February - 2012 by Projects Abroad

ree

February 2012

Volume 2, Issue 27 Sponsored by:

Thyagaraja Aradhana: A Confluence of Music

EDITOR’S CORNER Editor

Contents February 2012 | Issue No. 27

Life, Let’s Play!

Dr. Nandini Murali Sub Editor & Journalism Manager

EDITOR’S CORNER

Ingelise Jones

Life, Let’s Play!

COVER STORY

An Act of Devotion

ISSUES

Performing for a Cause

Designer & Technical Support

DISABILITY

T. Jesuraja

A Vision for Vision

BOOK REVIEW

Reporters

The Artiste’s Way

Julia McEnteer

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

An Eye on Madurai

Journalism Supervisor B. Pooja Coordinator J. Venkatesh

Ariane Lecuyer Katharina Irrgang 2

CULTURE

Leonie Rodenbuecher Morten Thorsboe Kaito Ishizawa

18 22

Inner Passion, Outer Grace Festival Fever

James Lees

VILLAGE VOICES

Valayapatti: Thavil Nadu

EATING-OUT

Simply Traditional

Nicolas Brangi

FILM Sivakasi Projects Abroad Pvt. Ltd.,

Contact:

Amazing Amadeus!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Madurai: A Cusp Between Old and New

editor@maduraimessenger.org MADURAI MESSENGER

ike most children, I too loved playing hide and seek. As one of us closed our eyes and counted from 1-100, the others scampered to hide themselves. Our high-pitched shrieks and giggles dissolved into a still silence in our attempts to make ourselves invisible. However, only children played hide and seek. Adults decided that they were too grown up for such childish games. The “highs” of the game were in discovering new ways to hide and not being easily “caught”, for that would spoil the fun. No matter how often we played, we still clung to the belief that we could never be “caught.” Gradually, we learnt that the best hiding places where the chances of us being “spied” or “spotted” were not fancy hiding places, but often those that were right in front of our eyes. Isn’t that how life is? Too often, we run after things, especially in our pursuit of happiness. We falsely believe that if only we have the perfect partner, perfect job, or perfect looks, then we would be “happy”. What we do not realise is that many of the things we look for “outside” are actually within us, including happiness and God. Anthony De Mello, the Jesuit priest and mystic, once said that God hid himself in all living creatures because He (or She) was certain that humans would search everywhere but within themselves to find Him (or Her). A recurring motif in Hindu mythology is that the Universe is a result of lila—the Supreme Being’s (Brahman) spontaneous joyful creative play. Lila in Sanskrit means ‘sport’ or ‘play’ and the universe is seen as the stage of this dynamic rhythmic Divine Play. In the Vedantic view, the Supreme is the only reality. And like the little children who play hide and seek, we cling to the Maya or illusion that the many forms in the relative world are the ultimate reality. Alan Watts, the contemporary philosopher in The Book, writes that God plays hide and seek. But since nothing exists outside God, Watts says, “God plays hide and seek with himself.” But the Great Magician is so adept at hiding himself in the most unlikely places that it takes him a long time to figure out where he hid Himself. And that’s the whole fun of it, because He, like children playing hide and seek, wanted to prolong the game. “That is why it is so difficult for you and me to find out that we are God in disguise, pretending not to be Himself. But when the game has gone on long enough, all of us will wake up, stop pretending and remember that we are one single Self—the God who is all that there is and who lives for ever and ever,” writes Watts. Recently, I was spellbound by a dancing peacock. As the peacock spread its iridescent feathers, a thousand eyes glinted in the early morning sun as the peacock danced in sheer abandon. Creation watched. Blushed. Towards the finale of the solo performance the peacock staged from me, its tempo slowed and the feathers retracted. The thousand eyes dissolved and merged like a myriad of life forms into One. Dr. nandini murali Editor

No. 17, T.P.K Road Pasumalai Madurai – 625004 Tamil Nadu India Tel. 0452-2370269 Editorial Retraction January 2012 Volume 2, Issue 26: Our apologies to Max Koedood for a misprint in the byline of our Village Voices feature: ‘Srivilliputhur: A Sweet Place to Live’, page 16.

Madurai Messenger Cover Story February 2012

An Act of Devotion In its 165th year, the annual Thyagaraja Aradhana festival at Tiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district is without question getting bigger and better. Thousands of people come from all over India to pay homage to the musician-mystic Sri Thyagaraja, one of the greatest masters in Carnatic music. Filled with such spirit and passion, there is clearly more to the festival than just the music. By Julia McEnteer New Zealand

Twin sisters M.Nithya and M.Karitha

He led a simple life and believed that ‘money couldn’t bring you happiness’. He never wanted fame, but instead only sought acceptance from the Supreme. Many people believe he never earned a single rupee in his life.

hiruvaiyaru is a small town situated on the outskirts of the Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. A place that is usually quiet and simple, takes a complete turn in the months of January and February each year. Home to some of the largest rice fields in the state and the sacred Kaveri River, it is also synonymous with the Thyagaraja Aradhana festival, one of the biggest celebrations of traditional Indian music.

His compositions consisted of distinctive and original hymns, the majority of which were devoted to Lord Rama. His music took people on a journey and lifted the status of this style of music. His immortal compositions form the core of Carnatic music and influence all Carnatic musicians today.

The Thyagaraja Aradhana music festival is held annually to pay homage to the famous musician Sri Thyagaraja (17671848), who grew up in this town. Music lovers flock from all over India to be immersed in the performances and primarily pay homage to his piety and devotion so evident in his compositions. For the musicians themselves, it is more an act of devotion rather then a place to get recognised.

Carnatic Inspiration Carnatic music is something distinctive to Tamil Nadu and this festival is something truly precious to the people here. The festival is held on the grounds where Sri Thyagaraja is said to have left his body, right by the Kaveri River. Close to the venue, people can visit the home where he lived. Though it has been re-constructed over the years, people still go there to absorb the energy of his divine presence and pay their respects. The whole area is regarded as sacred and hence the utmost care is given to ensure it is well looked after.

This year, the festival was held over four days from January 10-13, 2012. Now in its 165th year, the number of people attending has increased rapidly year after year. It is even starting to get international recognition.

Saintly Sounds Sri Thyagaraja is believed to have composed over 24,000 songs. Although researchers have only managed to maintain about 700 of his compositions, these 700 have clearly changed the world of Carnatic Music. Born into a Telugu Brahmin family in Tiruvaiyaru, he learnt the art of music from a very young age. A spiritual and selfless person, he made his music for the Divine, rather than for himself. His main inspiration was the great Lord Rama. Regarded in Hindu mythology as ‘The Perfect Man’, Rama is revered for his courage, devotion and compassion - qualities, which may perhaps also be attributed to Sri Thyagaraja. Sri Thyagaraja’s teacher, ‘Sonti Venkataramanayya’, a wellknown music scholar, was more than impressed after seeing him perform in his home. He decided to tell the King of

Sri Thyagaraja, the musician-mystic

Thanjavur of his great achievements hoping he would also want to see his student perform. The king wished for Sri Thyagaraja to have a life performing in the royal courts, so he sent him an invitation, along with many gifts. Sri Thyagaraja, however, chose a different path and went on a pilgrimage around South India to all the great temples and found inspiration for his compositions from the deities.

The stage itself is set up inside tents and is split in half. While one side is performing, the other is used to set up for the next act, enabling everything to flow smoothly. The audience is seated below the stage as you may expect, but instead of having chairs or concrete floors, they sit spread over piles of sand, which helps create a spiritual atmosphere. Festival goers can also visit a range of stalls, which sell anything from jewellery to musical instruments, and even music lessons are on offer. Here, people are not trying to ‘sell sell sell’ as it usually is in shops and stalls. There is simply no pressure to buy anything and it is fine just to have a look. Any information you need about how it is used in Carnatic music. The profit from the stalls goes towards the event to help make it what it is today. The festival is also sponsored by musicians,

audience members and businesses that choose to help out. One of the major sponsors is City Union Bank Limited. Entry to the festival is free of charge and open to people of any age, gender or ethnicity. Accommodation is also available as well as a food stand providing free meals for all.

A Warm Welcome A.K. Palanivel is the head secretary of the Thyagaraja Aradhana festival. Sharing his position and duties with V.Rajarao, Palanivel has been organising the festival for about 25 years and is also a musician himself. At one point he was named the number one Thavil player in the world and has won many awards including the coveted Nadapperoli, Tavilisai Tilakam, Palkad Mani Iyer awards and many more. He takes his position very seriously and informed us that if people misuse their position in any way they are automatically dismissed. He was enstated to the position when he was just 35 years old. Members in the festival committee were so impressed with his skills as an instrumentalist and his knowledge of Carnatic music, that he was deemed a perfect choice for the role. Thyagaraja is great inspiration to A.K. Palanivel. He works hard to keep alive the spirit and tradition of his divinely inspired music. “I wanted to make the festival as peaceful as possible; I talk in a friendly manner with people rather than ordering them. If we as organisers really set the atmosphere, then everyone will follow,” he explains. He has truly succeeded in this. When walking through the gates of Thyagaraja Aradhana, you automatically feel a wave of calmness come over you. When asking people where things are, they were more then helpful. At concerts back home, people are usually scared to even look security in the eye as their presence tends to be intimidating. But not here. One of the first people to talk to me was a guard with a huge smile

Madurai Messenger Cover Story February 2012

on his face saying, “Welcome, Welcome to the festival.” It was soon obvious that everyone was there to just have a good time and truly embrace the music. He found one of the hardest aspects of organising the festival was just seeing how the day would turn out. “You can only do so much planning and organising. I was nervous that things would not run on schedule. We have to push for this to happen and for the show to run smoothly,” he explained. With so many musicians wanting to be a part of the festival, everything needs to be quite tight. They even had to stop letting people join the show because they just wouldn’t be able to fit them in. “Some people are still waiting, just wanting to get their chance to give praise to the Saint and gain his blessing,” he confirmed.

