Sitharaman highlights 1,000-year musical legacy of Thirumurais
Synopsis
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a Chennai address, cited historical documents proving that ancient Tamil instruments — the yazh, udukkai and kottu — were used to perform the Thirumurais, affirming over a thousand years of living musical tradition.
Key Takeaways
Nirmala Sitharaman spoke in Chennai on the musical heritage of the Thirumurais, the twelve-volume Tamil Shaiva bhakti corpus.
She cited historical documents attesting that instruments including the yazh , udukkai , and kottu were used to render these hymns.
The Thirumurais were composed by Tamil poet-saints between roughly the 6th and 11th centuries CE .
The remarks emphasise the Thirumurais as a performed, living tradition backed by documentary evidence — not just a textual heritage.
The speech is part of a continuing series, with further instalments expected.
A thousand years of living music — and the instruments that carried it. Speaking in Chennai, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman drew attention to the documented musical heritage of the Thirumurais, the canonical twelve-volume corpus of Tamil Shaiva bhakti hymns, underscoring that ancient instruments like the yazh (lute), udukkai (small drum), and kottu (percussion) were specifically used to render these sacred texts — and that historical records prove it.
Instruments that carried the hymns across centuries
Sitharaman noted that multiple historical documents attest to the musical instruments used in the performance of the Thirumurais. 'Just as there are documents recording these Thirumurais, there are also many records showing that they were rendered using these instruments — the yazh, udukkai, kottu and many such musical instruments,' she said, in remarks shared as part of a continuing speech thread from Chennai.
The Thirumurais, compiled between roughly the 6th and 11th centuries CE, form the bedrock of Tamil Shaivite devotional tradition. They were composed by a succession of poet-saints — the Nayanmars — and have been transmitted through both oral performance and written manuscript traditions across the Tamil region for over a millennium.
Why the musical dimension matters
The emphasis on instrumentation is significant. The yazh, an ancient plucked string instrument, is among the earliest documented in Tamil literary sources and is referenced in classical Sangam literature predating the Thirumurais themselves. The udukkai and kottu belong to percussion traditions deeply embedded in temple ritual and folk performance. Sitharaman's point — that these instruments were not incidental but integral, and that documentation exists — positions the Thirumurais as a living, performed tradition, not merely a textual one.
Public affirmation of Tamil classical and devotional heritage by national leaders carries particular resonance in Tamil Nadu, where questions of cultural identity and the antiquity of Tamil civilisation remain a matter of deep civic pride. The remarks form part of a longer speech, with further instalments indicated by the '(2/n)' tag in the post.
Point of View
She frames the engagement as scholarly rather than political. The emphasis on the antiquity and continuity of Tamil Shaivite culture also aligns with a wider national narrative around reclaiming and celebrating India's pre-colonial civilisational depth.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Thirumurais?
The Thirumurais are a twelve-volume collection of Tamil Shaivite devotional hymns composed by poet-saints known as Nayanmars, compiled between roughly the 6th and 11th centuries CE. They form the canonical scripture of Tamil Shaiva bhakti tradition.
What instruments did Nirmala Sitharaman mention in her Chennai speech?
She mentioned the yazh (an ancient plucked string instrument), the udukkai (a small hand drum), and the kottu (a percussion instrument) as instruments historically used to render the Thirumurais, citing documentary evidence.
What is the yazh instrument?
The yazh is an ancient Tamil plucked string instrument, referenced in classical Sangam literature. It is one of the earliest documented instruments in Tamil musical history and predates the Thirumurai period.
Where did Nirmala Sitharaman deliver this speech on Tamil music?
The speech was delivered in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. It was shared as part of a continuing series of posts from the event.
Why is Nirmala Sitharaman speaking about Tamil cultural heritage?
Senior national leaders periodically engage with Tamil classical and devotional culture at literary and cultural forums in Tamil Nadu. Such engagement also reflects the BJP's broader outreach efforts in the state.
