Right under the aalamaram (banyan tree) was a pond where a talkative tortoise lived. He was so talkative that his friends, the bird and Jamuna who lived on the aalamaram, could bear it no more....
Elsewhere…
In the deep, jungle...koo...koo..kawww
...kawww....grrr...eeeeehhh.....
oooooohhh...lived the king of the jungle, Raja Singam! The king lion...everyday he hunted animals....so the animals decided to...
Await the festival
Just as you are wondering what happens next, years ago there were children who would sit in rapt attention listening intently to these words. This form of narrative became popular over time. In keeping with a tradition that started under the aalamaram, The Hindu– Young World and Kathai Kalatta bring you the International storytelling festival with a special session to help you reconnect with your roots.
“Under The Aalamaram” is the brainchild of three friends from high school – Kanchana Manavalan, Jeeva Raghunath, and Kausalya Padmanabhan – who began Kathai Kalatta, a collective endeavour that aims to provide a greater platform for the art of storytelling, performance, and oral history in Chennai. The festival is the first of its kind in Chennai, with over 5,000 children from various schools around the city expected to attend.
Each day, storytelling sessions will run from morning to afternoon, held in the picturesque grounds of MGR Janaki College. The title of the festival pays homage to the ancient banyan tree that greets visitors to the campus, serving as a place of refuge from the heat, as well as providing a meeting place for guests to listen to stories and exchange ideas.
If you love to listen to stories then this is just for you.
In their individual sessions, the storytellers use simple narratives and engaging characters, to tell stories about the complexity of social life, and the diversity of customs, personalities, and points of view that make up our communities. At the same time, these stories illustrate the ways in which even the most distant lands can have stories that resonate with audiences across time and space.
Lined up are nine international story tellers who are eagerly awaiting your presence under the aalamaram to tell you their stories. Here’s your chance to get a peep into different cultures and different countries. When you attend the sessions you will understand the power of storytelling. Used in practically every field of life, storytelling plays an important part in our lives. Do not miss this chance and choose from the four sessions over two days.
Mark this : @ Dr. MGR-Janaki College, Adyar, Chennai
When: August 26, 27
Timings: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Age group: 5 to 12
Fee: RS 100 per session
Website: Go to the website to choose your session
The story-tellers
Dr. Margaret, Mac.Donald, USA
Dr. Wajuppa and Dr. Prasong,
Thailand
Mr. NG KK, Malaysia
Uncle Fat, Taiwan
Mr. Ariyo, Indonesia
Mr. Roger Jenkins, Singapore
Mrs. Kiran Shah, Australia
Jeeva Raghunath, India.
