Culture and Conversations

Image belongs to Kattaikkuttu Sangam, Photo by PeeVee The Mahabharata, a voluminous epic, has many memorable characters. Despite leading quite a tragic life that finally came to an end on the battlefield between the Pandavas and Kauravas, Karna was known for his benevolence and compassion. Stories from the Mahabharata form an integral part of the Kattaikkoothu repertoire. This challenging Tamil theatre form where actors are required to sing, dance, act and speak dialogues han

Rukmini Devi – a personality with several layers Biographies usually tend to be uninteresting as they are endlessly filled with facts and events. However, VR Devika's books are unconventional maybe because she is a person who loves telling stories! One can perceive her child-like enthusiasm in gathering and putting together various details in a manner that never tires the reader. In her biography of the great Bharatanatyam revivalist Rukmini Devi Arundale, Devika has attempte

When I first read the great T.Balasaraswati's biography by her son-in-law Douglas Knight in the year of its release (2010-11, if my memory serves me right), I found that she had a student named Shyamala Mohanraj from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. As I was reading the book, I simultaneously watched several videos of dancers following the Bala Bani to visually experience what I was reading. That is when I chanced upon Shyamala Amma's videos. I was stunned at her dedication and steadfastne