Stalls where you can buy anything and even have a music lesson!

A.K. Palanivel

journey. I looked around and saw elderly people, school students, families and friends. The music of Sri Thyagaraja knows no boundaries. N. Shiva Kumar attended the festival with his wife and ten-year-old twin children. He told us that he has been coming to the festival for the past seven years.

An audience member feeling the music

They have tried to keep the festival and its tradition the same every year, but have made everything bigger, increasing the number of stalls, accommodation and food stands. “We started off with hundreds of people but now it’s turned into thousands. We can’t even count,” he explained.

“It is a very fine festival. Before me, my father had also been coming for many years. This is my seventh time and the third for my children. Since I was a young a boy my parents would tell me great stories of Hindu mythology. The ideas of music were what stood out for me more than anything. I have chosen to pass this knowledge onto my children,” he said.

Coming Together The main day of the festival falls on the fifth day after the full moon, the ‘Pushya Bahula Panchami’, based on the traditional Indian almanac. It was said that on this day, the composer attained ‘Samadhi’, known as one of the highest levels of meditation. This year, it fell on the 13th of January. As a result, January 13 was a hectic day. There were people up before the gates even opened. Hundreds of cars paraded down the street. We asked Mr. Palanivel why he couldn’t extend the days of the festival to allow more talented musicians to be involved. “People want to be as close to the 13th as possible, the main festival. If we extended the days, it would simply be too far away,” he said. In appreciation for this sacred day, all the musicians came together to

perform what is referred to as his most famous kritis, the ‘Pancharatna Kritis’ (his five core compositions known as his five gems). The titles of the compositions are Jagadanandakaraka, Dudukugala Nanne, Saadhinchane, Kanakanaruchira and Endaro Mahanubhavulu. These particular pieces stood out from the rest because of their beautiful sound and captivating meaning about liberty and freedom. All of the musicians sat on the ground. This leveling act erased all hierarchies and fostered a spirit of equality and a sense of oneness with the audience.

They sung the Pancharatna kritis in unison. As their voices melded and flowed, it was a river of piety that merged in the ocean of the Lord’s embrace. The effect was sublime and powerful. Every year on this day, people feel closest to Sri Thyagaraja. His music connects people of all levels, class and status to share great pleasure and joy.

Unifying Music From Bangalore to Madurai, from Chennai to Trichy, people came from all over to experience this rhythmic

He was so knowledgeable in Sri Thyagaraja history and impressed by his non-materialistic life. He emphasised that the musician never performed for name, fame or money.“ He never earned any money, not a single rupee. He could have lived a life of royalty but chose a life of devotion,” explained Mr Kumar. The Kumar family travelled from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh and stayed for all four days of the festival. Over the years, Mr. Kumar said he hadn’t seen any major changes to the festival other then the facilities getting bigger.

“This year there are so many more stalls and things to see and also the number of people. The main area where the concert is has remained the same and I don’t think this will change. I like it this way.” After chatting with the whole family, I could tell that they were eager to get inside the tent and listen to the music. The kids in particular had made efforts to dress up for the event. To them it was such a special occasion and they were excited to come back in future years. Agricultural expert S. Kanagasbai had also noticed a change in the facilities more then anything else. “With the number of people coming to the festival, they have to make it accommodating. I feel the organisers have done a flawless job and made it just perfect for everyone,” he said. A music lover of many genres, Carnatic music is one that stands out for him. “This festival gives me a chance to forget everything and just be absorbed in the music. Thyagaraja Aradhana also gives people a chance to see new talent,” expressed S. Kanagasabai. He has been impressed with the young performers, some of whom this would be their first time in the festival.” They perform the songs with passion and confidence,” he explained.

He loves the fact that people of all levels come together and that there is such a great variety of things to see. “All the performances I’ve seen have been meticulous. Truly moving. I have been coming here for the past eight years now and I enjoy it every time.” As I looked around the venue, everyone was in such good spirits. When talking to people, they all knew the impact of Thyagaraja and his story. They were not just aware of how his music sounded, but also of who he was.

Moving Musicians From famous performers like Nithyashree Mahadevan and Mahathi, to young boys just coming out of music school, you never really knew who would come onto the stage next. Sitting in the audience, I looked around trying to guess who would be a performer but it was too hard. Every act I saw was a pleasant surprise. Solo performers, duos and groups. There was no set structure other then Thyagaraja’s compositions. The musicians were allowed to choose what song they would perform. Considering he composed so many, there was a large variety to choose from. Dr Suma Sudhindra is an internationally recognized flute and Veena artiste, and member of the festival committee; “I am the only woman on the committee

Madurai Messenger Cover Story February 2012

as all members of their family play the same instrument.” From a young age we have always been hearing the sound of the Nadaswaram and it feels right to be performing it here,” explained the sisters. They usually perform on special occasions and this is the biggest event they have been involved in so far. The said they will definitely come back in future years. “Even once we get married, or if we get other jobs we will be sure to make the effort to return to the festival.”

Musician Nithyashree Mahadeven gives a spellbinding performance

and have been performing in the festival now for about 20 years. I look forward to the experience of Thyagaraja each year. It is my time to come and say thank you,” she said. 6

Her instrument, the Veena, is one of the oldest instruments in Carnatic music and she describes it as ‘a completely indigenous instrument’. She loves stringing the chords and creating a mellow tone. Although she is based in Bangalore, she has also been travelling around different areas of India and the world for about 35 years. She thanks Sri Thyagaraja for her career path and thinks he made Carnatic music what it is today.

Musicians perform on stage

N.Kumar and his family come to the festival every year

“He has inspired so many people to perform this style of music. He deserves every praise we give him,” she said.

chance for me to see all these performers together. Each year I will come back to learn more and get better,” he said.

She feels the celebration is growing into a major festival and that its future is promising. Her favorite aspect of the festival is the magical atmosphere and positive energy. “It is so beautiful here and you can just feel the appreciation. It is a very charged atmosphere, I really love it!” she exclaims.

First time festival performers M.Nithya and M.Karitha, also see the festival as a learning experience.” We were so nervous to perform not only in front of the audience, but in front of all these talented musicians. After we finished, it felt like a great achievement and we got to experience something incredibly special.”

V.M Ganesh is a 24-year-old Thavil artiste. Although it’s his fourth year in the festival, he feels he is still learning. “I see coming here as an opportunity for me to learn from the experts. There is no other

The duos are 18-year old twin sisters. Their choice of instrument is the resounding Nadaswaram, said to be one of the loudest acoustic instruments. The girls told us it was the obvious choice

There were over 200 musicians performing over four days, each performance ranging from 10-20 minutes. All musicians perform voluntarily, clearly showing that it was purely about the experience. Everyone we met agreed that Sri Thyagaraja was no ordinary musician. He was divinely inspired. Backstage, everyone was so friendly and helpful. There was no competition. They gave each other tips and helped tune their instruments. It really was something which would surely have made Sri Thyagaraja proud.

A Spiritual Journey Witnessing the Thyagaraja Aradhana was a spiritual journey. The sound of Carnatic music evokes a sense of meditation and allows your whole self to be immersed. Looking around the arena, people were standing, sitting and lying down. There was no set way to experience the music. Instead of watching the music, they were feeling it. I was greatly impressed by the selflessness of each musician. No one was there to be the ‘star’. They were there to show their gratitude and appreciation for this inspirational saint. I have never attended a festival where artistes of all levels come together on stage and perform as one. It is truly something unique. The message of Thyagaraja’s life - peace, freedom, and most of all devotion - is a clarion call that still reverberates across Tiruvayaru. It is clearer than the temple bells, softer than the gentle breeze and more fluid than the flowing waters of the Kaveri.

One of the performers, singer Mahathi

Artiste V.M.Ganesh

Madurai Messenger Issues February 2012

Performing for a Cause India has an alarmingly high rate of HIV and AIDS. The key to prevention is education. However, finding ways to educate the masses poses a massive challenge. James Lees meets the Chakarathalvar Performance Troupe, an inspiring group from Madurai who travel the country performing a novel blend of theatre, song and dance to connect with audiences from all walks of life By James Lees Melbourne, Australia

public areas to educate people of all ages, sexes and castes. As I arrive in Kottaimedu, a small village on the outskirts of Madurai, I am greeted by two young men in their early twenties. Balaji is the president of the group and his close friend, Sekar, is the secretary. The troupe has just returned from New Delhi and is in the early stages of a 50-day schedule of performances around Tamil Nadu. They will perform for up to seven hours a day at different times from 3 am to midnight. In total, they will conduct 146 performances at various locations across the state, reaching an audience of over 50,000 people. It is a gruelling schedule, but as Balaji says, “We are artistes and we love to perform… It keeps us alive.” “Our families have been performing folk dance for nine generations and have performed all over Tamil Nadu,” Balaji says. “Sekar and I got involved when we were seven and have been keeping the dance alive ever since.”

