The ninth annual edition of The DHAN Academy’s two-day ‘Heritage 2022’ was inaugurated with discussions on the importance of culture, tradition and values here on Friday.
M.P. Vasimalai, founder of The DHAN Academy, told The Hindu that the festival aims to encourage youth to change their attitude towards imbibing our heritage. “They must be taught to appreciate local culture, be aware of its richness and instill in them the need to preserve it,” he said.
He added that it was college students pursuing history who take part in the festival year after year. “But preserving heritage is everybody’s responsibility and students from other streams must come forward as well. The festival also aims to reconnect villagers to their roots in many aspects,” said Mr. Vasimalai.
“I am hopeful that such festivals inspire educational institutions to start heritage clubs that will push students to discover culture and tradition beyond textbooks,” he said.
P. Rajesh Kanna, convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), elaborated on brands that popularised our culture like veshti, turmeric etc., while speaking at the inaugural session. He also encouraged students to explore and make business models out of items rich in heritage.
R. Sasikala, coordinator for the event, said that 10 competitions will be held on both the days for around 120 participants from eight colleges in the city such as debate, poetry writing, short film, quiz, kolam drawing etc., to create awareness of our culture and history.
The star attraction among the competitions was the exhibition where antique items, including crockery, jewellery boxes, farm tools, coins, wooden artefacts, figurines, paintings, traditional foods etc., will be on display
Professors from Fatima College said that students had handpicked over 50 vintage items from their family, especially their grandparents.
While W. Gloria, a final-year student pursuing B.A. History at Lady Doak College, said that the oldest in their display was a 100-year-old brass “naali’ and ‘padi” that were traditionally used to measure rice. Learning about their use and history from the owners themselves was an interesting journey, she added.
Ms. Sasikala said that on Saturday, students, along with villagers of Vikkiramangalam village in Kovilpatti near here, would participate in cultural events like silambattam, oyilattam, folk songs etc.,
“We have planned to take out mulaipari (pot of seedlings) from Karuppu Kovil to Madhurodhaya Eswaramudaiyar Temple, a 1000-year-old temple, at Vikkiramangalam as part of the event,” she added.
Academy’s director A. Gurunathan, programme advisor for DHAN Tourism Development, K.P. Bharathi, historian G. Sethuraman, archaeologist and epigraphist V. Vedachalam and others were present.
