Venkatamakhin

Who is Venkatamakhin?

Venkatamakhin also known as Venkateshwara, was a prominent musicologist and composer of Carnatic music; renowned for his Chaturdandi Prakashika in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas. Venkatamakhin composed geethams and prabandhas, as well as 24 ashtapadis in praise of Lord Thyagaraja of Tiruvarur.

Venkatamakhin was the son of Govinda Dikshita, a Kannada Brahmin from Mysore. Govinda Dikshita himself was a scholar and musicologist, as well as a minister in the kingdom of Thanjavur. Venkatamakhin received his formal training under his elder brother, Yagnanarayana Dikshita.