Dr. R. Nagaswamy, the renowned archaeologist and multi-lingual scholar, was my 'Guru brother', for, both of us were under the guidance of Padma Bhushan Dr. T. N. Ramachandran. We had known each other from early 1960s and ever since he had been close to our family. He undertook several projects to help the younger generation perceive history in an interesting way. His rapport with the youngsters was because he could relate to them and make the past tangible, understandable and even admirable. His training centre for Epigraphy was a great contribution to the field, creating scholars of repute in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam (Photo by Nrythoyodaya School)Gangai-konda-cola-puram (Photo by RN).
Dr. Nagaswamy was multi-faceted. He was a visionary in the cultural world. He and I have referred to each other’s writings and taken part in several events of common interest. His dear wife was a pillar of strength for his cultural activities. He was a lyricist in Tamil and she composed music for them. One of my senior disciples, Smt. Sundari Santhanam, had choreographed a dance drama that this couple created on the glory of the Chola Emperor Rajaraja I; it was staged in the Brihadiswara temple in the 1980s. Much later, I had also performed one of his compositions as a solo in Tanjavur. I had choreographed, at his request, 'Kaliṅgatthu Paraṇi' to be danced by my disciples Uma and Sundari for a special occasion.
When Dr. Nagaswamy discovered the foundation of Rajendra Chola’s palace at Gangaikoṇḍa Cholapuram, he phoned me from the site with great excitement at the unearthing of this king's 'Praśasti' (praise in poem form). He requested me to visit the site when the work was going on. My brother Balakrishnan, his wife Shyamala, and I rushed to the site, made a copy of the Praśasti, proceeded to Kumbakonam, got ready and returned in a couple of hours to dance to the poem at the very site. The audience had gathered from all the nearby hamlets. They brought mats for their seats and enjoyed the programme, which I presented without any technical paraphernalia. A dancing space was created by levelling the unearthed mud. The audience included the great epigraphist, Sri. N. Sethuraman, and quite a few cultural enthusiasts from the Kumbakonam region. All of them sat squatting with rapt attention. As I danced, there were poisonous insects like naṭṭuvākkiḷi (scorpion) and pūrān (poisonous centipede) crossing my dancing feet. It was an unforgettable experience.
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam and Dr. Nagaswamy at the Bharata Muni Foundation, 2019.
Much later it was Dr. Nagaswamy who mooted the idea for Nāṭyāñjali at Chidambaram temple, with the cooperation of Mrs. Gariyali, the then Collector of Kadalur. He was associated with this festival till his end.
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam and Dr. Nagaswamy at the Bharata Muni Foundation, 2019.Mirror of Tamil and Sanksrit, book release function, 2012.
When I convened the All-India Nāṭyaśāstra Siksha camp at Mahabalipuram, I requested Nagaswamy to spend a day with the 50 participants and personally take them around, exploring the monuments with historical anecdotes. In 2010, when I was President of the Association of Bharatanatyam artistes of India (ABHAI), the Thanjavur temple completed its 1000th year. I had choreographed ‘Tiruvisaippā’ of Karur Thevar and ‘Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotra’ of Adi Sankara, to be danced by 1000 dancers. It was a historic event. I requested Nagaswamy to write a small booklet on the longest inscription of Rajaraja Chola, found in the temple, which was regarding the 400 dancers and 240 musicians connected with the temple. I had given an introduction to that booklet and it was published by Bharata Ilango Foundation for Asian Culture (BIFAC). All the 1000 dancers who performed on that day were given a free copy of the booklet. Nagaswamy’s last days were spent in creating an awareness about Tamilnadu as a part of the common canopy of Sanātana Dharma. His books and writings in important Tamil Daily papers were of utmost national importance in projecting a wholesome picture of Bharatiya culture. A few weeks before his passing away he told me on phone that he thinks that the heroine of the Tamil epic Silappadikāram, Kaṇṇagi, was of Gujarati origin. His arguments were shockingly convincing. His son and daughter are carrying on the intellectual legacy, preserving and projecting their father’s treasure of scholarship. Nagaswamy was fortunate to have the blessings of the very God in flesh and blood – Pujyasri Kanchi Mahaswami,. There is no wonder that Dr. Nagaswamy was chosen as the Vice-Chancellor of the University in the name of Kanchi Mahaswami.
