Gauravdewasi at 07:55, 31 July 2025

2025-07-31T07:55:15Z

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{{short description|Indian percussionist}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tripunithura N. Radhakrishnan
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| genre = [[Carnatic music]]
| instrument = [[Ghatam]]
| years_active = 1967 – present
}}
| birth_date =
| birth_place = [[Poonithura]], [[Ernakulam district]], Kerala,
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Percussionist, [[Ghatam]] exponent
| yearsactive =
| spouse = Lalithambika
| domesticpartner =
| children = 2

| parents = G. Narayanaswamy<br>Alamelu Ammal
| website =
| awards = [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi]] Award and Fellowship
}}
'''Tripunithura N. Radhakrishnan''' is a [[Ghatam]] exponent from [[Kerala]], [[India]]. He is the first artist to receive the noted [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship]] for Ghatam.<ref name="IAR"/> He has played the Ghatam in tens of thousands of venues across hundreds of countries.

==Biography==
N. Radhakrishnan is the youngest of four children of Alamelu Ammal and [[Poonithura]] Valiya Parambu Meethil house G. Narayanaswamy, a renowned musician fondly called as ''Achasamy'' by the people in music field in the region.<ref name="Deshabhimani">{{cite news |title=തൃപ്പൂണിത്തുറ രാധാകൃഷ്ണന്‍@60 : ഘടത്തില്‍ ശ്രുതിചേര്‍ത്ത സംഗീതയാത്രയ്ക്ക് 50 വയസ്സ് |url=https://www.deshabhimani.com/news/kerala/news-kerala-02-12-2017/690136 |work=Deshabhimani |language=ml}}</ref> It was his father who taught him the first lessons in mridangam.<ref name="Manorama">{{cite news |title=യേശുദാസ് വേദികളിലെ സ്ഥിരം സാന്നിധ്യം, പക്കവാദ്യക്കാരുടെ പാഠപുസ്തകം: തൃപ്പുണിത്തുറ എൻ. രാധാകൃഷ്ണൻ അഭിമുഖം |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/music/interviews/2021/09/30/interview-with-tripunithura-n-radhakrishnan.html |work=ManoramaOnline |language=ml}}</ref> Thrippunithura Mahadevan, the son of his father's sister, was a Ghatam scholar.<ref name="Manorama"/> Many of the relatives were also [[percussion instrument]] artists.<ref name="Manorama"/> He started practicing the Ghatam from a young age, and made his debut at the age of ten.<ref name="Manorama"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Ghatam expert Thrippunithura Radhakrishnan shares experience with Manorama News {{!}} Manorama News |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_olVL89jLI |work=Manorama News |language=ml}}</ref> Later he got expert training from Parassala Ravi and his cousin Padmabhushan [[T. V. Gopalakrishnan]].<ref name="IAR" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-06-26 |title=Where music once echoed |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/where-music-once-echoed/article6151714.ece |access-date=2025-07-31 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

He passed ''Gana Bhushan'' from [[RLV College of Music and Fine Arts]], Thripunithura in 1982.<ref name="IAR">{{cite web |title=Tripunithura N Radhakrishnan: A Self-Taught Ghatam Player |url=https://www.indiaartreview.com/stories/tripunithura-n-radhakrishnan-a-self-taught-ghatam-player |website=India Art Review|date=17 February 2021 }}</ref> Then he passed ''Gana Praveena'' from [[Swathi Thirunal College of Music]] in [[Thiruvananthapuram]] and later a master's degree in Mridangam from [[Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala|Mahatma Gandhi University]].<ref name="IAR"/> He later became a teacher in the college where he studied.<ref name="Manorama"/>

Radhakrishnan has been running the GN Swamy Memorial Music School near the Poornathrayesa Temple in Thripunithura for 21 years.<ref name="Manorama"/> During his fifty years as a Ghatam teacher, he was able to impart lessons to many. Many of these are now professional artists.<ref name="Manorama"/> He also leads a fusion band named ''Ghatalayatarangam'', which includes Ghatam, [[Chenda]] and [[Tabla]].<ref name="Manorama"/>

