Here is a chance to be a tourist in your own city, as Madurai Vizha — 2012 returns for the second successive year packed with more information and knowledge sharing, fun and entertainment, competitions and culturals.
Says Shyam Prakash Gupta, CII Chairman for the Madurai Zone, which is driving the show, “Our ancient city is an inspiration for those who live in and visit it. Through this effort, we are acknowledging the interaction between culture and tourism. We aim to achieve the appealing essence of preserving the culture for posterity and take the inclusive growth through next level of tourism. The three days of celebration will showcase everything that Madurai has to offer.''
The Tamukkam Grounds will be the hub of breezy activity till Sunday night, combining fine and functional arts. From craft, cuisine, songs and cinema to history, heritage, literature and folk arts, the umbrella event organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries will embrace all. You can wallow in nostalgia or savour a slice of the city that it is today.
You can walk through Kalachara Veedis that will transport you to a bygone era. On all the days, 30 artisans will take out hourly processions and their continuous performances will include mayilattam, karagattam, kavadi attam, thappattam, thavil, bommai and nadaswaram and more. If that is not enough, step into Nan Mada Koodal, a special hall mounted with sepia-toned photos and other effects to give a virtual feel of 19th century Madurai.
In the maiden festival last year, local traditions turned out to be most attractive to carnival visitors. Notes Organising Committee Chairperson Uma Kannan, “This year we have expanded with more activities and workshops for children, youths and adults, bringing together a rich variety of distinct traditional crafts, performing and visual arts, values, and lifestyle of the past and the contemporary. Madurai Vizha is a one-stop arena where elders will feel nostalgic and the youngsters will have the opportunity to know and appreciate the traditions and culture gradually vanishing.”
Giving due importance to the confluence of the old and the new, the cultural rewind will not only showcase the people skilled in traditional forms of arts and crafts, asserts Uma Kannan, but also create new markets and value for them. “They are our living treasures, a vital link to the past.”
The organizing committee this year will also recognize local artisans and reward them along with other prominent citizens who have contributed to the city's growth in the field of art, music, industry and archaeology. Says Dr. G. Vasudevan, Convener of CII Culture, Arts and Tourism panel, “We are catalysts. By pooling together historical, cultural and environmental heritage, we should be able to create a close bond with the city. People should enjoy this festival and feel that the city is theirs. Through all the projections, the city should trigger creativity and we want more people to participate.”
The organizers are also working to motivate youngsters to participate. That is how young graphics designer Gaurie Gupta came up with an innovative idea called “Madurai Meena – the traveling doll”. Meena is a hand-painted wooden doll representing a typical 10-year-old Madurai girl dressed in pattu-pavadai, wearing bangles and jasmine flowers and sporting a bindi. The mascot will be launched today evening at the inauguration of the Madurai Vizha. After that she will begin her journey across the world as the city's ambassador (see box). Gaurie's wish is, “If Barbie can take the world by storm, so can Madurai Meena.”
Over this weekend, the city's cultural cauldron will be thrown open for an all-out celebration with a permanent food court selling regional and traditional culinary delights. Besides, traditional games like silambattam, uri, vazhukkumaram will be played and contests in kolam drawing, traditional fancy costume, hair dressing and cooking will be conducted simultaneously for different age groups. Nearly 70 stalls are exhibiting old artifacts, antique jewellery, old musical instruments, wood inlays, puppets and ancient literature. Pattimandram and villupattu (traditional storytelling sessions by senior citizens) and folk dances are the other attractions.
While Tamukkam Grounds will strum and hum with music, experts will conduct three-day workshops on paper bags and paper flower making, Madurai malli tying, artificial jewellery making, batik painting, Tanjore art, kalamkari and kolam drawing, pottery, sculpture, mat and basket weaving, making of jute products, and making of golu bommai. Registration fee per participant is Rs.1,000 inclusive of all material.
Madurai, like many cities, is a living heritage and the Vizha is a reminder that we need to protect that heritage. The festival, epitomizing a mesmerizing past and the myriad-hued present, will perhaps help us rediscover our spaces in the city and catch all in its spell. Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. from February 24 to 26. Entry ticket Rs.10 per head.
Highlights
Interaction with Gaurav, who directed the film “Thoonganagaram”, and actor-comedian Vivek, who will speak on the importance of protecting heritage
Pattimandram by Dr. Gnanasambandan on ‘Does the community benefit or get spoilt by modern communication gadgets?'
Cooking demo by TV personality Revathy Shanmugam
Inauguration of festival by the Mayor, Mr. Rajan Chellappa, and Mr. Rajesh Das, IPS, IG of Police, South Zone, TN, on Friday evening
Valedictory address by TN Minister of Tourism Mrs. S. Gokula Indira on Sunday evening
Madurai Meena
Twenty packages designed by Gaurie Gupta will contain the hand painted wooden doll called Meena attired in Madurai style along with an info guide on the city and an instruction booklet. To begin with, these will be sent to 20 individuals in different countries. Each receiver is required to take a photo of Meena and herself/himself in front of any famous landmark and either upload or send the photo to the designer. The host will send back a thank you card and picture post-card of Madurai while the receiver will have to re-pack the doll and forward to any other friend in another city/country.
This way a chain of friends who host Madurai Meena across the world will be created. An interest in Meena's journey will also mean an interest in her life, culture and hometown which will be linked to website >www.maduraitourism.info and Meena will become Madurai's ambassador to the world.
“Recognition of Excellence Awards”
Under the category: Bharatanatyam, Temple Arts, Puppetry, Agamas and Vedas, Wood craft, Tamil Isai, Carnatic Music – Veena, Epigraphy & Archaeology, Modern Painting, Tamil Literature, Carnatic Music – Nadaswaram, Promoting Madurai through – Art, Popularizing Madurai’s History & Heritage, Art - Abstract Painting, Carnatic Music – Nadhaswaram, Carnatic Music - Mridangam, Tamil Theatre, Development of Golu Bommai Industry, Tamil Theatre Promotion & Preservation of Folk Arts, Community based rehabilitation, Epigraphy and Archaeology, Promotion of Ayurveda, “Sight for every one”, Tamil Literature
(Names will be announced on the spot on Sunday evening, 5 p.m).