The Opportunity In 2006, Balaji, Sekar and their group of performers were approached by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society about the possibility of turning their performances into HIV educational pieces. “The society had heard about us and was keen for us to travel around Tamil Nadu promoting HIV awareness,” Sekar says. “HIV is a serious problem in India, especially in Tamil Nadu. It has the second highest rate of HIV in India and we saw this as a chance to do a service for our community.”

Sekar and Balaji performing their street play in Kottaimedu

IV and AIDS continue to be a serious medical and social issue in India. While the country has spent millions on advertising and medical treatments for the disease, India still has a high infection rate and awareness is low, especially in the smaller towns and villages. According to the 2010 UNAIDS Global HIV/AIDS survey, India recorded approximately 140,000 new cases of HIV in 2009 and has a total of approximately 2.4 million people infected with the disease. India has the third highest rate in the world, behind South Africa (5.6 million) and Nigeria (3.3 million). The good news, though, is that the Indian Government and non-government organisations (NGOs) are constantly

searching for new ways to help in addressing the issue. One of the more innovative approaches is performance art from the Chakarathalvar Performance Troupe aimed at increasing awareness and education of the disease throughout the country, especially in the smaller towns and villages where more traditional forms of education aren’t as effective. Originally from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, the 15-person Chakarathalvar Performance Troupe travel around the country for up to three months at a time and use a unique interactive blend of street plays, songs and folk dance to speak to audiences on a smaller and more intimate scale. They perform in schools, universities, local markets, town halls and other

Soon after, the group was recruited by other NGOs such as the Dhan Foundation, and began travelling all over India. Equipped with information supplied to them by the NGOs, they utilised their performance art to deliver an entertaining and inoffensive method of HIV education for the people. “India is a conservative country,” Sekar says. “Ten years ago, HIV was considered a sin in many parts and people with this sickness were cast out of villages.” Balaji believes that

this is why the Chakarathalvar troupe is such an effective tool. “We speak directly to the people in ways that they understand,” he says. Sekar agrees, “They are engaged and we connect more easily. They won’t sit in front of the TV or read newspapers to learn about this type of thing.”

line behind Balaji and dance around the area. Balaji or I will beat the drum and call out to the people saying ‘Hey did you hear there’s a street performance on today?’ We continue this conversation amongst the troupe and this gains the attention of the people,” he says. “They get curious and head over.”

The Message

The hardest part for the Chakarathalvan Music Troupe is not getting people to their performances. Curiosity is normally enough. “The hardest part is getting the audience to engage with us,” Sekan says. “We spend the first ten minutes of the performance talking to the audience, joking with them and performing a few comedy skits,” he says. “Then we tell them to focus on the performance as we will ask questions at the end. If they answer correctly, they get a prize.”

Throughout the year, the Chakarathalvar Music Troupe will perform in villages, towns and cities for high school, college and university students, office workers, merchants, farmers, lorry drivers and even sex workers. Their audience is incredibly diverse and each performance is tailored accordingly, often with only a few days to prepare. For older audiences, they incorporate folk dance into the performance. Younger audiences respond well to street plays and comedy skits. “Our message is mostly about what the disease is, and how it is contracted through things like drug use and unprotected sex,” Sekar says. But he is well aware of the conservative nature of Indian culture and the need for discretion when determining what message is conveyed. “Sex workers will be encouraged to practice safe sex and avoid drug use,” he says. “While we talk to high school and college students on the benefits of self-discipline and not having sex before marriage. “We cannot control the feelings of younger people, but we can teach them to make wise decisions about their relationships,” Sekar says. Each performance or street play can last for up to an hour and, depending on the size of the town, can attract an audience between 300 and 1000 people. They will perform in any public space that doesn’t directly affect the people in the area, and have been found performing outside even in bus stations and airports. The typical places, however, are local markets or town halls. “We will either be allocated a space to perform or we will seek something suitable,” Sekar says.“ Then we’ll form a

Each question to the audience focuses on HIV and the topics explored within the performance. However, many people are reluctant to answer the questions for fear of ridicule by their peers. “This happens quite often,” Sekar, says, “So we always have one of our team members posing as one of the audience. If no one answers the first question, our team member will. The audience sees them receiving the prize and this in turn encourages them to answer the questions,” he says. Performing in front of a large group of people is not an easy task, especially if the audience doesn’t know why they are there or cannot understand the language. “Performing in the small towns and villages, especially outside Tamil Nadu, can be quite difficult,” Sekar explains. “The people generally are not well educated and do not understand our language so our performance message has to be quite basic, but still entertaining. We have had people walk out and there have also been times when we’ve had beer bottles and other objects thrown at us.” Despite these challenges, Sekar and Balaji maintain their love of performing. “Our goal for each performance is to change the mind of at least a few

Madurai Messenger Issues February 2012

A Vision for Vision

HIV / AIDS expenditure in India The 2010 UNAIDS Global HIV report provides further evidence that India is not spending enough money on health issues such as HIV and AIDS. The new Domestic Investment Priority Index (DIPI), according to UNAIDS, “attempts to measure the extent of investment priority given by governments to support their national AIDS response. The Index is calculated by dividing the percentage of government revenue directed to the AIDS response by the population with HIV prevalence. A high value usually indicates a high level of priority. A low value indicates a low priority.” According to UNAIDS, India spent $140 Million US Dollars on HIV and AIDS programmes in 2009, down from $145 million US Dollars in 2008. Of this, 16 percent comes from public revenue, while the majority is funded from international sources such as NGOs and other health funds. India’s 2009 HIV investment represents a DIPI level of 0.07 percent, well below the 0.35 median of the 121 countries surveyed and a strong indication that the Indian Government should be allocating more funds to HIV and AIDS related programmes.

people,” Balaji says. “If we can do that and encourage at least one or two people to seek out more information on HIV or to come see us after the show, then we have done our job and we are happy,” he says. “If we’re faced with difficulties on stage, it spurs us on to do better next time.”

trust fund, an independent source of funding for the troupe but this too is proving difficult. “First we need to find a donor,” Sekan says. “We are knocking on doors, asking people and businesses for donations, but first they must trust us, and to develop trust it takes time,” he says.

According to Balaji, the biggest threat to the troupe is not the audience, but a lack of funding. “We only receive Rs. 300 per person per day, for all food, accommodation and travel,” he says. “We would love to do this job full time but we just don’t have enough money.”

On a national scale, both Sekar and Balaji believe education is key to fighting health issues in India. But while the Chakarathalvan Music Troupe does a good job of talking to everyday people, they want to see the government doing more to educate people through education in schools and colleges. The hard part, they believe, is India’s conservative culture. “Many schools hesitate to provide sex and drug education because India’s culture is conservative,” he says. “We need to overcome this barrier.”

Balaji says he and Sekar take up the odd mechanic job to help support them while they are travelling around India but many of the troupe members have families to support and cannot commit to the group on a more permanent basis. “We love this job so much and we have such a talented group,” he says. “But it is very hard when our members don’t have enough money to support their families.”

The Future The future is uncertain for groups like the Chakarathalvan Music Troupe. The cost of living is increasing and the financial support they receive from NGOs is not. To raise additional funds, Balaji and Sekar are trying to set up a

Balaji says he wants to see the Indian government doing more to help with what he views as the real cause of all major health issues in India: poverty. “Poverty is the root of all issues in India,” he says. “Once we eradicate poverty, then we can start to do more to tackle HIV and other diseases in this country.” In the meantime, it seems Balaji, Sekar and the rest of the Chakarathalvar Music Troupe will continue to train and bus their way

To be a great teacher, one must combine knowledge and skills, confidence and hard work. Kaito Ishizawa from Japan meets K. Amudha, the Head Mistress of Madurai’s Maapalayam Girls Higher Secondary School and S.S. Pandiarajan, one of the teachers, who share an inspiring vision By Kaito Ishizawa Japan

Ms.Amudha- The encouraging headmistress!

around India on Rs. 300 a day each, keeping their art alive, and, hopefully, some of their fellow countrymen.

