Who is honoured as the Pitamaha of Carnatic music, and composed devotional songs called devaranamas in Kannada?
- A.Tyagaraja
- B.Purandara Dasa
- C.Muthuswami Dikshitar
- D.Annamacharya
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Purandara Dasa. Purandara Dasa belonged to the Haridasa movement of Karnataka and composed devaranamas, devotional songs in Kannada, and he is credited with organising the graded exercises with which Carnatic music is still taught. For that reason he is called the Pitamaha, the grandfather, of Carnatic music.
Option A, Tyagaraja, is one of the trinity of Carnatic music and composed kritis in Telugu on Rama, but he belongs to a much later age. Option C, Muthuswami Dikshitar, is another of the trinity, known for Sanskrit kritis on the goddess at Tiruvarur. Option D, Annamacharya of Tallapaka, composed sankirtanas for Venkateshwara at Tirumala in Telugu and is called the Pada Kavita Pitamaha, a different title. Only Purandara Dasa wrote devaranamas in Kannada.
Read the full article: Devotional Music of India: Bhajan, Kirtan and Qawwali
Practice Questions
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- B.Amir Khusrau
- C.Baiju Bawra
- D.Swami Haridas
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- D.The Lingayat tradition of Karnataka
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- B.Assam
- C.Bengal
- D.Odisha
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- B.Kerala
- C.Tamil Nadu
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