Two great living Annaviars of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka!
Nahamani Poadyiar(R) and Paalaha Poadyiar (L) of Kannan Kudah, Batticaloa are specialists in both the Thenmody and Vadamody Kooththu, the traditional theatres of the Thamils of Sri Lanka.
Their knowledge and skill in the art of Kooththu is tremendous and they are also the living power houses of traditional knowledge and skill of the society.
The versatility of both of these Annaviars is familiar to the region and beyond as well.
But the educated elite of the higher education institutions brand the Kooththu Performers and the Annaviars as “uneducated” and “illiterates” in their academic works as colonizers branded the colonized as “barbarians”.
*Annaviar is the Master Artist of Kooththu.
S.Jeyasankar
01.11.2006
