Given the fact that he led his life with great discipline and care it would not have been surprising, had Pillai led a long and healthy life, performing on his nadhaswaram till the end. But that was not to be. Returning from a tour of the Far East in 1975, Pillai was found to have frequent lapses of memory. While the family debated on what was to be done, Pillai’s health deteriorated further. He had suffered a series of strokes and had lost control of his right hand and leg.

Pillai however never gave up hopes of playing once again on nadhaswaram. He kept on asking for it and when his speech recovered enquired of the doctor whether he would be able to play. The doctor gave him his own mallet to hold and when he found that an impossible task Pillai realized that the nadhaswaram was perhaps now beyond his reach forever. After medical treatment in Madras was completed, Pillai returned to Tiruvengadu where his life was largely wheelchair bound. Even then, honours continued to come in search of him and once in a while when the occasion warranted it, he made a public appearance. His last wish that of having a darshan of Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi however was never to be fulfilled for his health had become too frail for him to withstand the rigours of the journey.

Pillai’s end came on 18th February 1986 at Tiruvengadu. His wives and three sons survived him. He was cremated on 19th February in the same town. Pillai is the man who made Tiruvengadu well known for nadhaswaram music in the last century. His end brought to a close an era of great nadhaswaram and tavil vidwans who once literally dominated the field of Carnatic music.