With reference to culture history of India, consider the following statements: 1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna. 2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas. 3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries. 4. Annamacharya kirtnas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venkateshwara. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 and 4 only
C. 1, 2 and 3 only
D. 2, 3 and 4 only
Answer: 2 and 4 only
Option b is the correct answer.
Statement 1 is incorrect. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions in praise of Lord Ram, not Lord Krishna.
Statement 2 is correct. Tyagaraja adopted composing in new ragas as one of the aims of his musical career. The (approximately) 700 known kritis of Tyagaraja feature 212 ragas; 121 of these ragas have only one kriti in them. He was the first to compose kritis in "about 66 ragas". His enthusiasm for such ragas can be seen from the fact that even among the last few kritis that he is believed to have composed, three are in new ragas: Vagadeeswari (paramatmudu), Ganavaridhi (daya juchutakidira) and Manohari (paritapamu ganiyadina).
Statement 3 is incorrect. Annamacharaya was a 15th Century Hindu saint, he composed songs in praise of Lord Venkateshwara. Tyagaraja was born in 1767.
Statement 4 is correct. Annamacharya composed 32,000 keertanas (devotional songs) in praise of Lord Venkateswara.