Culture and Conversation

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

Tamilarasi holds her infant with one hand as she swiftly applies make up with the other. She is getting ready for a Kattaikkoothu performance and is transforming into a menacing Dushasana. S. Tamilarasi, K. Venda, R. Mahalakshmi, A. Bharathi and S. Srimathy have embarked on a dream project — they are part of an all-woman Kattaikkoothu show that hopes to break the social taboos associated with women performing Koothu. As one enters the Kuttu Kalai Koodam in Kanchipuram, a stri

When asked about the significance of Pride Month, Revathi said, “Pride is not just a celebration — but a protest for survival, visibility and acceptance. From forced marriages to conversion therapy, queer people — especially those from working-class and rural backgrounds — fight to just exist without shame. We march to be seen, to affirm that our identities are not a disease or disorder.” Revathi published her first book in Tamil, Unarvum Uruvamum (Our Lives, Our Words) in 20

In the early 19th century, several attempts were made to recast the classical music tradition of South India. Constructing a classical music repertoire acceptable to the social and cultural milieu of those times required the positioning of certain compositional forms as core elements and relegating others to a lesser status in the artistic hierarchy. Padams and Javalis were the greatest casualties in this exercise. Thanks to the efforts of hereditary musicians and dancers fro

In 1998, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the United States of America decided to distribute free classical music CDs to every baby born in the state! This may have astounded many but what is even more surprising is that the decision was made in response to a study by a psychologist named Francis Rauscher who developed a theory known as the Mozart effect. The study basically suggested that early childhood exposure to classical music has beneficial effects on mental dev

Quite a lot has been spoken about mridangam legend Palani Subramania Pillai as his 115th birth anniversary was celebrated last April. Musicians have enthusiastically recalled how Subramania Pillai’s mridangam accompaniment blended seamlessly with the music. This effect mesmerised certain star vocalists such as Madurai Mani Iyer, who once while singing Tyagaraja’s ‘Enduku peddala’ stopped midway during the niraval at the phrase ‘Veda shastra’ just to listen to Subramania Pilla

The importance of the temple in sustaining instruments like nagaswaram and thavil cannot be stressed enough. Among the several instruments used in temples, the nagaswaram has the unique distinction of having been conceptualised to serve a dual purpose. Apart from being played on concert platforms, it is also a medium of announcement akin to instruments like the ekkalam and murasu. The nagaswaram, because of its sonorous nature, draws attention to the performance of temple rit