Born into music
Dr. P. Datchanamoorthy represents a South Indian tradition in which the Thavil and the Nadaswaram complete each other. According to his official Padma citation, he was born on 21 December 1956 in Puducherry. His father, R. Poovan, was a well-known Nadaswaram vidwan, and in that musical home he began learning the Thavil at about 15.
Thousands of temples and ceremonies
The Thavil is not just a concert instrument; it is part of the sound of temple festivals, weddings and traditional ceremonies. According to the citation, he has performed at more than 5,000 temples, more than 8,000 traditional and family ceremonies, and, since 2006, more than 3,000 government cultural programmes.
A recognition of the art
Accompanying artists are often less visible than the lead musicians. He kept giving the Thavil a stage for decades, and was honoured with the Puducherry Kalaimamani (2009), the title of Asthana Vidvan of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (2014) and many other titles.
When the Padma Shri was announced in 2025, he called it a recognition of traditional art rather than a personal victory. Accompaniment arts are the backbone of cultural heritage.
Sources
- Padma Awards 2025: official citation
- Puducherry Art & Culture: Kalaimamani list
- PTI / DT Next: profile
- padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2025/202596.pdf
- art.py.gov.in/indigent-artistes-and-kalaimamani-list
- dtnext.in/news/tamilnadu/padma-shri-vibrant-recognition-of-art-says-puducherry-thavil-artiste-820586
- x.com/airnews_puduvai/status/1883194147219316778