In the modern age,
where most college goers have a blind love for alien culture, the students of
Rathinam Arts and Science College proved their passion for traditional Kongu
folk dances like Oyilattam, Karakattam,
Kolattam, Kummi and many more by
performing them to the rousing approval of hundreds of spectators at their
celebration of Kovai Gramiya Vizha (
Coimbatore’s Folk Festival), a part of Coimbatore Vizha -2014 in their campus on Friday( today).
The tradition-rich
colorful fest began with hundreds of students clad in white dhotis and silk
sarees taking a rally up to Sundarapuram and dancing to the thunderous drum
beats of the musical instrument Thudumbu,
which is popularly called as Jamab in
Coimbatore. The rally ended at the college campus,
but to begin a chain of other colourful events like Karakattam, Oyilattam, Kummy and so on. 
Applause rented the
air in the first event, in which a boy playing the role of a rural Tamil girl’s maternal uncle attempting to present her
a silk saree, which she declines with a smile blended with coyness, a natural
feminine quality of a traditional Tamil girl even finds mention in the Tamil
grammar work Irayanaar Agaporul.
When Priya and her
team showcased their stunning dance performance for the lyric Intha Mannu Manakkura Malliga Poo from the
Tamil film Subramaniyapuram, even the
students standing in groups here and there were seen dancing to quench their
thirst for folk music.
The dance
performances of the students also included for the folk numbers Otha Roobayum Thaaren from the Tamil
film Naattupurapaattu and Ullukulle…
Ullukulle Kulunguthadi, a popular Tamil folk song.
Margaret Bastin,
Principal, Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, Trichy, who was the chief guest
on the occasion, pointed out that music finds an important place in the culture
of Tamils as read from the ancient Tamil grammar work Tholkappiyam.
Jone, Head,
Department of Visual Communication, who was clad in his traditional white dhoti,
said:
“Besides, encouraging
our students to celebrate the Kovai
Grammiya Vizha, we have also roped in teams of traditional folk artistes
from villages including Puravipalayam, Malumichampatti and Kinathukadavu from
the Kongu region. By doing so, we have created a platform for them to display
their talents in traditional folk arts, which are gradually disappearing in
modern age”
Parameshwari,
Professor of Tamil at Rathnam Arts and Science, College, averred:
“For the first time
in the city, we have attempted to preserve the disappearing folk dances of
Kongunadu by introducing them to our students and making them perform in the Kovai Gramiya Vizha”
Shapna and Sudha, students
from II year B.Sc Mathematics, who were performers in the Karakaattam, said:
“We were practicing
the dance for the last one week to perform in the Kovai Gramiya Vizha. Our goal behind choosing Karakattam is to take the glories of the folk dance to the present
day students”
No comments:
Post a Comment