The Hindu : Karnataka News : A folk art form struggles to survive

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Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

A folk art form struggles to survive

Muralidhara Khajane

Ramasamudra village is home to 50 Gorava folk artistes

A struggle: Puttamallegowda and some members of his family with the awards conferred on him.

RAMASAMUDRA (CHAMARAJANAGAR DISTRICT): Gorava Kunita is one of the many folk art forms in the State that is in danger of disappearing with the passage of time. The Gorava community is living in a state of total neglect in a village near Chamarajanagar town.

Ramasamudra is a small village on the outskirts of Chamarajanagar. It is home to 50 Gorava folk artistes, who have been performing for several decades. However, despite performing in many places in the State and the country and getting awards, they are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

The Gorava folk dance of the Shiva cult is popular in both Mysore and north Karnataka. In the Mysore region, the Gorava community worships Mudukutore Mallikarjuna. During performances, their costume consists of a black and white woollen rug and a fur cap. The carry a ‘damaru’ (small drum) and a ‘pillingovi’ (flute). Sometimes a small bronze bell called ‘paarigante’ is also used. The dance consists of trance-like movements with no fixed choreography.

A Gorava troupe led by senior artiste Puttamallegowda has also performed abroad. Many important personalities, including the former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, have appreciated their performance.

Puttamallegowda and his brother Maadegowda have received State awards and the Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana awards. Nanjamma, a folk artiste, was invited to Bangalore by the Governor on the occasion of Independence Day.

But their lives are not as colourful as their performances. Puttamallegowda’s house has eight members of his family living in a 20 ft x 30 ft space. He sleeps on a ‘jagali’ (platform) attached to the house. The other Gorava folk artistes of Ramasamudra live in similar conditions.

Shivamallegowda, a Gorava folk artiste, says they get only three or four opportunities to perform in a month, and they are paid Rs. 300 to Rs. 400 for each programme. Most of the money is spent on travel and food, and they return empty-handed. “To make ends meet we wear our costumes and literally beg on the streets,” he says. “Will somebody come forward to help us to live a decent life?”

Although there are 16 members in the Gorava troupe, only eight of them are getting a pension of Rs. 1,000 each. All the aged artists in the troupe are not literate and their children cannot afford to study beyond SSLC.

Members of the community have not been allotted sites or houses by the Government. “Out requests are not honoured either by the district administration or the city municipal council,” says Chandregowda.

Despite the neglect, they wanted to preserve their art for posterity. They are making every attempt to protect Gorava Kunita, which they consider their profession.

They are training 20 youths to carry on the tradition. However, they don’t have a place in the village to train the youths.

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