Dear all,
When I looked up and saw the board “Thanjavur Saraswati mahal Library” I felt like fresh blood was being pumped into me. My first visit there was in May 2006 (first visit as a serious researcher).
With pen and papers I walked in and got introduced to the Administrative officer. After a very warm welcome he gently asked me if I would like a tour around the Library. I said “yes that would be great but I wish to speak to the sanskrit and telugu pandits regarding a few manuscripts (Mss)”. He looked completely taken aback. He quickly re-checked if I am infact the “Actor/dancer” Swarnamalya. When I smiled and replied in the affirmative he asked me what I wanted to do in a library!
This is a general perception that people have. When doctors, lawyers and other professionals engage in research people take them seriously but when people in the entertainment world talk of research (especially younger women) it is brow raising! I am used to getting this a lot and hence I explained patiently to him that Dance is my passion and I am a masters degree holder in Bharatanatyam. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it and quietly he guided me to the Telugu Mss section.
I was thrilled and I subjected the Telugu scholar to a long monologue of how I needed to understand the connection between the dances of the chola times and that of the Tanjore Quartette. He looked at me plainly, and told me that I can go through the catalogue of the Mss and see what I wanted to see.
I sat there at his spartan desk, under the tall tombed, lime-washed pillars, on a wooden chair and grabbed the first catalogue for Mss. That day passed. A tap on my shoulder from my driver/guardian/confidant Kumar reminded me that it was 5 pm and time for the library to close.
All day, every day for the next four days and such four/five days for the next three months, all that I did was pour over the catalogues religiously. I made detailed notes of every Mss I wanted to see, check, read. I went to the sanskrit, tamil, marathi sections. I did the same.
My typical day at Tanjavur went like this; wake up at 5 am. Go to the periya koil at 6am. watch the sunrise there. Go to coffee palace (a tiny vegetarian cafe inside a tinnier lane!) have a nice breakfast (idli, dosa, vada etc) and go to Saraswati mahal at 8.55 am sharp. The local joke was Swarnamalya has become an employee of the mahal and a punctual staff one at that!
I was not only the first visitor for the day (everyday) but also the first person to enter the Mss section. All the pandits would leave the books and Mss I require on their desks the previous day itself so that I could start work sharp at 9 and go on until 5 pm without breaks ( and leave only when they have to literally neck me out, politely ofcourse:-). Kumar in the meantime would wait outside with a bottle of yummy, chilled paneer soda and a dosa. We would eat and head to the temple straight.
Watching periya koil by sunrise, by the day and at sunset are three distinct, marvellous experiences. I would go walking around the outer prakaram, often jointed by a very nice gentleman (a friend Mr.Sivaramakrishnan) who would entrall both Kumar and I with jokes and P.Js. I would then discuss the day with them. Kumar has several times put forth very thought-provoking questions to me.
One such example of Kumar’s queries “Madam, if you say Tanjai naalvar (quartette) created present day Bharatanatyam, where have they it written down? and whom did they learn from?”
But on several days I would sing to myself and walk around looking at each sculpture over and over again, the wall inscriptions, asking to Brihadeeshwara what the purpose of my search is? I used to share with him my lament of not knowing what I was looking for. I wanted a path. A margam. I needed direction. I wanted to travel back in time but didn’t know to where.
On one such directionless day I heard about a house. I was sent an invitation to come. Kumar and I drove past the periya koil that evening without stopping for our evening temple visit and went over the adjointing bridge.
A few minutes later, there I was. I was in the midst of divinity in human form. I was in the midst of knowledge. That was a waking moment. A game -changer.
wait till I turn the page next…
Swarnamalya ganesh
Finding a Ladder to the Attic !
P.S: This blog comes with a few exclusive, never before seen / shown pictures that I have lovingly shot of the periya koil/ saraswati mahal at various times of the day and a picture of me working at saraswati mahal.
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