Tyāgarāja

Who was Tyāgarāja?

Kakarla Tyagabrahmam, colloquially known as Tyāgarāju or Tyāgayya in Telugu and Tyāgarājar in Tamil, was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or Indian classical music. He was a prolific composer and highly influential in the development of the classical music tradition. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in praise of Lord Rama, many of which remain popular today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Kritis, which are often sung in programs in his honor.