Sibling duo’s ‘Thirukkural 1330’ project unites global voices

CHENNAI: Nearly a decade ago, Varshan and his children, Amirthavarshini and Lydian Nadhaswaram, shared a dream: to spread the wisdom of the Tirukkural to the world through the magic of music. At the time, Amirthavarshini was just 12, and Lydian was only nine, too young to fully grasp the depth of Tiruvalluvar’s teachings. “The Tirukkural is divided into three parts aaram (virtue), porul (wealth), and inbam (love) and we knew that to do justice to these powerful messages, they needed to have a deeper understanding of it. So, we decided to wait until they turned 18, to ensure they could truly appreciate the depth of each couplet,” recalls Varshan.

Fast forward to today, and their dream has blossomed into a groundbreaking project: The Thirukkural 1330: Musical Ethos. This extraordinary initiative brings Tiruvalluvar’s 1330 couplets (along with their meanings) to life, blending ancient wisdom with contemporary sound. Over 1,000 singers from around the world have lent their voices to this project, with Amirthavarshini composing the melodies and Lydian handling the music arrangements and production.

The Thirukkural 1330 project is not just a tribute to Tamil literature, but a celebration of its timeless teachings thr ough music. Each of the 1330 couplets is transformed into a unique musical piece, spanning a wide range of genres from classical to contemporary making this a rich and diverse musical journey.

“We just launched the official music album trailer and the full project will be released in a few months,” Varshan says, beaming with happiness. Launched in 2023, this ambitious project isn’t just about creating beautiful music — it’s about sharing messages that can resonate across generations. “Music reaches a global audience, and what better lyrics than the Tirukkural to convey universal truths that speak to everyone, no matter where they are from?”

Varshan reflects on how the project came to life, “When my son turned 18 in September 2023, we knew it was the right time. We started the process the very next day. I had complete faith in my children’s abilities, and I knew this project would be in good hands,” he tells DT Next.

Once they launched the project, they reached out to singers from across the globe. “The music industry has many talented voices that don’t always get the opportunity to be heard. We wanted to create a platform for those voices to shine,” Varshan explains. The response was overwhelming, with more than 1,60,000 voice samples submitted. From this, they carefully selected 350 singers, with the rest from industry professionals.

Amirthavarshini, who has been deeply involved in every aspect of the project, adds, “We’ve always admired Tiruvalluvar’s teachings. His verses are simple, yet so powerful. What’s remarkable is that singers from all over the world, even those living abroad, recorded songs from their homes and shared their videos. This project has become a global endeavour, something much bigger than we could have imagined,” shares Amirthavarshini.

Varshan speaks emotionally of his children’s efforts. “My daughter has been exceptional in monitoring all the vocals we received. She’s made sure everything was treated with the utmost care, both from a musical and a conceptual standpoint. Lydian’s musical vision and attention to detail have been invaluable in bringing this project to life.”

With over 1,000 songs completed and just 330 more to go, Varshan is thrilled with the response the trailer received. “When we convey something meaningful through music, it touches people in a way that words alone cannot. This project is a legacy, not just for us, but for current and future generations. We are excited to complete it and share the wisdom of Tiruvalluvar with the world,” Varshan concludes.