The Performance Once our interview is over, I ask Balaji and Sekan to act out one of their street performances and they are more than happy to oblige. First they begin with a welcoming dance, inspired by the folk dance of their ancestors. Then they break into a highly entertaining conversation that alternates between themselves and the audience. Through a translator, I am told that they are welcoming me to today’s performance about HIV and AIDS and are encouraging me to listen closely as I will be tested at the end. The two men take turns walking around the stage, throwing the odd quip at each other and the audience in a highly entertaining and jovial manner. They bounce around the stage with energy and enthusiasm. Their passion for their art radiates from the stage. One can easily see why they have had such success in raising HIV awareness throughout India. Both men demand attention on the stage and are at ease with their performing roles. A stage comprised of 15 such talented actors would indeed be a sight to behold.

nspirational teachers can make all the difference to a school and its students. When visiting Maapalayam Girls Higher Secondary School in Madurai, it’s hard not to be impressed. K.Amudha, the Head Mistress, provides the teachers and students of her school with strong leadership and continual support to be the best that they can be. The school was started in the year 1910. It has a student strength of 1,300 and 48 teachers. This school is also rather special for one surprising reason: three of its teachers are visually impaired. K. Amudha is proud of each of them for not only the way they have overcome

what many would consider a disability, but also for simply being inspirational and hard working teachers. “I have the best teachers here in my school,” says K. Amudha. One is a Tamil teacher, A.Subramanian, who has been teaching in the school for four years. Another is the music teacher, S.Murugan, who has taught here for the past three months. And last but not least is the English teacher, Pandiarajan, whom we were fortunate to meet. When people tell K.Amudha that it is better not to have a blind teacher, she always tells them that we have

to encourage them. “Just because they are visually challenged, there is no rule that they should not become teachers,” she says. K. Amudha is equally proud of her students and treating them equally is one of her priorities. She wants to make a point of educating students so that they enter society with a sound mind. With 22 years of experience as a Chemistry teacher, she joined the school in August 2010. As Head Mistress, she puts her knowledge of psychology and counseling to good use by giving individual care to the students. She continually motivates them and gives

Madurai Messenger Disability February 2012

feedback in a positive way. If a particular student appears dull, she will call her and ask her, “Hey, why are you looking so dull today? Any problem?”

The Braille board and book used by the visually impaired

The special black board used by Pandiarajan

Pandiarajan also wants to point out that when he first lost his sight, he also lost his confidence. However, by concentrating on his studies, he managed to regain his confidence. Even now, he tries to keep himself busy and does not have time to have negative thoughts or give up.

Most importantly, she appreciates her students. This word expresses her philosophy well. If a student does something extraordinary, she will immediately praise them in front of everyone. “I always want to keep my students happy. When a student gets a prize for something, I will also give the teacher my appreciation, which will make him/her proud of their student.” If a student doesn’t study properly, she will not tell them that they are weak, but instead teach the student the subject again.

One of his sources of inspiration and encouragement is his students. Even after they graduate, they keep in touch, which makes him very happy. He also supported by his wife, Meena, and daughter. Although, normally he does not need to depend on anybody, having a supportive family background is certainly helpful. He also loves playing chess and has a special board which we takes with him when he goes to participate in high level tournaments.

This dutiful teacher then told us about one particular student, Deepa, who joined the school last year for her 12th grade. Deepa is very good in Kabaddi, a South Asian team sport, which when literally translated, means ‘holding hands.’ She captained the winning team at the State level and is now going to play at the National level. She will be going to a camp for ten days in Gujarat, and has also been selected to go for the national level tournament, the funding for which has been provided by the school. Deepa also performs well in her studies. K.Amudha loves to share the success stories of her students and teachers, so she was only too eager for us to meet Pandiarajan, the English teacher, so we could understand why he is so special. To teach without sight seems remarkable, but for Pandiarajan, it’s all in a day’s work. Now in his 18th year of teaching English, his enthusiasm and passion for education is hard to miss. He started his career as a teacher in 1994, when we worked for a year in the Government Higher Secondary School, Neruppur, Dharmapuri distric, followed by seven years at the Government Higher Secondary School for Boys in Melur, Madurai district. He has been at the Maapalayam Girls School for the past ten years.

topics including philosophy. He likes to help students expand their minds and develop opinions as well as study.

The winning board… Pandiarajan’s Chess Board

Teaching classes from 9.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday, he has 40 to 50 students in each class totaling about 350 students a week. Amazingly, when he teaches, he receives no help or assistance. He needs only three things when he teaches: a laptop which has 100 sentences on it, a special black board which features some stripes to help him write straight sentences while teaching and a Braille board to write down other details and to enter marks. Like any teacher, Pandiarajan needs to recognise his students in order to interact with them and teach

effectively. Normally, teachers identify their students by their physical characteristics. This resourceful teacher, however, identifies his students from their voices. It is difficult to imagine how one could recognise 350 students only by the sound of their voices. Pandiarajan admits that it is difficult at the beginning of the year, but usually after a couple of months he is able to memorise every voice. Before he lost his eyesight, he did not think that he would ever become a teacher. But after losing his eyesight at the age of 14, he began studying hard.

Volunteer Kaito with Pandiarajan / A strong handshake

For the first two years, he struggled with his disability, but managed to dedicate himself to his education. Pandiarajan now has many qualifications including an MA in English and Tamil, Med (Master of Education) and is currently completing his PhD in Life Science and Personal Psychology. Soon after losing his sight, he also joined a society for the visually challenged in Chennai. It was here where he met a professor of History who became a role model not only for Pandiarajan, but also many other people with disabilities.

When asked if there is anything else he would like to do if he had the opportunity to go back in time and choose his career again, Pandiarajan said, “I would like to be a teacher again. Now I cannot imagine being anything else. I never want to quit being a teacher!” He continues, “Teaching English is actually easy and I like English. It is a peaceful job.” He obviously loves his job and especially likes teaching grammar. He often uses poetry in his lessons because it is easy for students to understand and gives them ideas about many

Pandiarajan is also trying to contribute to societies for underprivileged children, especially those with disabilities. He wants people to learn from him and his achievements. He does not feel that he is disadvantaged in any way. He says, “I want to give these children some confidence. If I can do something, they can learn and catch the message from me. They must not see their situation as a disadvantage. Anybody can gain confidence from hard work. Hard work and confidence are the two most important things, not only for disabled people but for all people. If you have lost something, you can gain everything from these two things.” As we leave, we carry with us the lingering memory of Pandiarajan message that confidence can be achieved only through hard work. Both K.Amudha and Pandiarajan embody these things, and so does the school. Hard work and confidence are things we should all strive for.

Madurai Messenger Book Review February 2012

The Artiste’s Way Our featured book this month is a biography that captures the life and art of one of India’s most famous Bharatanatyam dancers, T. Balasaraswati. James Lees shares with us his interpretation of this compelling portrayal of the challenges and achievements of her career By James Lees Melbourne, Australia

ife is art. Beautiful. Intricate. Exquisite. Complicated. Welcome to the world of Baharatanatyam dance and Carnatic music. An intricate combination of music, dance and theatre from Southern India, as performed by T. Balasaraswati (1918- 1984), one of the most recognised and respected performing artists of the twentieth century. In the first biography on her life, ‘Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life’, written by Douglas M. Knight, the reader is taken on an engaging cultural and personal journey of her life, her achievements and setbacks. It is an exceptional account of an incredible performer and offers a brief history on the way in which aspects of Indian culture were influenced by British colonisation with an increasing move away from traditions towards a more modern society. Through in-depth research, reviews, articles, and interviews, Knight, Balasaraswati’s son-in-law, paints a vivid picture of not just Balasaraswati’s life, but of the struggle many traditional devadasi artistes faced in late nineteenth and early 20th century India. By 1922, performers of Bharatanatyam were confronted by a conservative Indian Culture, including unfound claims of prostitution, and Christian values from the British. The lives and livelihood of many devadasi families were destroyed by legislative acts outlawing the Bharatanatyam art form, deeming it unsuitable for the general population. The fact that Bala and her family survived at all makes this story a truly inspiring tale and a testament to the passion and dedication sustained by the performers of Bharatanatyam. Their art wasn’t just a tradition; it was a way of life. In the early stages of the book, Knight provides a review of the complex devadasi system. Women were the head of the household and the true form of Bharatanatyam was hereditary, with a belief that only descendants of devadasis could truly master the art form. Knight details its inner workings, its matrilineal descent, the reliance on aristocratic patronage, and the devastation experienced when artistes were prohibited from following traditional patterns of dedication and performance in the temple.

Though exhausting, Bala was well aware of the dedication required to become an extraordinary dancer. Her motivation came from a strong desire to be acknowledged as a dancer who “transcended the body”. Unfortunately, however, by the age of 30, Bala was staring into a black hole. With daughter Lakshmi in tow, demand for her performances dried up and her health was failing. The family’s livelihood was at risk. As a child, Balasaraswati suffered rheumatic fever which left her with a damaged heart and, by the 1940s, she was suffering from a thyroid imbalance. Left undiagnosed and untreated, she suffered unmanageable weight gain which affected her performance. These ‘elephant days’, as Bala referred to them, led to her performing only once or twice a year and critics made much of her size in the Press. Regardless, when she did perform, she received a full house and was still considered ‘the queen of dance’.

L 14

Showing an interest in dance when she was barely old enough to walk, Bala started her training when she was very young. Driven by her mother, Jayammal, and grandmother, Vina Dhanammal, Bala was placed under the guidance of Guru Kandappa Pillai and endured 16-hour training days. She was removed from school and isolated from any other activity deemed to be a waste of her time.