===Personal life===
He and his wife Lalithambika have 2 children, singer Renjith and a daughter.<ref name="Manorama"/> He now resides at Vikram Sarabhai Road, Poonithura.<ref>{{cite news |title=അംഗീകാരം ഘടത്തിന്; രാധാകൃഷ്ണന് സന്തോഷം |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/district-news/ernakulam/2021/02/07/ernakulam-radhakrishnan-awarded-with-sangeetha-nadaka-academy-fellowship.html |work=ManoramaOnline |language=ml}}</ref>

==Musical career==
Radhakrishnan was one of those who sought to give due recognition to the Ghatam which was known only as a supporting instrument in [[Indian classical music]].<ref name="Hindu">{{cite web |last1=Pradeep |first1=K. |title=The man who makes the ghatam sing |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/ghatam-artist-tripunithura-radhakrishnan-talks-of-his-50-years-in-music/article21241316.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=1 December 2017}}</ref> His first stage performance was on 16 January 1967.<ref name="Hindu"/> He has played the Ghatam in tens of thousands of venues across hundreds of countries.<ref name="Manorama2">{{cite news |title=സംഗീതസപര്യയുടെ പെരുമയുമായി ഘടം വിദ്വാന്‍ തൃപ്പൂണിത്തുറ രാധാകൃഷ്ണന്‍ |url=https://www.manoramanews.com/nattuvartha/central/2017/08/10/khadam-musician-tripunithura-radhakrishnan.html |work=ManoramaOnline}}</ref>

Radhakrishnan has played the Ghatam in concerts by famous musicians like [[Chembai|Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar]], [[M. D. Ramanathan]], [[Maharajapuram Santhanam]], [[Madurai Somasundaram]], Dr. [[M. L. Vasanthakumari]], [[K. V. Narayanaswamy]] and Dr. [[M. Balamuralikrishna]].<ref name="Manorama"/> In instrumental music, he has performed with noted artists like [[Lalgudi Jayaraman]], [[T. N. Krishnan]], [[Kadri Gopalnath]], [[U. Srinivas]], [[L. Subramaniam]], [[N. Ravikiran]] and Shashank.<ref name="Manorama"/>

Radhakrishnan started playing Ghatam for [[K. J. Yesudas|Yesudas]]' concert on 31 March 1976, and has been performing at Yesudas' concerts for the last forty one years.<ref name="Hindu"/> He was also involved in the background music of Malayalam films such as Pooram, [[Rakkuyilin Ragasadassil]], Sriragam, [[Padamudra (film)|Padamudra]] and [[Devaasuram]].<ref name="Hindu"/>

==Awards and honours==
*[[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship]] 2020<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 പുരസ്‌കാര സമർപ്പണം |url=http://www.keralasangeethanatakaakademi.in/downloads/ksna_award_2020.pdf |access-date=25 February 2023 |publisher=[[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi]] |date=31 August 2021 |language=ml}}</ref>
*[[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award]] 1997<ref>{{cite web |title=Classical Music, Awards, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi |url=http://www.keralaculture.org/classical-music-a-ksna/464 |website=www.keralaculture.org |language=en}}</ref>
*Vasai Fine Arts Society's Lifetime Achievement Award 2019<ref>{{cite news |title=പുരസ്‌കാര നിറവിൽ തൃപ്പൂണിത്തറ രാധാകൃഷ്ണനും കലാമണ്ഡലം ക്ഷേമാവതിയും |url=https://amchimumbaionline.com/?p=5100 |work=Amchi Mumbai News Portal |date=27 December 2018}}</ref>
*Parakkadathu Koyickal Trust's Tripunithura Asthana Vidwan Puraskaram<ref>{{cite web |title=Award for Tripunithura N. Radhakrishnan |url=http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/music/2844-award-for-tripunithura-radhakrishnan |website=www.kutcheribuzz.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radhakrishnan, Tripunithura N.}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ghatam players]]
[[Category:Indian percussionists]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:People from Ernakulam district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian musicians]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award]]

Tripunithura N. Radhakrishnan - Revision history

Gauravdewasi at 07:55, 31 July 2025