Festivals always mean reading special editions in the form of malars with commissioned articles on people, places, temples, films and stories .
The Hindu Tamil has brought out a 242-page Malar for this Pongal based on the theme of classical and folk arts.
Priced at ₹120
The special edition priced at ₹ 120 has a 15-page special section on Bharatanatyam legend T. Balasaraswathi, whose centenary begins in May, with illustrations by Trotskey Marudhu. The section has been culled out from T. Balasaraswati’s biography by Douglas M Knight Jr.
Also an interesting and indepth read is an article on M.S. Subbulakshmi by Kasturi and Sons Limited chairman N. Ram that has been translated from English.
The Pongal Malar also has stories by Ashokamitran, Ki. Rajanarayanan and Vaasanthi. Short biographies of personalities who shaped dance and music in the 18th and 19th Centuries, including Mysore Vasudevachar, Kavi Kunjara Bharathi, Vaduvoor Ramaiyah Pillai, Kandappa Pillai and Balakrishna Sastrigal dot the pages of the special edition put together by the features team.
Copies can be purchased at newspaper outlets and on http://tamil.thehindu.com/
