Who Was Parassala B Ponnammal? Carnatic Music Legend Passes Away At 96

Who is Parassala B Ponnammal? The Carnatic music giant and educator passed away Tuesday at the age of 96 at her home in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The Padma Shri awardee was reportedly facing health issues related to old age.

A pioneer in many aspects, Ponnammal notably broke a 300-year tradition in Kerala in 2006 by becoming the first woman to sing at the Navarathri Mandapam (inner fort area stage) of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple.

The demise of Ponnammal, the long-revered 'grand old matron' of classical music, is being mourned as a huge loss to the cultural scene in India.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan commemorated her on her death, referencing her 2006 performance: "Women had no opportunity to sing at the Navarathri Mandapam. But Ponnammal sang from the mandapam."

Top political leaders have condoled Ponnammal's death on social media:

Legendary Carnatic musician Padmashree Parassala B.

Ponnammal passed away in Thiruvananthapuram today at 96. Teacher & performer, in 2006 she became the 1st woman in 300 years of tradition to sing at the famed Navaratri Celebrations of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/lPlO31Twqo

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 22, 2021

Deeply saddened by the demise of the legendary Carnatic musician Padma Shri Parassala B.Ponnammal. She was the first woman who sang at Navaratri Celebrations of Padmanabhaswamy temple. My thoughts are with her family and friends. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/velYeHNg0D

— K Surendran (@surendranbjp) June 22, 2021

Ponnammal is survived by two sons. Her husband and two other children predeceased her, as per reports.

Who Is Parassala B Ponnammal? 5 Things To Know 

1. Born in Thiruvananthapuram in the 1920s, Ponnammal began training in music as early as seven years old. She was the first woman to get admission at the now-prestigious Swathi Thirunal College of Music, which was then in its earliest years. She earned top rank at the music academy.

2. Ponnammal was trained under some of the most noteworthy classical music gurus, including Papanasam Sivan, Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.

3. After serving as a faculty member at more than one school in Thiruvananthapuram, Ponnammal became the first woman principal of RLV College of Music and Fine Arts in Kochi.

4. The vocalist leaves behind generations of music disciples, many of whom have gone on to carve individual names for themselves in classical music. NJ Nandini and Dr K Omanakutty are among the most famous.

5. Ponnammal earned wide recognition across the world through her lifetime. Her accolades include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram, two of India's highest awards in art and culture.