The article in Outlook: https://www.outlookindia.com/national/india-news-the-prayer-song-enterprise-the-curious-history-of-the-suprabhatam-news-375358
Here is a Perplexity.AI summary of the article "The Prayer Song Enterprise: The Curious History Of The Suprabhatam" from Outlook India:
The Venkatesa Suprabhatam is described as one of India's most popular prayer songs with an intriguing history.
Its origins trace back to a short morning wake-up verse in the Balakanda of Valmiki’s Ramayana, where sage Vishwamitra wakes Lord Rama.
In the 15th century, poet Prativadi Bhayankar Anna from Andhra Pradesh composed additional stanzas, associating the Suprabhatam with the Tirumala Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Tirupati, where it became part of morning rituals.
For centuries, the song remained a relatively private recitation until it was recorded and broadcast. The earliest known recording was by PV Ananthasayanam Iyengar, intended for teaching MS Subbulakshmi.
The song's transformation into a national phenomenon occurred with MS Subbulakshmi’s iconic 1958 recording broadcast on All India Radio, turning it into one of India's most beloved and best-selling devotional tracks. (a total of around 35 crores recorded views on the several YouTube uploads).
The popularity of the Suprabhatam, alongside other devotional recordings, highlights a powerful enterprise of spiritual music in India, with MS Subbulakshmi recognised as a leading figure in this genre.
Today, the Suprabhatam remains a daily ritual in millions of households, underlining the blend of ancient tradition, temple heritage, radio/recording innovation, and musical brilliance that brought it to the masses.
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If one wants to learn the chanting, there is an excellent course online by Vyoma Labs.
I attach herewith two very useful links:
MSS Rendition:
|| Oṃ Namō Venkateśāya ||
