Karnatic Music Book Centre, a non descript board, stares at you when you enter a by lane on Royapettah High Road. Neither the location nor the board prepares you of the veritable treasure of books stacked inside. They are on different types of music ranging from Carnatic and Hindustani to Western, Classical and Folk. There are also books on dance, art related indological books and all in a variety of languages. What would have prompted the owners to start such a useful, unique venture?
"It was in January 1968 that I first started selling Carnatic Music Books in Tiruvaiyar," begins T.S.Krishnamurthy founder of this venture. Sangeetha Vidwan Shri Panchapakasa Iyer, author of several books on carnatic music, was his father-in-law. Krishnamurthy took it upon himself to propagate these booksand could not think of a better time and place to do it than the annual "Bahula Panchami" festival at Tiruvaiyur. It was soon apparent that there was a market for such books and Krishnamurthy started selling the famed collection of Prof. Shri Sambamurthy, Shri Tinnai Venkatarama Iyer and other publications. At this point of time, there was only one other book stall of a similar nature at the same venture. However, there was no competition as vidwan Shri Sundaram Iyer, its owner, sold only his own publications.
"Kadavul". May be God himself put in the first letter of this word as a sign of his blessings," explains Balasubramaniam, Younger brother who subsequently became a part of this venture. From then on it has only been rise to reach the top in their field of choice. In 1982 they acquired "The Indian Music Publishing House" which was in doldrums. In 1991 "Adi & Company of Sangita Sahitya Vidwan Shri K.V. Srinivasa Iyengar came under their umbrella and there are many more similar acquisitions. This is certainly a remarkable feat considering their non-musical background.
This little shop stores about 1,500 titles. "We do have very rare books too, some of it in manuscript form," says Krishnamurthi. Some of them are the "Sangita Chandrika" (1902) by Manicka Mudaliar, "Nallanadi Vadya Ranjani" of Gangaimuthu Nattuvanar (1898) and many more such valuable works." Balasubramaniam explains: "I love to travel and in the course of my wanderings I came across interesting manuscripts sometimes in the most unexpected of places." However, due to certain copyright constraints they are not able to publish it. This wide range of books attracts a varietyof customers from the lay rasika to the research scholar.
We at Karnatic Music Book Center are certainly very happy with the support we receive from well-wishers in the music fraternity. We also mention with pride a reference to our bookshop as a "Treasure House" in Michael Wood's Book. However, we do have one regret. " For all the public talk on patronising Tamil music, do you know that there are many old tamil books which need to be reprinted? In spite of informing the authorities concerned nothing has been dome this matter for the past several years," Balasubramaniam concludes with an air of helplessness. | 
