Treasured tradition from
Kadambari Gladding on
Vimeo.
http://onerupee.tumblr.com/
I went back to Batticaloa in Sri Lanka this July, where a group of
theatre performers were testimony to some of the ways in which Tamil
youth are embracing the prospects that become available post-war.
Parai Mela Koothu, is a traditional form of Tamil folk
theatre. Loud, colourful and long-drawn, the mythological stories
enacted by the troupe keep audiences captive late into the night. Under
the guidance of Fine Arts lecturer, Dr Jeyasanakar, these young theatre
artists studying in Eastern University, are part of a fantastic arts
revival taking place in the vibrant Tamil eastern region.
Owing to years of war and displacement, many fractured Tamil
communites were all but unable to come together to celebrate their
stories through
Koothu. Now, 3 years since the war ended,
things are on the turn for this ancient art-form, despite competition
from the pervasiveness of Tamil commercial film culture and music.
Enthusiasts like Dr Jayasankar have been instrumental in getting young actors in Tamil communities interested in
Koothu. Accompanied by senior
Koothu
masters who’ve been performing for decades, Dr Jayasankar’s troupe
performed for 3 long days, under the shade of a Banyan tree as part of
the ten-day
Mamaangam Kovil festival.
I spent a few days meeting a few local
Koothu enthusiasts
amid the ruckus of roosting crows, the tolling of mammoth brass bells
and the low hum of prayers from thousands of deeply devout. All the
while, just like most in the audience, I too became captive of the
perfect dynamic between mythology, art, music and faith.
