K. Thusyantharaj: A Young Tallent!!!

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K. Thusyantharaj who is an activist of the Third Eye Local Knowledge and Skill Activists group is an artist creating several installations and statues mainly using the natural wastages in the environment. He is residing in Seelamunai of Batticaloa and 20 years old.

Nowadays he has extended his skill to use the various shapes of the roots and branches of the trees to create magnificent models of the human. His creations are very valuable and environment friendly.

By:J.Karunenthira

Annaviyar Arasaratnam: The Specialist in Vilasam Style Kooththu!

Annaviyar Arasaratnam is also a veteran priest of Local Rituals in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

“Poosari Mooththappa” :Velappodi Sinntaththam

Velappodi Sinntaththamby who is known as “Poosari Mooththappa” in Ampilanthurai of Batticaloa District is a veteran local priest to direct the local deities’ rituals. He is 86 years old living with extra ordinary experience and skills in the field of local rituals. 

He is also an expert to heal the people to overcome some particular problems such as trauma ext.  He has his tradition of the local medicine and local priest for more than 3 generations as he knows. He is still functioning as a head of local priest in his village and he has educated many others also. His knowledge and skills should be appreciated and honored.

By:J.Karunenthira a.k.a. Suman

    

THE LIVING LEGEND OF THE TRADITIONAL THETARE AND ARTS OF TAMILS OF SRI LANKA

Annaviyar Kanapathipillai Noanchi Podi was born in 1913 and studied up to 7th standard in the school! But he is a farmer, carpenter, priest and traditional doctor! He is a composer of kooththu scripts, composer of traditional lyrics, maker of traditional instruments other then Master of the Art of Kooththu! Though he is a multifaceted personality molded by the local system "he and his tribe are uneducated" and produce "unsophisticated" kooththu performances in all of its aspects which needs "Aesthetic sensibility." Modern and the Educated has been constructing a notion victimize the artists of the local community and establish them as authority. Reformulation of Kooththu Program deconstructs this constructed notions and expose the power of the local arts and the artists. S.Jeyasankar

ANNAVIYAR NOANCHI PODY WAGED A SILENT STRUGGLE AGAINST THE FALSE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FEW MODERN THEATRE SCHOLARS WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY.

ANNAVIYAR NOANCHI PODY IS ONE OF THE ROUNDED PERSONALITY OF THE TRADITIONAL THEATRE OF THE TAMILS OF SRI LANKA PRODUCED.

AS A COMPOSER OF TRADITIONAL THEATRE HE HAS CREATED TEXTS WHICH ARE IN DEMAND FOR PERFORMANCES.

HIS KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN TRADITIONAL THEATRE AND ARTS AND LITERATURE IN TRADITIONAL GENRE ARE MASTER PIECES.

ANNAVIYAR NOANCHI PODY IS AN INSPIRATIONAL PERSONALITY FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS. S.Jeyasankar 

ALL THE HONOURED ANNAVIYARS ON THE STAGE-2012

THE GENUINE GUARDIANS OF THE TRADITIONAL THEATRES ARE ANNAVIYARS.

THEIR LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO THE PERFORMING ART KOOTHTHU,  AND THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITIES ARE THE ONLY RESOURCES BASE WHICH MAKE KOOTHTHU STILL IN PRACTICE AS A VIBRANT ART OF THE COMMUNITIES.

BUT  SELF ESTABLISHED AGENTS AS INSTITUTIONS AND AS INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARS ESTABLISH THEM AS GUARDIANS OF THE ART AND RECEIVING FUNDS BY MANUFACTURING THAT THE PRACTICING ART AS AN EXTINCT ONE AND THEY ARE THE PEOPLE ENGAGED IN REVIVING,PRESERVING, MODERNIZING, MODIFYING ETC...

IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THEM AS AUTHORITIES OF THE ART THEY ENGAGED IN A MISSION OF CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF THE ART AND ITS ARTISTS BY MENTIONING ART AS CRUDE AND THE ARTISTS AS UNEDUCATED.

IN ORDER TO AESTHETICALLY SENSITIZE THE ART THE THE SELF ESTABLISHED "EDUCATED" AUTHORITIES TOOK AWAY THE ART FROM THE "UNEDUCATED" AND MODERNIZED AND MODIFIED AND BRANDED IT AS THE GENUINE VERSION WITH COPY RIGHTS!

THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL FUNDERS KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY OR PURPOSELY CHOSE THE AGENTS INSTEAD OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PERFORMING FOR GENERATIONS.

POLITICS OF THIS KIND OF SELECTIONS HAS AGENDAS WHICH UNDERMINE THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF LOCAL SOCIETIES.

THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL SOON.

S.Jeyasankar

THE MASTERS OF TRADITIONAL THEATRE OF THE SRI LANKAN TAMILS HONOURED!!!

SIXTY ANNAVIYARS WERE HONORED AND AROUND 15-20 ANNAVIYARS WERE LEFT OUT BUT WILL BE HONORED IN FUTURE, DEFINITELY IN 2013. ALMOST 80 ANNAVIYARS ARE LIVING IN BATTICALOA DISTRICT. ANNAVIYARS HONORED ARE MASTERS IN THEIR ART AND MOST OF THEM ARE STILL ENGAGED IN THEIR ART.

BUT IN BOOKS, RESEARCH WORKS,TEXT BOOKS AND IN QUESTION PAPERS KOOTHTHU IS AN EXTINCT ART! IT IS THE HISTORY AND STORY OF LAST FIFTY YEARS IN THE ACADEMIC WORLD OF THE SRI LANKAN TAMILS.

PRIESTS OF GALILEAN MISERY IS STILL EXIST IN ORDER TO BURY A LIVING ART OF THE PEOPLE.

WHY THIS HAPPENS? IS IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND?

S.Jeyasankar

COVER DESIGN BY S.NIRMALAVASAN

MURALS IN MANNAR

16 DAYS CAMPAIGN ON VIOLANCE AGAINST WOMEN

DISPLAY OF GODDES 'AMMAN' IN 'PATHTHASI' TRADITRION (LOCAL RITUAL TRADITION)

 PATHTHASI IS THE SYSTEM PRACTICED IN LOCAL RITUALS AND DIFFERENT FROM 'AGAMIC' TRADITION. THIS TRADITION OF WORSHIPING IS STILL VERY STRONG IN BATTICALOA, SRI LANKA.