Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the greatest composers of Karnatic music, was born at Tiruvarur in Thanjavur district in 1775. His father, Ramaswami Dikshitar, was a leading,  versatile and masterly composer of Karnatic music. Muthuswami Dikshitar studied Sanskrit and allied subjects in his teens and acquired sufficient proficiency in Telugu to serve the needs of music which became his chief passion in life. When he was about fifteen, Muthuswami accompanied  a saint called Chidambaranatha to Varanasi  where he spent five years.  This was an event of far-reaching importance in his life. It gave him an opportunity to listen to Hindustani music which broadened his background and deepened  his  knowledge. The impact of Hindustani ragas could be seen in his compositions.

On his return  to the South, Dikshitar proceeded to Tiruttani and worshipped at the famous shrine dedicated  to Lord  Subramanya. Tradition has  it that when Dikshitar was m meditation in this shrine,  an  elderly  person appeared before him, put sugar candy into  his  mouth  and  vanished  into the sanctum sanctorum. Inspired by the vision, Dikshitar  burst  forth into song and commenced his long career as  composer  by  singing  his  first kriti 'Srinathadi Guruguho'.

A study of Dikshitar's compositions shows that he had an  insatiable  thirst  for  visiting  temples and singing the praise of deities enshrined there. There is hardly any song which does not describe a temple, the deity worshipped there and the traditions and customs  prevalent  locally.  From Tiruttani, Dikshitar proceeded to Kanchipuram where he  spent four  years  studying philosophy  at the  feet  of  Saint  Upanishad   Brahmendra.   He also set to music the 'Ramashtapadi' composed by the latter.

The most fruitful years of Dikshitar's life were spent at Tiruvarur, his birth place. He set up a gurukula and taught music  to eminent disciples including his two younger brothers who were highly accomplished musicians. His stay at Tiruvarur was also marked by his prolific output of musical compositions. The single  largest group among  the songs  of Dikshitar is on God Tyagaraja, Goddess Kamalamba and other deities of temples in and around Tiruvarur. Among the most notable of his Tiruvarur kritis are the series of eight songs in eight vibhaktis on Tyagaraja and a group of eleven kritis called 'Kamalamba Navavarana'.

After the death of his father in 1817 Dikshitar moved to Thanjavur to impart musical instruction to his disciples there. Later, he moved to Ettayapuram where the Raja received him with full honours.  He spent the last years of his life in Ettayapuram  and  died  there  in  1835.

Dikshitar has left a rich legacy to Karnatic music comprising a few hundred kritis in the Raganga Ragas of Venkatamakhi and other ragas existent in his time, a few group kritis on particular deities, raga malikas (kritis in which several ragas figure), multi-lingual kritis, dance compositions and light tunes based on airs played on the brass band. No other composer  of his time has tried his hand at so many varieties of compositions and with such signal success.

The  outstanding  feature of  Dikshitar's compositions is that they  present a vivid,  accurate and full picture of the raga employed and  not merely  some of  its facets.  To him,  a raga  was not a mere scale or assembly of swaras but  a divine form, beautiful and adorable. He was a master of the alap tradition as described  in  texts and fitted in the classical alap method into his kritis. His vision of  the ragas  is,  therefore, clear and comprehensive and his portrayal  of  them precise and rich. His songs are in slow measure (vilambit) with a few 'Passages in the madhyama kala (drut) towards the end. His kritis bear the imprint of arduous veena  practice  and  are noted for the graces and glides which are possible only on the veena.

The P & T Department is privileged to bring out a stamp in honour of this great musician and versatile genius.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India