V. Raghavan
Born 22 August 1908 · verify
Died 9 November 2014
Authored seminal works on Carnatic music theory and contributed to the revival of ancient Indian musical texts.
🔔 Add birthday reminderMelathu Veettil Raghavan was a veteran Communist leader and a former Minister in Kerala state of India. He was the General Secretary of the CMP, an alliance partner in the UDF. Prior to the formation of the CMP he was a prominent leader of the CPI(M).
✨ A detail that surprised us
V. Raghavan composed the Sanskrit hymn "Maitrim Bhajata," which M.S. Subbulakshmi famously performed at the United Nations in 1966 to promote world peace.
1. In 1930, V. Raghavan graduated from Presidency College, Madras, securing 3 college prizes and 5 university medals, a feat that marked the start of his lifelong dedication to Sanskrit and musicology.
2. 🌍 Between 1953 and 1954, he embarked on an extensive European tour cataloging around 20,000 previously uncatalogued Indian manuscripts, bridging Indian and Western scholarship.
3. In 1944, he became the secretary of the Madras Music Academy, a position he held until his death in 1979, influencing Carnatic music scholarship and performances over decades.
4. 📜 From 1935 until retirement in 1968, he meticulously compiled the New Catalogus Catalogorum, cataloging Sanskrit manuscripts from across India and abroad, a foundational resource for Indological studies.
5. 🎭 In addition to scholarly work, he wrote Sanskrit plays and film scripts for early Indian cinema, including 1934's "Sita Kalyanam," blending classical literature with modern media.
6. In 1966, he composed "Maitrim Bhajata," a Sanskrit peace hymn first performed by M.S. Subbulakshmi at the United Nations, linking ancient tradition with global harmony.
7. After retiring in 1968, he founded the Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, dedicated to the memory of his guru, fostering Sanskrit research with global scholarly participation.
8. ❓ How did V. Raghavan balance his roles as a traditional Sanskrit scholar, modern academic, composer, and cultural mediator during a time of rapid social change in India?
Awards & Honours
- 🏅Padma Bhushan
🔍 One thing most people don't know
In 1953-54, V. Raghavan discovered and cataloged approximately 20,000 uncatalogued Sanskrit manuscripts during his European tour, significantly expanding the global repository of Indian texts.
🖼️ Through the Years
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📅 The Journey
🗝️ Discoveries
🎥 Speeches & Recordings
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📖 Curated Sources
🌱 What changed because of them
V. Raghavan’s New Catalogus Catalogorum remains a critical resource for Sanskrit manuscript research worldwide, enabling scholars to access and study rare texts. His leadership at the Madras Music Academy helped standardize Carnatic music scholarship and brought greater academic rigor to Indian performing arts. The Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, which he founded, continues to support Sanskrit studies and preserves the legacy of classical Indian knowledge.
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