Knight makes particular reference to the challenges Balasaraswati and her family faced in the 1940s and 1950s. A changing landscape of Indian culture demanded a revival of the art form, with greater emphasis on costumes and presentation while delivering a more conservative performance. One particular advocate of change was Rukmeni Devi, a modern performer of Bharatanatyam who was heavily influenced by European ballet and considered by many to be the ‘rescuer of Bharatanatyam’. She called for a more respectable and purified dance by toning down or even removing the Sringara (the romantic love displayed in Bharatanatyam). Many people viewed this element of the dance as containing carnal undertones. Bala strongly disagreed with this, believing that the Sringara was one of the most important elements. To her, it was “supreme in the range of emotions.” It was the “mystical union of the human with the divine.” By the early 1920s, Knight explains, “It was widely believed that in dedication to the temple, a girl was ritually married to a deity and that in one way or another, the implications of this ritual were sinister, even immoral.” It was even suggested that this ‘marriage’ made the dedicated artiste sexually available to patrons of the temple in an attempt to increase temple patronage. During this time of controversy and imposed restrictions on Bharatanatyam, Bala’s family managed to keep the art alive by passing rupees to the temple keepers. Bala was dedicated to a small temple at an early age.

It was also during the 1940s that Bala’s relationship with her mother began to fracture, an aspect of her life that appears as a recurring theme in the book. Jayammal would accompany Bala in her concerts as a vocalist but, as her daughter’s fame increased, the power plays between mother and daughter became more evident on stage with each trying to outdo the other. This relationship was a constant source of conflict on and off the stage throughout Bala’s life and added yet another element for the critics to comment on, many sighting the “lack of co-operation” between the two women on stage. While

Balasaraswati performing in New Delhi, 1960 (Photo courtesy of Magnum Photos, New York)

not detrimental to the performance, it was another sign of the intense scrutiny Bala faced, both from her family and from the public in her pursuit of perfection. However, throughout her career, it appears Bala was indifferent to her critics and her family. Many complained about her being too young or too old, too thin or too fat. In her own words, she didn’t dance for fame or for others. She danced because she loved to dance. At the peak of Bala’s career, technology had advanced to a stage where her life could have been well documented. Unfortunately though, it appears advocates of the art did not realise the significance of documenting it for future generations. As a result, very few videos of Bala appear to have been recorded. However, videos of Balasaraswati can be found on YouTube, including a 10-minute documentary on her life with footage of her performances. This is highly recommended viewing for anyone who wants to learn more about the art of Bharatanatyam or to see Bala in action. Condensing the 80-year life of such an acclaimed performer into 252 pages cannot truly do justice to Balasaraswati’s lifetime of dedication to an art form. However, the painstaking and in-depth documentation provided by Douglas M. Knight in Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life ensures that this book will become a vital source of inspiration for current and future Bharatanatyam dancers, as well as those who wish to understand Balasaraswati, her life, her art, and her philosophy.

Madurai Messenger First Impression February 2012

An Eye on Madurai

Lost and found in a beautiful country…

With a preference for pictures rather than words, Nicolas Brangi invites you to see his first impressions of Madurai. He shows us a beautiful and bustling city, full of contrasts and rich in culture By Nicolas Brangi France

A city full of contrasts as interesting as each other…

The greatness of a culture...

I met you...

Color differences...

Lost and found in a beautiful country…

The wealth of landscapes...

The human activity of a city...

Madurai Messenger Culture February 2012

Inner Passion, Outer Grace For many of our volunteers, experiencing the culture of India means immersing themselves in traditional art forms such as Bharatanatyam. Leonie Rodenbuecher meets Shailaja Mahadevan, a Madurai-based Bharatanatyam dance teacher and artiste who exudes passion and grace with her every move By Leonie Rodenbuecher Germany

audience wouldn’t find a husband. By founding the dance school, the musical woman found a way to live her passion. At the tender age of 15 years, Shailaja started to teach in her mother’s school when one of the other teachers was sick or unavailable. “At first I was afraid because even my brother’s friends were there,” she remembers. “I thought I would be too young to teach older students and especially boys or men.” But after three or four days, this feeling ended because she had gained the respect of the students. Shailaja shares her mother’s passion, and over the years has collected much knowledge about Indian classical dance and also about teaching.

Quality not quantity Shailaja currently holds classes for eight children in her own living room but she also teaches 25 performing students at Yadava College in the city. She prefers to teach fewer students because she feels that they should not only learn the dance steps but also learn about culture and the history of classical dance. “It’s not about the number of students. They should take it seriously and complete the course properly,” she says.

Volunteers of the Madurai Messenger with Shailaja and her students (on the left in the rose kameez: Sapna; in the middle, in front of her mother: Sri Hamshini)

oday, India is torn between a rich cultural heritage and a modern Western lifestyle. Modernisation has also begun to erode traditional art forms such as Bharatanatyam. American television programmes popularise dance styles like Hip Hop to young audiences in India, while Indian classical dance forms slide into obscurity. But there are also those who try to keep the heritage alive by sharing their knowledge and teaching

children. Shailaja Mahadevan, 39, is a professional Bharatanatyam artiste who is also proficient in other traditional Indian dance forms such as, Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi. She runs a dance school in north Madurai. No matter what challenges she has to face, dance is the golden thread that runs through her life. When we visited her family, we were warmly welcomed and given an interesting insight into Indian culture and classical dance.

Men and women both learn the Bharatanatyam. While many characters are female, some characters are male and can only be played by men. “I choose males even if they don’t have a lot of experience and give them training because men’s body language can’t be imitated by female dancers,” explains Shailaja.

When Shailaja dances she is completely in her element and her graceful body language seems to be in her nature

Pursuing a dream At the age of twelve, Shailaja began dancing in her mother’s music and dance school ‘Kalakendra.’ Her mother, Saroja Thirumalai, was a talented veena artiste and dancer. As her idol and mentor, Saroja not only passed on her dancing genes, but also set an example on how to pursue her dreams. Her mother was not allowed to perform on stage because her parents believed that a woman who dances in front of an

Bharatanatyam Bharatanatyam is a classical dance from Southern India, mostly practiced in Tamil Nadu. The dance dates back about 2000 years. Originally it was only used to worship the Gods in Hindustan temples. In the 18th century, people began performing it on stage in the palaces of south Indian Maharajas. From then on, it became increasingly popular. Bharatanatyam is very different to other contemporary dances because it has such a spiritual origin. Still today, it follows special traditions and rules. Mostly the dance is performed accompanied by Carnatic music and tells mythological, religious or historic stories. Dancers use expressive gestures called ‘Mudras’ which are like a kind of sign language to act out the plot. This makes it understandable even for those who are not able to follow the lyrics. Students can gain physical fitness as well mental balance, similar to yoga.

Madurai Messenger Culture February 2012

“When I dance, I can forget about the outside world and get involved in the role I play. Whether it is a deer or a lion, I slip into the role and feel all the emotions inside.”

to react. The girls all started following his steps and the performance continued. But after the programme was over, he just disappeared into the crowd again. When I ask her about her future dreams, Sri Hamsini passionately tells me that she wants to follow in the dance steps of her mother undaunted by any of the challenges she may face along the way.

Dance as therapy

Many of her overseas students have been magnificent dancers and she has enjoyed including them in performances. They are a great favorite with people who plan events because they stoke audience interest even more than Indian dancers. Many of her former foreign students have continued Bharatanatyam in their own countries and some have even started their own schools.

Bharatanatyam is not just a dance. It is a complex collaboration of body language, facial expressions and even psychology. Because of this, the dance even works as a form of physical therapy. Interestingly, it is also a form of physical therapy for physically challenged students as it can improve flexibility which can help decrease muscle stiffness and thereby the pain .

Being the passionate professional that she is, when Shailaja shares her knowledge of dance, her words are full of emotion. This is just one of the reasons parents choose her to teach their children. And of course there is also the fact that her performances leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Shailaja and her husband posture in their living room

20 Normally a child starts taking dance classes between ages five to eight years. “From the age of 15 years, they are more able to demonstrate the dramatic feeling of the dance and their face expressions come automatically when the music starts.” Even though you need a lot of experience and interest in the culture to perform Bharatanatyam perfectly, most of the students only take it as a hobby or past time in their teens. As students get older, many often find it difficult to find time to continue with their dance due to academic and family commitments. But it is also becoming less popular as trends shift towards Western dances. “Indian classical dance takes a lot of time to learn and you really have to devote yourself to the training,” Shailaja says. “Nowadays people don’t want to spend so much time, they want to learn everything quickly and easily.”

More than dance While Indian students tend to follow Western influences, overseas students who come to Madurai for university are often interested in local Indian traditions. Shailaja has taught dance to nationals from Singapore, Canada, Germany, China, Dubai and the US. She loves to share her culture with those who hunger for such knowledge. “They respect our culture even more than some of the local youngsters and want to learn all about it,” remarks Shailaja, her enthusiasm obvious from her sparkling eyes.

A six-year-old girl who regularly visits Shailaja’s dance lessons is troubled with a leg disability. After three years of taking classes she is able to dance for nearly one and a half hours without pain. “The stretching exercises improved her medical condition enormously,” explains the dance teacher. “We do stretching to warm-up and at the end of the dance classes. Stretches like rotating the hips can be very beneficial.”

