N. Gayatri, aged 93, a lifelong resident of Mylapore, passed away on Sept.26.
She spent her early years on Kutchery Road and in Lakshmipuram. She attended St. Ebbas School, Mylapore and later, the Presidency Girls High School in Egmore, where she celebrated India’s first Independence Day.
A gifted musician, Gayatri trained in Carnatic music under guru Kittamani Iyer. before her family relocated to Madurai. There, she excelled in her studies, achieving top marks as one of only two girls in an all-boys school.
Her passion for music was deep and she held several performances, hoping to perform on All India Radio
After completing her education, she married A. Natarajan and moved to Sullivans Garden Road, now P. S. Sivaswami Salai, in Mylapore, where she lived for the next 60 years.
Though she couldn’t pursue music professionally, she kept her love for it alive by composing melodies for slokas like Meenakshi Pancharathnam and Soundarya Lahari: she was also a skilled veena player.
As a dedicated homemaker, she raised five children, instilling in them strong values. She learned tailoring, designing clothes for her family, and continued to stitch her own blouses until age 90, encouraging her daughters and daughters-in-law to do the same.
Cooking was another way she expressed her love, and her culinary creations are fondly remembered by family and friends.
Despite her busy family life, she pursued her dream of education, earning a BA in Music from Madras University at age 60. At 68, she attended a Thiruppugazh convention, igniting a passion that led her to teach Thirupugazh for nearly a decade.
She was affectionately nicknamed Jukebox, for her ability to sing a vritham in any raga. She then became a Thiruppugazh teacher too. Gayatri loved traveling and visited numerous temples across India. She set music to the Ananda Sagara Stava sloka, which has touched many hearts, and she created a video to share it with a wider audience.
In recent years, she moved to R.A. Puram with her family.
Her childhood dream of singing on the radio was fulfilled when her performances were aired by Tamilaruvi Germany Radio, and many continue to be broadcast in her memory.
Her daughter can be contacted on WhatsApp on 9840930888
