Karur Quartette

Karur, known in Sanskrit as Garbhapuri, is associated in musical circles with the Garbhapuri Quartette. The group comprised Pedda Devudu Venkatasubbiah, Chinna Devudu Krishniah, Karur Chinnaswamiah, and Dakshinamurti Sastri.

The first three were sons of Narasa Ayyar and Akhilandammal, while Dakshinamurti Sastri was their cousin and a lyricist who taught at the High School in Karur. They trained under Nemam Subramania Ayyar, a direct disciple of Tyagaraja.

Karur Chinna Devudu composed songs such as Neramanchakura in Sankarabharanam. His violin duets with his elder brother Pedda Devudu ended prematurely when the elder brother died, after which he trained his younger brother Chinnaswamiah and performed with him.

Karur Chinnaswamiah later accompanied many major artistes and was honoured by the Music Academy with the title Sangita Kalanidhi in 1950. Musiri Subramanya Ayyar, K. S. Papa Venkatramiah, G. N. Balasubramaniam, and Varahoor Muthuswami Ayyar were among his disciples.

Prof. P. Sambamurthi wrote that Dakshinamurti Sastri created the sahitya that Devudayya set to music, and that the two were called Garbhapuri composers after their signature. A collection of their compositions was published by the Music Academy, Madras.