Sapna, a 12-year-old dance studen explains, “My mother wanted me to join this school because she had seen one of Shailaja’s performances. When I decided to take regular classes, she searched for her.” Sapna’s mother watches every lesson she attends with interest because in her youth she was not allowed to dance. Now she wants to give Sapna the chance she never had.

Dancing in the Womb

Shailaja’s many trophies on display in her home

Just as Shailaja was inspired by her mother, she has passed her passion onto her own daughter, Sri Hamsini. Practicing around two hours a day, Sri Hamsini is visibly excited about Bharatanatyam and can’t wait to show us her talent. According to her proud mother, she began to dance in the womb!

When Sri hamshini dances she is completely in her element

With confidence and flowing movements as if she has never done anything else in her life, Sri Hamsini dances across the living room. She tells a story using expressive gestures. Her emotional performance brings the story alive. “I am so happy to dance,” the nine-year-old says. “When I hear music, I just have to start dancing!” And indeed so far in her life, she has several heartwarming performances to her credit. For example, when the girls went to Rameswaram to perform in the Meenakshi Thiru Kalayanam Festival, they had a surprise participant. “None of us had practiced much before the festival, but we were confident that we would follow the steps correctly by looking at the other group members. We had prepared a dance for only half a song, but then they played the whole song.” Suddenley a man from the audienhce came up on stage and started dancing vigorously. The children were taken by surprise and didn’t know how

There is also a child in the dance group who is mentally challenged. For the last two years she has been dancing in her free time and has grown enormously in confidence, which has improved her ability to face the world. Supported by her whole family, she even enjoys performing on the stage in front of an audience.

Let’s dance What does dance means to Shailaja? Bharatanatyam is clearly central to her life. Her love and motivation shines from within. “It’s my passion, my belief!” she says. And even when you listen to her, one can recognise that she is a dancer by the graceful way she moves as she speaks. Even if some people may view Bharatanatyam in a skeptical way, Shailaja doesn’t stop devoting a lot of time and love to it. And devotion and love is exactly what is needed to learn this dance. Shailaja says that anybody who is interested is qualified to start. So if you are interested, don’t hesitate to give dancing a go! If you are able to move your arms and legs, you can dance. All you need is the willingness to devote time to learning. And it pays. “When I dance, I can forget about the outside world and get involved in the role I play. Whether it is a deer or a lion, I slip into the role and feel all the emotions inside,” she says with a dreamy expression on her face. Shiailaja’s wish for the future is to spread the joy of Bharatanatyam to countries all over the world. As near and dear to her as Indian classical dance is, she is adamant that it be seen not only as entertainment, but also as art.

Madurai Messenger Culture February 2012

Festival Fever Celebrating the Pongal festival is a highlight for the people of Tamil Nadu. Our volunteers recently joined in the excitement of this tradition, learning how to draw Kolam and cook Pongal. Ariane Lecuyer shares her experience of an action packed day By Ariane Lecuyer France

Volunteers drawing Kolam with the help of Indian students

Charlotte, from Denmark, cooking Pongal

hen you live 6,450 kilometres away from India, in a traditionally Christian country, you never hear about Hindu celebrations. Like an excited child, I have enjoyed discovering some of the most popular Hindu festivities since my arrival in Madurai in October 2011. Three months ago, for example, I celebrated the fantastic festival called Diwali. It was an amazing experience and perhaps one of

my best memories so far of this trip. And recently, again thanks to Projects Abroad and my host family, I experienced the fascinating Pongal tradition. The Pongal festival was originally a harvest festival celebrated by farmers over four days. With a rich agricultural heritage, this festival is one of the most popular in Tamil Nadu. Held at the end of January, which is the beginning of

the first month in the Tamil Calendar, people start Pongal with the Bhogi day by burning old and unwanted material. The second day is the Thai Pongal, which is dedicated to the sun and deemed the most important day of the festival (Thai is the name of the first month in the Tamil calendar). During this day, the main task is to cook a sweet pudding called Pongal, and

decorate the streets with special Kolam, a handmade drawing made with rice flour. The third day is called Maattu Pongal, and is dedicated to cows as a thanksgiving for their daily work. The cows are decorated with paint and flowers. Finally, the Pongal celebration ends with the Kaanun Pongal, an entire day spent with family and friends.

for foreigners it takes more than twenty minutes to dress in traditional clothes!) Thankfully, most of our women volunteers were helped by their host mother, and some of the men volunteers were helped by passers-by who saw their lost gaze as they tried again and again to wear their dhotis in the correct way.

up every morning before sunrise to draw Kolam in front of their house. Originally every Kolam was dedicated to mother Earth, but nowadays there are different Kolams each with a special meaning. Some are drawn to welcome friends and family, others celebrate a newborn, thank a god or protect the house from thieves.

To give volunteers an understanding about how the festival is traditionally celebrated, Projects Abroad organised a one-day programme on the 13th of January at Hayagreeva Matriculation School in a village called Kadamalaigundu. My fellow volunteers and I had a wonderful time celebrating Thai Pongal for an entire day dressed in traditional Indian clothes.

After quite an exhaustive journey in a small van, we arrived at a beautiful school in the middle of a fantastic landscape. What was surprising was the number of children who were studying there. We were told there were more than 1,000 students! We received a warm welcome from the director and a delicious breakfast before being split into groups of six, made up of two volunteers, five students and one teacher. The students and the teacher in each group explained everything about Pongal and introduced us to the Kolam and Pongal preparation.

Kolam drawings are made daily with white rice powder. On special occasions such as this, they use colorful powder and also fresh flowers. For this activity, every team had a designated place and all the necessary materials (which actually just means coloured powder), and to add some fun, Projects Abroad turned it into a competition. I was quite impressed to see how it works. Kolams are hand made. Even in the absence of tools the Kolam is always symmetrical.

The day started early for us. To get to this school, which is 18 km from Madurai we met at 6 am at the bus station. Women were asked to wear saris and men; dhotis. At first, we were all enthusiastic about the dress code, but then we realized that it meant waking up even earlier. (Indeed,

The first activity was to draw a Kolam. For centuries women have been waking

Yuka, from Japan, and I were in the same team and wanted to make a very colourful Kolam. Luckily we had help. We tried to create an outline with the

Madurai Messenger Culture February 2012

Valayapatti: Thavil Nadu A visit to Valayapatti evokes a mix of feelings in our volunteers. With a scarce water supply, the future of this small village is uncertain. But after meeting some locals, Morten Levinsky Thorsboe and Katharina Irrgang discover a delightful music tradition and the reason this village is now famous in India By Morten Levinsky Thorsboe, Denmark Katharina Irrgang, Germany

Presentation of folk dance by children

white powder but it was rather difficult for us to make a thin line so we decided to leave it to the “professional” and instead began to fill the Kolam with colored powder. To our delight, we won the competition, but I don’t think that it was due to our efforts! We were just having fun. We then went on a short tour to see the decorated cows, before it was time to cook Pongal. First we arranged a space in the park on which to cook and made a fire with wooden sticks. We found it difficult but it seemed to be easy for the students. Just five minutes after we began cooking, the area became hot and it was quite hard to stay near the fire. It was around midday and we were standing under the sun, and surrounded by eight fires! Of course the celebration had to continue and we wanted to try the Pongal, so under the gaze of all the children from the school, we sat in the shade to cool down and rest. A couple of hours later, we got to eat our own Pongal. It was the first time I had tried it and I hopefully not the last!

25 The last part of the Pongal celebration was dedicated to traditional folk dances performed by the students. From Kummi Attam to Karagattam or even the Devaraatam, we discovered many Indian cultural dances. Some professionals even showed us the Silambattam, which is a traditional martial art, practiced with wood sticks. To make it more impressive, they finished by igniting their sticks and started a kind of dancing fight. We also watched a yoga presentation made by seven young children who showed us the most important positions. I really enjoyed this part of the day. It was so nice to see children dancing with big smiles. We could feel their pride to dance in front of us, as well as a beautiful complicity between them. Not only was there a magical atmosphere as we felt the joy coming from the children, it was also remarkable to see these seven-yearold girls dance with poise and grace as though they were professionals. Before lunch, Jagadish Kumar, Country Director, Projects Abroad

India, announced the winners of the competition and gave us a present to congratulate the team. Some volunteers and staff members from Projects Abroad took the opportunity to give a speech in order to thank the school, the organiser and the children for this fantastic day. On the way home, we spoke about our day and concluded that it was a meaningful experience. We were all surprised by the children’s patience, particularly those who were very young. But of course it was their dancing, cooking and drawing skills that impressed us the most. Overall, it was a great experience but for some volunteers, it was also exhausting. Wearing a sari for twelve hours was quite a challenge! We all left this lovely school with a big smile on our faces, lots of memories and the joy of knowing that this celebration was due to begin the next day, which meant we could continue to celebrate again and again for another four days!

