People like Yellappa who are the custodians of a great cultural heritage must not be allowed to fade away and should be rightly recognised and honoured (“ >The last trustee of indigo ,” Nov.25). The process of development has seen many a skilled profession fading into oblivion. While change is a continuous process, the redemption of a lost art should not be an impossible task. A dying art can come back to life again if there is the will and confidence to do so.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
I still remember the time when as a youngster in a small town — in what was then unified Andhra Pradesh — I got my brand new wheat-coloured shirt dyed indigo without telling my parents. I was punished severely for my misadventure. Though the bright dye looked odd and drew ridicule from my schoolmates, it was still a prized possession for many years.
The article doubled my joy on knowing that there was a legendary dye-maker who specialised in the art of indigo-dyeing. Even today anything with the colour indigo draws my attention, though it draws sniggers from my near and dear ones.
Sivamani Vasudevan,
Chennai
