, Banni Bai was to play an active role in the conduct of the Tyagaraja Aradhana at Tiruvaiyaru. She was to oversee the funerary arrangements of Nagarathnamma in 1952, part fund the sculpting, installation and consecration of her statue in Tiruvayyaru and also composing a Harikatha on her life."
Merlot Daruwala- Posts : 5005
Join date : 2011-04-29
Re: How Alamelumanga Thayar became Banni Bai
by MaxEntropy_Man Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:22 am
ah, a synthesis tale!
MaxEntropy_Man- Posts : 14702
Join date : 2011-04-28
Re: How Alamelumanga Thayar became Banni Bai
by Vakavaka Pakapaka Mon Nov 24, 2014 9:57 am
Interesting story. Probably more authentic than the story of the Kanchi matt.
Vakavaka Pakapaka- Posts : 7611
Join date : 2012-08-24
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