R.Karuppaswamy and T.S.Shanmugam - The village musicians

s we stepped out of the car, we immediately felt the warmth of Valayapatti, and also the smell. This was without doubt, a village built on agriculture. We also knew from our research that this was the home of some famous Thavil musicians. While we waited to interview some of these musicians, we walked around under the trees and saw a small temple. Several children were watching us intensely and stayed close together, waving and laughing while we took pictures of them. When we wandered around the temple, we noticed some strange colourful horses. There were around ten of them decorated in colourful costumes. The smaller horses looked like children’s toys, whereas the largest one resembled a great

white decaying statue. We came across a woman sitting on the steps of the temple who happened to be the caretaker. She shared with us a great deal, not only about the temple but also about the horses. This was the start of an interesting day of interviews with the villagers.

Place Valayapatti is a small village in the Virudhunagar district, located south-west of Madurai, 15 kilometres from the city centre. It has a few temples, including the main temple, which is called the Ayyanar temple. The village seems to spread far and wide because of the large meadow areas all around. It feels like a very quiet place with little traffic.

Madurai Messenger Village Voices February 2012

Population

the special god Ayyanar. If the person survives, they will endow the temple with a special colourful horse as a thank you for being cured.

Its population is around 1500 people within 500 families. There are almost the same number of males as females. About 75 percent of the population are able to read and almost everyone is Hindu except for a few people who are Muslim or Christian.

Past times When the people in Valayapatti do not work in the fields or at the factories in the nearby cities, they spend their spare time with their families and friends. Just as in any other part of India, family is the most important element in their lives. We also noticed that there seemed to be strong friendships and a mutual appreciation of one another between the different people we met.

Production and Labour Around ten years ago, almost every villager in Valayapatti worked in agriculture. At the time, there was a very good water supply, which made it easy to irrigate the fields. Unfortunately the water supply for drinking water is now gone and the closest clean water comes from a dam almost 30 kilometres away. Some people still work in agriculture and farming, but numbers have decreased significantly due to the lack of water combined with an increase in agricultural machinery which replaces the need for human labour. 26

Nowadays, most of the inhabitants have to go to the big cities to find jobs. Many of them work in Kerala. Some of the inhabitants however, are fortunate to make a living through music. One of them is the internationally renowned Thavil maestro Valayapatti A.R. Subramaniam. He recently won the Sangita Kalanidhi award and can be credited for putting Valayapatti on the music map of India and the world.

People We were lucky to meet two of the village musicians, R. Karuppaswamy and T.S. Shanmugam, who make a living by playing music. R. Karuppaswamy, 29, has been playing the Thavil for 15 years. He was taught to play by his father. The instrument is frequently used for weddings and festivals, to welcome guests, and in the temples. It consists of a cylindrical shell made from jackfruit. Buffalo skin is stretched across the left and the right side of the shell, fixed with rings made from banyan tree wood. Thavils are made all over India, but R. Karuppaswamy’s Thavil was created in Thiruvarur and Banrutti in Tamil Nadu. T.S. Shanmugan, 50, has been playing the Nadaswaram for 38 years. He

R.Karuppaswamy- A Thavil artiste

T.S. Shanmugan - A Thavil artiste

learned to play it in a music school. The instrument is usually played in pairs and accompanied by a pair of Thavils. Fortunately both musicians played especially for us. We were very impressed by this special sound, which was both loud and festive at the same time. We felt the atmosphere change immediately and felt some very positive vibrations when the two men began to play. We also spoke to Nagalakshmi, who has been the caretaker of the Ayyanar temple for 40 years. She lives in a

house located next to the temple so she can always keep an eye on it. She was planning to extend the temple, but unfortunately, couldn’t succeed in realising her plan, because the owner of the ground on which the temple was built wanted to keep the ground as it is and thus prevented the enlargement. When we first arrived, we wondered what the colourful horses in front of the temple symbolised. Nagalakshmi gave us the answer: When a person is very sick and apparently incurable, they will go to the temple and pray to

Nagalakshmi - The caretaker of the Ayyanar Temple

The villagers also enjoy celebrating the different Indian festivals such as Pongal or Diwali. Music is of course a key element of these occasions and may be one of the reasons why 150 of the inhabitants play a musical instrument. We were delighted to hear about the musical talents of this village, which centres around the Thavil and the Nadaswaram.

Problems Every city, town or village has its share of problems. In Valayapatti, the first and perhaps biggest concern is the lack of water resources. It is an issue found not only in Valayapatti, but shared by the entire state of Tamil Nadu. Without clean drinking water and water to irrigate the fields, the future of the village is in question. The second problem pointed out by the people we met was the lack of education. Although around 75 percent of the population of Valayapatti are able to read, they felt more resources were needed to ensure that all children received a good education. Many families would prefer to send their children to private schools but are unable to afford it. There were also concerns over the number of people leaving their homes to find work in the cities and therefore preventing population growth. “The population isn’t growing as fast as in the other cities,” T. S. Shanmugam told us. “This could affect our future.”

Prospects When we asked the local people what they thought the future would bring, they weren’t quite sure. “It all depends on the water supply,” T. S. Shanmugam said. If there is water, the villagers will be able to continue farming, earn more money and afford to send their children to good schools. If the living standards are improved, there is a good chance the Thavil music will grow too. However if the water supply isn’t efficient enough, the villagers have to leave their homes to find work in the big cities and perhaps even move away. This could

mean the end of the small village. There doesn’t seem to be any immediate solutions, but the fact that the villagers are aware of the problems is the first step to a brighter future.

Parting ways Once we had finished our interviews and taken several photographs, there were quite a few people who had gathered around us. They all signed up for the next issue of our magazine. This was a poignant end to a perfect day in the pleasant company of the Thavilloving Valayapatti community.

Madurai Messenger Eating Out February 2012

Simply Traditional A revered institution of traditional South Indian cuisine, Madurai’s Modern Restaurant never disappoints a foodie. Ariane Lecuyer learns the story of a family who puts quality food and service above all else to delight everyone from locals to tourists and prime ministers alike

in the world renowned Fenner (India) Limited. They offered him a salary of Rs 2000 a month and it seemed to be an opportunity which was too good to refuse! That was until his father called him and offered him the same salary to work in the restaurant. There was one condition, however. He had to be there the next morning and his daily working hours were 5 am until 10:30 pm. This was probably the most important decision of his life. He decided that working in the family business was an even better offer and he eagerly accepted.

Modesty breeds success Some people avoid going into business with family, viewing it as complicated and potentially fraught with disaster. Modern Restaurant, however, is a family place that attracts up to 1000 customers each day, 50 percent of whom are regulars. Here, Mr V.M.Sadasivam’s older brother, his two sons and three of his cousins, all work together to ensure this restaurant remains successful.

By Ariane Lecuyer France

Teachers, journalists, priests… everybody visits Modern Restaurant. Some love the food so much that they visit three times a day. S. Mohana Sundaram credits some of his success to the location. Situated close to the Meenakshi temple and numerous shops and businesses, it attracts people on their way to early Morning Prayer, tourists doing their shopping and local shop owners.

One can’t help but feel the majority of its success is due to the food and the remarkable level of service shown by S. Mohana Sundaram and his staff. He knows which customer prefers coffee with more sugar or who likes a particular kind of dosa. He takes care of his customers and many become his friends. Nevertheless, S. Mohana Sundaram believes his success is because of two things, “My honest opinion is firstly my faith in God,” he says. The second is the fact that he keeps following his father’s advice.

Mr.V.M.Sadasivam- The Definition of Loyalty

ince August 1947, Modern Restaurant has opened its doors every day at 6.30am to hungry patrons who are fond of traditional South Indian food. Modern Restaurant is a strange name for a place that only serves food based on traditional recipes, but after meeting owner S.Mohana Sundaram, I realised that everything in this restaurant is quite out of the ordinary and may be why it is so popular.

A generous gift

S.Mohana Sundaram’s father, Mr.V.M.Sadasivam, had been working at Modern Restaurant for over 60 years when, in 1947, his boss rewarded him for his many years of loyalty and hard work by giving him the restaurant. At the time, Modern Restaurant was part of a chain of six restaurants

S.Mohana Sundaram- The Proud Owner

owned by a large family from Kerala. Mr V.M. Sadasivam had been working as a kitchen hand, assigned the daily chore of using large grinding stones to make idli and dosa. As the new owner, he proceeded to set Modern Restaurant up as a wellknown place to eat traditional and healthy food. V.M. Sadasivam’s honorable values and strong work ethic has ensured that the restaurant remained profitable and its legacy continues today with his two sons. “It is through God’s Grace that my father got this restaurant,” S.Mohana Sundaram, told us. At first, this son had not planned to work in his father’s restaurant even though he helped him often. He explained that he studied a Bachelor (and then Masters) of Commerce in Madura College in Madurai before being offered a job

His father taught him how to make customers happy by giving them what they want. “The first thing my father would say is to ask yourself what the surrounding people prefer,” S.Mohana Sundaram recalls. His father, he says, would always look at what his customers were eating rather than just their faces, because, as S.Mohana Sundaram says, “When we are looking at their hands and plates while they’re eating, we can see which chutney or vegetables they are enjoying the most, and only then we will be able to give them their favourite dish.”

