1810), who adapted the violin for use in Carnatic music, also created the form of Mohiniattam at the request of the Maharaja of Travancore, Swati Tirunal.
The Quartet's heritage, preserved and expanded by the next eight generations of this family, remains the richest resource for traditional performers of the form to this day.
Guru Kittappa Pillai himself was a brilliant musician, teacher and choreographer and revived many rare pieces of the original Tanjavur repertoire, producing the first annotated versions in the 1950s,[2] including the Sarabhendra Bhupala Kuravanji and the Navasandhi Kavituvams.
He was honoured with several awards and titles during his lifetime which include: Kittappa Pillai has published works relating to the repertoire of his illustrious ancestors, the Tanjore Quartet.
These include Ponniah Mani Malai, Thanjai Natya Isaikaruvoolam, Adi Bharatakala Manjari, Javalis of Chinnayya and Gana Kala Swarabhushani (along with his younger brother veena vidwan Sri K. P.