Navavarna kritis

Courtesy; Nerul temple

Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar is a well-known personality amongst the music world. Many may not know he was a great Devi Upasaka and was well versed in all aspects of Sri Vidya Upasana also. The years he spent at Tiruvavur were richly creative and highly productive for Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, the composer. Dikshitar's creations at Tiruvavur included a set of sixteen kritis on various attributes of Ganesha; a set of kritis on Thygaraja and Nilothpalambika the presiding deities of Tiruvarur shrine; a set of Tiruvarur Panchalinga kritis; and eleven kritis of Kamalamba Navavarana group. 

Interestingly, the temple complex also accommodates the shrines of Maha Ganapathi, Subrahmanya, Dakshinamurty and Balamba; all Shakthi deities. The temple complex has a Pushkarini, a lake, named kamalalaya, the abode of Kamala.This tank is reffered to by Dikshitar, in his kritis, as Kamalalaya thirtha and the Devi is Kamalalaya thirtha vaibhave. The town of Tiruvarur is mentioned as Kamala nagara (e.g. Kamalanagara viharini) and as Kamala pura (e.g.Kamalapura sadanam); referring to Devi as one who resides in and walks about the town of Kamalapura/Kamalanagara.

The most outstanding of such series of compositions is of course the magnificent Kamalamba Navavarana kritis. They are incomparable compositions and are the jewels of Carnatic music.These compositions, intellectually sublime steeped in deep devotion, are a testimony to Dikshtar's musical genius, his mastery over the Sanskrit language; and his thorough knowledge of and intense dedication to Sri Vidya, Sri Chakra and the worship of its avaranas.

The set concludes with a short and sweet mangalam (auspicious conclusion) in Sri ragam set in Khanda Ekam (5 beat talam). The entire set consists therefore of the dhyanam (invocation), the nine avaranas, and the mangalam (conclusion), a total of 11 pieces.

The 9 kritis are as follows:

1. Kamalamba Samrakshathu - Anandabhairavi - Misra Chapu

2. Kamalambaam Bhajare - Kalyani - Adi

3. Sri Kamalambikaya Katakshitoham - Shankarabharanam - Rupakam

4. Kamalambikayai - Kambhoji - (Khanda) Ata

5. Sri Kamalamba param - Bhairavi - Misra Jampa

6. Kamalambikayaastava - Punnagavarali - Rupakam

7. Sri Kamalambikayam - Sahana - Tisra Triputa

8. Sri Kamalambike - Ghanta - Adi

9. Sri Kamalamba Jayati - Ahiri - Rupakam

 The rendering of these Kritis are considered to be extremely challenging owing to the complexity of the words and the notations.

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Attached file talks even more in detail about kritis.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByHsyol17T5XcXZGVFhjSy10aXM/edit?usp=sharing