If music is an integral part of Sri Swamiji, His love for musicians is equally unparalleled. Whether one is a well recognized musician or not, one is of national or international repute, His disposition towards them is all embracing and His heart just spontaneously goes out to patronize and bless them. The greatest among musicians within the country-vocalists and instrumentalists, belonging to Camatic or Hindustani style of music feel it a blessed privilege to render concerts in the Ashram in Sri Swamiji's  divine presence.  Pujya Sri Swamiji's personal presence in the course of their concerts, and His personal attention to the performing musicians, make them all the more inspired, ecstatic and exalted, howsoever famous maestros they maybe. To institutionalize His patronage and encouragement to musicians, Sri Swamiji has very befittingly been bestowing honors and titles on them, regularly every year, on the occasion of His birthday celebrations.

Sri  Swamiji's Music  Lineage -the Legend

Govinda Dikshithar
Venkatamakhi
Swamiji

Govinda Dikshithar, a Hoisala Brahmin, was once in Vijayanagaram Kingdom, playing an important role in the emperor's court. He as an eminent scholar, able administrator, musicologist and a great Yogi. When the emperor gave an assignment to Sri Dikshithar to assist Sevappa Naicker, later his son Achyutappa Naicker and thereafter Raghunatha Naicker, to rule the Tanjore Kingdom, Dikshithar readily agreed and did yeomen services to the temples of the South and established "Raja Veda Patashala" at Kumbakonam. He was called "Arthasanar", in that he, as the chief minister, sat on the throne along with the king and ruled. Even now, he is in Sila Roopa along with his wife Nagambika, in the ancient Shiva temple at Patteeswaram, near Kumbakonam, in Tanjore district. Paramacharya of Kanchi (Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt), it is said, was his descendent.

Dikshithar's son was Venkatamakhi alias Venkateswara Dikshithar, who was an eminent scholar cum genius in musicology and the founder of the famous Melakarta scheme. He was a great scholar in Meemamsa. The immortal music research work "Chaturdandi Prakasika" was written by him which is an epoch-making work and a landmark in the annals of Carnatic music. The system of 72 Melas, which is the bedrock on which the entire science of Modem South Indian music is based, was only the creation of Venkatamakhi. In this stupendous and monumental work (dealing with Raaga Lakshana),  Venkatamakhi gave his nomenclature of the 72 Melas and classified the Janya Ragas and their Lakshanas. It is only because of Venkatamakhi that we have, for the first time, a system in music based on science. It was he who classified the Melas according to their Swaras. He was also a renowned composer of Lakshya Gitas and Prabandas,bin the Bhandira Basha, a kind of Prakrit eminently suited for music.

The Trinity (Thyagayyar, Muthuswami Dikshithar and Shyama Shastri) only followed and cultivated the very system propounded by Venkatamakhi later. Both, the father Govindha Dikshithar and the son Venkatamakhi lived only at Pateeswaram in Tanjore District. It is said that our beloved Swamiji hails only from that family.
 
It is very relevant to note that Swamiji had visited Pateeswaram temple thrice so far. Swamiji has taken efforts to popularize Venkatamakhi's Keerthanas and "Venkatamakhi Aradhana" is being performed at the Avadhootha Dattapeetham, every year, along with Thyagabrarnmam aradhana, during Shivarathri times.

Hailing from such a rich tradition, it is no wonder that Swamiji's love for music, as upasana, is unique. He is Nada Upasaka and 'Nada Brahma' Himself.

Swamiji's Bhajans

Any writing about Sri Swamiji's music will be incomplete without reference to His Bhajans.

Besides His divine charisma, the other dimension of His personality which has captivated the minds and hearts of thousands of people and inspired them to turn to God, are Pujya Sri Swamiji's soul-stirring Bhajans. As He often says 'Just as Bhojana (food) is for the body, Bhajans are for the Soul'.
 
His bhajans are rooted in 'beejaksharas' (subtle seed letters) and when sung, they produce such powerful vibrations that the listeners cannot escape getting lifted from worldly gross existence to a transcendental experience of the soul. Pujya Sri Swamiji must have composed thousands of devotional bhajans in different languages right from His childhood, and they have become household medium of devotional singing and satsanga in whatever corner of the world His devotees may be.

According to Pujya Sri Swamiji, "The chanting and singing of God's name is the sheet anchor in all critical situations and crisis. In this Kali Yuga, Divya Naama Sankeertana is the easiest and the most effective means to invoke the mercy of the Lord."

In Sri Swamiji's devotional rendering of bhajans, what matters is not the language but the spiritually charged vibrations which get released as He sings. Listeners just get thrilled, ecstatic, jubilant and absorbed as they listen to the divine voice of Pujya Sri Swarniji. There are countless examples, where simply listening to His bhajans, has produced life-changing and everlasting effect on the lives of devotees, bringing in them miraculous personality transformation influences; and this has happened not to anyone particular section of people but to the people all over the world ---German, French, English, Dutch, Swiss, African etc. etc. When Pujya Sri Swamiji sings, there does not remain any barrier of religion, caste or creed. The vibrations of His Bhajans cut across all such differential variations leading the listeners to reach the depths of their soul.
Whether He sings bhajans or plays Music for Meditation and Healing on the synthesizer the sound vibrations that He releases are charged with such a divine energy transmission effect (Nado-anusandhana) as to carry the listeners to that transcendental orbit of consciousness where they experience peace, harmony and bliss of the Self.  No wonder, Pujya Sri Swamiji's music has been acclaimed as 'Music of the Spheres' or ‘The Cosmic Music!’.

Nada Mantapa

Nada-Mantapa –- the Hall of Music, represents Pujya Sri Swamiji's dedication and love for music. Right from its conception till its completion, Pujya Sri Swamiji was totally involved in minutest details of its construction. Whether He was sitting on the bank of sacred Manasa Sarovara or traveling in the hot and dusty villages of Andhra or waiting in the transit lounge of an international airport, Pujya Sri Swamiji used his spare time in working out the finer and subtle aspect of Nada Mantapa project.
That  Pujya Sri Swamiji had worked the details of the inauguration of Nada-Mantapa, almost one year in advance, is one of the examples of His meticulous planning. Pujya Sri Swamiji is a music revolutionary whose experiments and research in music have been acclaimed as harbingers of an era of Music for Meditation for Healing or Yoga Music. We pray that the lofty artistic ideals and creativity along with humanitarian goals of Pujya Sri Swamiji will leave a permanent and everlasting imprint on the society at large.

Unique Features Of Nadamantapa

The entrance of the auditorium has sculptured deities of god heads connected with music-Chitanya Mahaprabhu,  Narada Muni, Garuda,  Vishvak sena,  Anjeneyu,  Tumburu,  Hayagreeva,  Nandi,  Bhringhi and Ganapati.  The porch is colorfully decorated in Tamil Nadu style.  22 gigantic Tanpuras have been sculptured and positioned gracefully against 22 pillars of the auditorium. These 22 Tanpuras represents 22 sruthis mentioned in the Sangeetha Shastras.

The walls of the auditorium are decorated with huge size portraits of the music composers of the past.  A special lighting system illumines the portrait of the particular composer whenever his composition is sung or played.

The auditorium is equipped with state of art sound (Bose Corp of USA),  lighting and theatre systems. The hall has been so designed that several other functions like seminars, yoga camps, training camps and mass eye treatment camps can also be conducted in it. The staggered seating system in the Hall can accommodate more than 3500 people. The vast stage measuring 2,150 sq. ft. can accommodate ballet groups and philharmonic orchestra groups.