KOTeeshwara Aiyyar - (January 1870-October 21, 1936) An eminent composer in Tamil, Kotiswara Ayyar was a grandson of the great scholar and composer, Kavi Kunjara Bharati (1810-1896), who authored the Skanda Purana kirthanas, Azhagar Kuravanji and several kirtanas. Bharati was a prolific composer and in Kotiswara Ayyar one sees a worthy and capable successor in the family. His father, Naganatha Ayyar of Nandanur near Elayangudi, the sacred place of Saint Maranar, was also a scholar and composer. Music is the life-line of the family and the popular singer of devotional songs, K.Veeramani is a grandson of Kotiswara Ayyar.

Kotiswara studied at Manamadurai, Tiruchirapalli and Madras. Initially, he was in the Criminal Intelligence Department and later transalator in the High Court, Madras. On the musical side, he studied under the stalwarts, Poochi (Ramnad) Srinivasa Ayyangar and Patnam Subramania Ayyar. There was thus a parallel line of activity throughout - as NMN writes - 'one for livelihood and the other for life's ruling passion'.

Kotiswara Ayyar has composed about two hundred pieces. His seventy-two melakarta kirtanas are a great contribution carving out for him a place among great composers. Has composed varnams in Tamil in the ragas Saveri, Danyasi, Bilahari, etc. His signature is 'Kavi Kunjara Dasan', probably as a tribute to his maternal grandfather. His compositions are philosophical and his 'Kanda Gnanamudham' is a valuable work. He has published the works of Kavi Kunjara Bharati also. For his mastery in Todi raga, he was called 'Todi Koti'. He has sung in praise of Sri Tyagaraja in his 'Ininamakkoru kavalaiyumillai' - meaning henceforth we have no need for any worry.'

A saintly soul and a great composer, his compositions are in popular use like 'Velava Va' (Kiravani).

Mudra: Kunjaradaasa

Compositions:

