Bringing joy to bibliophiles, the District Central Library in Simmakkal will soon have a special section with books exclusively on folk arts.
District Library Officer S. Yasodha says renovation work is under progress and the special section will soon be commissioned on the first floor of the library. Being set up at a cost of ₹36 lakh, it will have books on Tamil folk arts. She says, currently, 200 books on folk arts are available at the library.
“It has been set up following an announcement made in the State legislative Assembly in this regard. Books on traditional art forms such as ‘karagattam,’ ‘kollattam,’ ‘mayilattam’ and ‘kavadiattam’ will be available here,” she says.
Madurai, an ancient city with a rich history, is the home of many traditional Tamil folk arts, says M. Navaneethakrishnan, a veteran folk artiste. “Art forms such as oyilattam, koothu and kummi have been passed down through generations and are practised even today,” he says. The special wing at the library will be of help to youngsters interested in knowing about the traditional art forms, he says.
N. Sulaiman, former Regional Assistant Director, Department of Art and Culture, says it will be particularly useful for research scholars. “Since there is a dearth of books on traditional art forms in the city, research scholars have to go all the way to distant Madurai Kamaraj University library. Now they can have access to all those books under one roof right in the heart of the city,” he says.
However, attention must be paid on providing the right atmosphere and amenities, says Mr. Navaneethakrishnan. “Officials must ensure proper maintenance of this special section to ensure better patronage,” he says.
