family descendents of carnatic classical maestro shayma sastry are in poor state

[Guest guest]

it is so unfortunate to learn that the maestro of south indian carnatic

classical exponent's descendents live in such a state. i hope i can donate

some thing to them if the hindu magazine make any such arrangements. hope i

get an early reply from them.

 

if any one can do some thing for them it would be good i hope

 

 

 

the hindu news maga zine in its edition on 6th may wrote as follows

 

 

 

 

 

Shyama Sastri's descendants live in penury

 

 

 

K. Manikandan

 

Over the years, the descendants have run up debt losing their ancestral

property and a biscuit factory

 

TAMBARAM: The descendants of Shyama Sastri, one of the Carnatic music

trinity, are languishing in penury.

 

 

 

Having lost their ancestral property, that included four palatial houses and

a biscuit company in and around Thanjavur, the composer's great

grandchildren have been living on the margin in Chennai for the past five

decades.

 

 

 

On Sunday, Devaki, a great granddaughter of Shyama Sastri died of old age at

her cramped, rented house in Chitlapakkam, near Chennai. Devaki was the

eldest child of Kalyaraman Iyer, who was the son of Natesa Sastri, a

descendant of the legendary composer. The family's financial condition is so

bad that they could not even afford the expenses for the funeral rites.

Shree Gayathri Trust, a voluntary organisation, pitched in.

 

 

 

" I still remember our palatial houses near Bangaru Kamakshi Amman Temple in

Thanjavur. Singers used to gather and render songs composed by Shyama

Sastri, " said Seethalakshmi, younger sister of Devaki, adding that her

grandfather, Natesa Sastri, too was proficient in Carnatic music,

particularly the compositions of Shyama Sastri.

 

 

 

Over the years, the family run up debt, their houses were sold off and their

biscuit company folded up. " We used to make biscuits from 'omavalli' herb

that was very popular in the region. We used to send cans of these biscuits

to Karaikudi, Tiruvarur, Mannargudi and Melmangalam, " Ms. Seethalakshmi

said.

 

 

 

" Devaki's husband, Venkatrama Iyer, was an ex-serviceman and he too passed

away a few years after marriage. Having no means to support ourselves, we

moved out of Thanjavur and came to Chennai. Since then, we have been living

in rented houses, " she said.

 

 

 

" My mother put me at the government service home in Tambaram Sanatorium. She

joined Lady Wellingdon College but could not complete the teacher training

course. But she managed to support me after getting a job as a cook, " said

Kumar, son of Devaki, who is also into catering.

 

 

 

Seethalakshmi lives with her two sons in Velachery in Chennai and they too

are in the catering line. Her elder brother Swaminathan lives with two sons

in Hyderabad.

 

 

 

" Shyama Sastri's contribution to Carnatic music is invaluable. But none of

us was proficient in music or carried on his legacy, nor did we make an

attempt to take advantage of being his descendants, " Ms. Seethalakshmi said.