{{Short description|Three composers in 18th-century India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} The '''Trinity of Carnatic Music''', also known as the '''Three Jewels of Carnatic Music''', refers to the outstanding trio of composer-musicians of Carnatic music in the 18th century{{Em dash}}Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Syama Sastri. Prolific in composition, the Trinity of Carnatic music is known for creating a new era in the history of carnatic music by bringing about a noticeable change in what was the existing carnatic music tradition.<ref name="panikkar44">Panikkar (2002), p44</ref> Compositions of the Trinity of Carnatic music are recognized as being distinct in style, and original in handling ragas.<ref name="panikkar44" /> All three composers were born in Thiruvarur, a town formerly part of the Thanjavur District in Tamilnadu.<ref>http://travel.sulekha.com/thiruvarur-a-land-of-culture-and-carnatic-music_travelogue_600372 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> M. S. Subbalakshmi, D. K. Pattammal, and M. L. Vasanthakumari, who are carnatic musicians of the 20th century, are popularly referred to as the female Trinity of Carnatic Music.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xTVWAAAAYAAJ|title=India Today|date=2009|publisher=Thomson Living Media India Limited|volume=34|pages=16|language=en|quote=D.K. Pattammal 90, who along with M.S. Subbulakshmi and M.L. Vasanthakumar formed the female trinity' of Carnatic|issue=27–35}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Name !! Years !! Language of Compositions !! Mudra !! Known for |- | Syama Sastri|| 1762–1827 || Telugu and Sanskrit || Śyāma Krishna || Complex Talas, Swarajati |- | Tyagaraja || 1767–1847 || Telugu and Sanskrit || Tyagaraja || Pancharatna Kritis |- | Muthuswami Dikshitar || 1775–1835 || Sanskrit; Some in Manipravalam || Guruguha || Nottuswara, Navagraha Kritis |} ==Compositions== Muthuswami Dikshitar mainly composed mainly in Sanskrit and some in Manipravalam, while Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri mainly composed in Telugu and Sanskrit.<ref name="panikkar44"/>
===Ragas and talas=== The Trinity of Carnatic music<ref>{{Cite web |last=John |first=Serah |date=2025-12-03 |title=The Trinity of Carnatic Music Explained - Music Pandit |url=https://www.musicpandit.com/resources/articles/the-trinity-of-carnatic-music/ |access-date=2026-01-15 |website=Music Pandit Online Music School |language=en-US}}</ref> composed new ragas and talas, and had a remarkable ability to introduce innovations within the same raga.<ref name="panikkar44"/>
Compositions of Syama Sastri in 'apoorva' ragas like ''Chinthamani'', and ''Kalagada'' evidence his originality and genius in discovering new forms in Carnatic music.<ref name="panikkar44"/> The creative ability of Syama Sastri is possibly best exampled in his concert-contest against Kesavvaya, a great Carnatic musician from Bobbili.<ref name="panikkar44"/> During this contest which took place at the court of the king of Thanjavur, although Kesavayya sang a rare ''raga'' followed by a ''tana'' in different ''jathis'' and ''gathis'', Syama Sastri reproduced similar ''tana'' varieties, and to the delight of the audience, went further to introduce other varieties which were not known to Kesavvaya.<ref name="panikkar44"/>
==See also== {{Portal|India|Music}} * List of Carnatic composers * List of composers who created ragas * List of Carnatic instrumentalists * The Tamil Trinity
==Notes== {{reflist}}
== References == * {{cite book|title=Culture, Ideology, Hegemony: Intellectuals and Social Consciousness in Colonial India|last=Panikkar|first=K N|year=2002|publisher=Anthem Press – Wimbledon Publishing Company|location=London|ref=Panikkar2002}}
Category:Carnatic music
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