1. ambOruha paadamE - naTabhairavi
   
2. anaatharakshhaka - jhaalavaraaLi
   
3. anbon annaiyE - shree
   
4. anjaadE nenjamE - paavani
   
5. antaranga bhakti - shhadvidamaargini
   
6. appaa murugayyanE - divyamaNi
   
7. appanE - tODi
   
8. aruL paarayyaa - bilahari
   
9. aruL seyya vENDum - rasikapriyaa
   
10. aruLvaay - kharaharapriyaa
    
11. ayyanE ATkoL - kAmbhOji
    
12. daasa nEsha guhEshanE - vanaspati
    
13. danti maamukha - naaTTai
    
14. Edayyaa gati - calanaaTTai
    
15. Edum ariyEnE - sahaanaa
    
16. eeshan kanaka sabhEshan - bEgaDa
    
17. En manamE - naamanaaraayaNi
    
18. enai aaLayyaa - shankaraabharaNam
    
19. gaanaamuda paanam - jyOtiswaroopini
    
20. gaanaamudam - saalagam
    
21. geetaamudamE - madyamaavati
    
22. ghananaya - rishhabhapriyaa
    
23. guNasAgarA kumarA (tv) - hindOLa
    
24. iha para sukham - suvarnaangi
    
25. ihamE sukham - gamanashramaa
    
26. ihapara sukhadaayaka - vaacaspati
    
27. ini namakkoru - bilahari
    
28. irangaadaa saaminaathaa - naaTakapriyaa
    
29. Ishan kanakasabEshan - bEgaDa
    
30. kaa guhaa - koshalam
    
31. kaa murugayyaa - kaamavardhini
    
32. kaaNa kaN kOTi - cakravaakam
    
33. kaaruNya kanda - dhavalaambari
    
34. kaikkooDa - lataangi
    
35. kalangaadE manamE - raagavardhani
    
36. kali teera - hanumatODi
    
37. kaN paarayyaa - kharaharapriyaa
    
38. kanaka mayoora - jalaarnavam
    
39. kanakaangakaa - kanakaangi
    
40. kanakavEla - shree raagam
    
41. kandaa bhakta - dharmaavati
    
42. kandaa karpaka - shyaamaLaangi
    
43. kanjam konjam - sooryakaantam
    
44. karuNai kaDalE - dhEnukaa
    
45. kAruNya kanda gAnAmudam - dhavaLAmbari
    
46. krpai paarayyaa - dhanyaasi
    
47. maa madhura - gaanamoorti
    
48. maalaaginEn vElavaa - maararanjani
    
49. maanE mOham (varNam) - saavEri
    
50. mahaa gaNapatE - kaanaDaa
    
51. malaiyaadE manamE - sarasaangi
    
52. manadE maravaadE - hEmaavati
    
53. maravaadiru manamE - kEdaaram
    
54. mOhanakara mutukumara - neetimati
    
55. mOna jnaana - gowLa
    
56. naada nilai - gaayakapriyaa
    
57. naada tatva - bEgaDa
    
58. naadaanu santaana - vaagadeeshwari
    
59. naadasukham tarum - kaantaamaNi
    
60. naaLaagudE - roopavati
    
61. naan en seivEn - maayamaaLava gowLa
    
62. naayEn unaiyE - naaganandini
    
63. nambinEn ayyaa - vakulaabharaNam
    
64. nee taan appaa - caarukEshi
    
65. neeyE gati en taayE - harikaambhOji
    
66. nija bhakti - maanavati
    
67. nErishai veNbA paNNirainda -
    
68. ninai manamE nee - gangayabhooshhani
    
69. paaraai aruL - gowri manOhari
    
70. paraamukham adEnO - shoolini
    
71. paramaananda - vishvaambari
    
72. raamaa ravikulasOmaa - bhairavi
    
73. ranjita kavi - sudda saavEri
    
74. saamagaanalOla - citraambari
    
75. saamee deekshitaa - dEva manOhari
    
76. saamee idE - navaneetam
    
77. saamee sadaa - raamapriyaa
    
78. saami idE - kEdaara gowLa
    
79. saami neeyE gati (varNam) - kEdaara gowLa
    
80. sadaananda bhakti - raghupriyaa
    
81. sadaanandamE - kalyaaNi
    
82. sendil adhipan - shankarAbharaNa
    
83. sen tiru vElan - bhaavapriyaa
    
84. shambhO sadaashiva - yaagapriyaa
    
85. shambhO shankara - kalyaaNi
    
86. sharavaNabhavA - bilahari
    
87. shree vENugOpaala - darbaar
    
88. shrngaara kumaara - varuNapriyaa
    
89. sukha vaazhvaDaindu - kOkilapriyaa
    
90. sukhakara - dhaatuvardhani
    
91. sukhamE sukham - shhanmugapriyaa
    
92. taa taa nin paadam - aThaaNaa
    
93. tandaruL ayyaa - naasikabhooshhaNi
    
94. taruNam idE dayaanidhE - ratnaangi
    
95. taruvE ninnaruL - varaaLi
    
96. tingaL maavadanam - shuruTTi
    
97. uLam ariyaadaa - shree ranjani
    
98. unnai allaal - simhEndra madhyamam
    
99. vaa sharavaNabhavaa - bilahari
    
100. vaa vElavaa - taanaroopi
     
101. vaaraNa mukhavaa - hamsadwani
     
102. vaavaa shikhivaahana - naaTTai
     
103. vandaruL nee taa - sEnaavati
     
104. varam taarum - jhankaaradhwani
     
105. varavENum - shankaraabharaNam
     
106. varavENum (varNam) - dhanyaasi
     
107. vElanE vErE - shubhapantuvaraaLi
     
108. vElava vaavaa - aarabi
     
109. vElavaa vinai - keeravaaNi
     
110. vElayyaa - saavEri
     
111. vElu mayilumE - sucaritra
     
112. viraivaagavE - ghavaambhodi