Keeping traditions alive “Everyday is a challenge,” S. Mohana Sundaram says. “But the most important thing is to keep cooking traditional South Indian food in a traditional way.” At first it seems logical, but this is the main problem that he has to overcome almost everyday. For the past ten years, most of his chefs have come from international schools where they learn basic traditional recipes. Their cooking, however, has been modernised. They have learnt modern techniques using modern machines and modern

Our delicious meal served in the traditional way... on a banana leaf!

ingredients, all of which can change the taste of traditional cooking. Some customers have been coming regularly to Modern Restaurant for the last 40 years, and they would be incredibly disappointed if the food changes. S. Mohana Sundaram prides himself on always providing healthy meals. He makes it a point of not adding other ingredients to his food just because it may be popular in other restaurants, or because it is seen as a more modern method of cooking. For example, “Using ingredients just to make dosa crispier or kesari powder to make the dishes more colourful, may be more modern, but it isn’t any healthier for customers,” he explains. “You have to satisfy customers in the right way.” Today, around five to six chefs work in the kitchen, all trained by S.Mohana Sundaram. They each uphold his personal values: to understand customers, to never lower the quality of food, and to be loyal to the restaurant. “My pride is that I am in this restaurant,” he says with a smile. With complete support from his family, staff and, of course, his customers, S.Mohana Sundaram has succeeded in managing a large, popular and profitable business. But he doesn’t plan to stop here. He and his family plan to renovate the kitchen and dining area over the next couple of years to help his customers feel more comfortable and enable them to even see the kitchen staff preparing their meals. The aim is not just to ensure that Modern Restaurant is a comfortable and friendly place known for good food, but also to give patrons a complete dining experience. If you are walking around the Meenakshi temple between 6.30 am and 10.30 pm and are a little hungry, or you just want a place to enjoy traditional South Indian food, I strongly recommend Modern Restaurant. Especially their idli, dosa and poori are delicious.

Madurai Messenger Film February 2012

Amazing Amadeus! An exquisite and highly engaging film that celebrates the life and music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, musician extraordinaire. The film is worthy of its eight Oscars, writes James Lees By James Lees Melbourne, Australia

E 30

ight-time Oscar winning film Amadeus is testimony that not all films about artistes have to be dull and uninspiring. In this 1984 period drama, director Milos Forman and screenwriter Peter Shaffer have painted an incredible portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his music. While not entirely based on historical events, the film is an audio visual delight, filled with rich details, drama, and a commanding score. A screen adaptation of Shaffer’s stage production, Amadeus, tells the story of Mozart (Tom Hulce), an arrogant and boyish genius composer and his jealous rival Antonio Salieri (F.

offering his confession to a priest. His tale forms the bulk of the movie’s narrative. Salieri’s story begins in 1781. He is a young and passionate musician who lives a chaste life dedicated to the art of music and composition.

individual. Salieri plans to strike back at the Almighty by silencing his instrument and his plot for Mozart’s downfall is revealed as the movie progresses. But, even as he seeks to destroy the man, he is enthralled by the music.

He has risen up the ranks to become Court Composer, yet lacks the talent to become a truly famous musician. Mozart, on the other hand, Salieri believes, has God’s Gift for music and he is in awe of his achievements. “This man had written his first concerto at the age of 4,” Salieri says. “His first symphony at age 7. A full scale opera at 12!”

Though Amadeus is a story of the life of Mozart, Salieri could be easily mistaken for the main character. The story is told through his eyes, and he is by far the most complicated character. Salieri is a mediocre composer but gifted enough to recognise true genius when he discovers it, and he finds it in Mozart. The problem is, of course, that Salieri

“Mozart’s music has been meticulously chosen to amplify the onscreen action and accompanies nearly every scene in the film. It can almost be seen as a ‘third character’ of the film. Each operatic performance is breathtaking and demonstrates the diversity and tragic beauty of Mozart’s talent.”

Murray Abraham). The film covers the last ten years of Mozart’s life, and is set primarily in Vienna. From 1781 until 1791, the film chronicles the composer’s triumphs and failures, as viewed by Salieri, the Court Composer to Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). The film opens in the 1820s, with an ageing Salieri, confined in an asylum for the insane after attempting suicide,

Salieri soon realises, however, that Mozart may have God’s Gift of music, but he also has the Devil’s audacity to flaunt it. He lives a life of drunken debauchery and has no respect for morality. Salieri, having sacrificed everything in exchange for a talent that proves beyond his grasp, views the situation as a rebuke from God. The Almighty is mocking him by placing favour upon Mozart, an undeserving

is tortured by Mozart’s constant achievements; viewing them as if God is laughing at him. This is no more evident than in Mozart’s childlike laugh. A naïve boyish giggle that lacks malicious intent but appears to say “I am better than you, and I know it”. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to suggest Mozart actually laughed in this manner.

As Robert L. Marshall explains in “Film as Musicology: Amadeus” (The Musical Quarterly, Vol.18/2, 1997, p.177) there is “absolutely no historical evidence for this idiosyncrasy Mozart’s infuriating laugh. We simply have no contemporary testimony at all as to how Mozart sounded when he laughed.” Marshall goes on to explain that the laugh is a dramatic device, representing the mocking laughter of the gods, as in fact Antonio Salieri recognises in the film. “That was God laughing at me through that obscene giggle.” Throughout the film, Salieri toys with Mozart’s mind, even going so far as to trick the dying composer into writing his own requiem mass (of which he

plans to steal and claim as his own). However, it is a battle that only one of them fights for Mozart. In his childish naiveté, Mozart never really grasps that Salieri is his enemy until it is too late. The result as an incredible form of revenge that leaves the viewer with a strange feeling of empathy towards Salieri’s plight. Mozart’s music has been meticulously chosen to amplify the onscreen action and accompanies nearly every scene in the film. It can almost be seen as a ‘third character’ of the film. Each operatic performance is breathtaking and demonstrates the diversity and tragic beauty of Mozart’s talent. The transition of Mozart from a high flying playboy to a depressed drunk after his father’s death is captured beautifully

in one particular scene where he conducts Don Giovanni. The music is an extension of his flailing arms and grief stricken face as Mozart conducts one of his final performances. Amadeus is not intended to be an accurate depiction of historical events. The filmmakers have taken certain liberties and combined fact with fiction to create a highly entertaining film. We cannot truly know the nature of the relationship between Mozart and Salieri, nor the nature of Mozart’s death. What we do know is that Milos Forman and Peter Shaffer have created an exquisite and highly engaging film that celebrates the life of one of history’s most talented composers. Amadeus truly is worth every one of its eight Oscars.

Madurai Messenger First Impression February 2012

Madurai: A Cusp Between Old and New James Lees’ sojourn in Madurai is an act of discovery. Among his many discoveries is the universal presence of mobile phones. Yet the most humbling discovery he makes is to witness an ancient country embrace technological wizardry with its attendant material comforts, comforts that as a 28-year-old Australian, he had taken for granted By James Lees Melbourne, Australia

33 The Sun set over Madurai, taken at the top of Thiruppankundram Mountain

ot for the first time in my life do I find myself outside my comfort zone. This time, however, my comfort zone is in my home country of Australia, known for its beaches, kangaroos and wide open spaces. Madurai is known for none of those things, in fact, apart from its love of cricket, large population and the Meenakshi Temple, I arrive in Madurai knowing very little about the place but eager to find out more. It wasn’t the heat that I noticed first. Nor was it the bright smiles of young children or the shy yet friendly gestures of ‘hello’ I received from people passing by. It wasn’t even the proud husband and wife who invited me into their fabric store to meet their newborn son. All these things provided a welcomed reassurance that perhaps I wasn’t so far away from home. The first thing that struck me as we weaved and honked our way through the traffic from the airport, was the mobile phone. That simple symbol of modern technology which I have always associated with the modern Western world, had reached India and I soon discovered, had a great many friends. Everywhere I looked, people were attached to it; from the school children to the rickshaw drivers and shop owners. I had travelled a long way to escape the umbilical cord of modern Western society, and yet here it was in Madurai, India.

Call it naivety of the inexperienced traveller, but modern technology was not something I expected to find as prevalent as it is in Madurai. Twenty years ago in Australia, we didn’t have internet access and our mobile phones were the size of bricks, yet we had better living conditions than many of those living in Madurai today. And that is my point. Madurai, like a lot of India, appears to be in a constant struggle between yesterday and tomorrow. These beautiful people live in basic housing, many in poverty, and yet there is an abundance of modern technological conveniences. Everyone here is connected to the modern world in some way, yet they cannot take advantage of everything it has to offer. Within my first week of arriving in Madurai, I decided to hike up Thiruppankundram Mountain with a few other volunteers. The summit offered respite from crowds, traffic and general chaos of the city below and the opportunity to reflect on my first few days in a foreign land. After exploring the Muslim mosque at the summit, we settled on a ledge to view the sunset. As I gazed at an endless sprawl of people, houses, cars, buses and bikes, I began to realise what drew me to India. This beautiful land bears witness to a people with a long and rich history that is embroiled in a fight to gain all of the benefits and luxuries I have been spoilt with for the last 28 years. It is an exciting yet frantic journey and one that I feel privileged to witness, though only for a short period of time.