Nagaswaram artiste S.R.G. Rajanna. File
| Photo Credit: N. Sridharan
Renowned nagaswaram player Semponnarkoil S.R.G. Rajanna passed away on Wednesday (December 17, 2025). He was 94.
The son of Semponnarkoil Govindasamy Pillai, he performed alongside his elder brother, S.R.G. Sambandam. Exponents of the Semponnarkoil tradition, which included rakthi melam, the brothers performed across the country as well as abroad. They were asthana vidwans of the Dharmapuram, Tirupanandal, and Tiruvavaduturai Adeenams, and of the Kanchi Sankara Math. The duo also performed on invitation at several samasthanams.
Semponnarkoil, a small town, secured a place in Thevaram as the Swarnapuresswarar temple was sung in praise by Gnanasambandar. Their grandfather, Ramasamy Pillai, was the first nagaswaram player to cut a disc, which is still available. Rajanna learnt the nagaswaram from Pandanallur Venugopala Pillai and Govindaswamy Pillai. He lived in Mayiladuthurai before shifting his base to Chennai.
He was conferred the Mumbai-based Sri Shanmukhananda Sabha’s National Eminence Award for nagaswaram to mark the 125th birth anniversary of nagaswaram wizard T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai. Rajanna had also received the Music Academy’s T.T.K. Award for Excellence.
Published – December 17, 2025 05:55 pm IST
