Place: Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu
Time : January

Thiruvaiyaru is the place where the great saint and music composer Thyagaraja lived and attained samadhi. Here a music festival, Thyagaraja Aradhana is held every year towards the end of January. The festival will culminate with the rendition of the Pancharatna kritis on Bahula Panchami. The venue is near his samadhi on the banks of river Cauvery. This Carnatic Music festival attracts music lovers from all corners of the country. Besides the music concerts, religious rituals (pujas) are conducted at the samadhi during the two days. 

In fact, until 1907, there were no music concerts but only religious rituals, during the aradhana. In 1908, it was Narasimha Bhagavatar and his younger brother Panchu Bhagavatar, disciples of Thillaisthanam Rama Iyengar (‘antharanga sishya’ of saint Tyagaraja) who held a five-day aradhana festival that included harikathas and concerts. The religious part of the aradhana celebrations that began during the time of Thillaisthanam Rama Iyengar is continued even today by a Trust called ‘Sadguru Tyagabrahma Aradhana Kainkarya Trust, Madras,’ formed in 1984 by Chellam Iyer, S. Parthasarathy and a few others of the Thillaisthanam tradition. Thiruvaiyaru is situated 13kms from Thanjavur (Tanjore) in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Contact Address: 

Sadguru Sri Tyagabrahma Aradhana Kainkarya Trust
Pot 6, Sri Krishna Kripa, Karpagamabl Nagar, 
Kottivakkam, Chennai-600041
Contact person: Chellam Iyer
Phone : (0) 9840922616/9360332942, 9845043927 (Bangalore)

How to get there

Air: The nearest Airport Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) is located 71 kms away. Indian Airlines also connects Trichy with Madurai and Chennai directly. Indian Airlines and Air Lanka connects Trichy with Srilanka.

Rail: Nearest railhead is Thanjavur which is connected by rail with Trichy, Madurai, Nagore and Chennai directly.

Road: There are direct buses from Thanjavur, 13kms from Thiruvaiyaru.