It began as a small hangout that came alive with music, dance, and theatre, but now, the Manaveeyam Veedhi has grown into a unifying space where life is celebrated.
Sunday will see the Veedhi, the small stretch of road connecting Althara Junction to the Museum-Vellayambalam road, turn 15. Over these years, it has carved a niche for itself on the city’s cultural firmament. In 2001, when it was declared a cultural corridor, the aim was to transform it into a space for art and artistes and promote public performances.
The idea took root during Abhinaya theatre group co-founder D. Reghoothaman’s visits abroad, particularly to France, where he came across a vibrant street culture. His own background in street theatre helped, and it was just a matter of time before efforts to find a space for theatre, folk songs, painting, and sculpting were realised as part of the then government’s Manaveeyam project. “The road was closed to traffic and policemen would be posted at both ends when performances were on,” he said. The government changed, but the artistes kept staging programmes there, reluctant to lose their space. The money collected was distributed there itself. The programmes kept happening till 2014.
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That was the year when other like-minded groups such as Trivi Art Concerns, Artfaktory, APT (A place for theatre), and Indus Cycling Embassy got together with Abhinaya to form the Manaveeyam Theruvorakootam collective to reinvigorate the open street. Today, the Veedhi hosts street plays, folk music, mime, magic, caricature sessions, painting exhibitions, cycling rides, film shows et al. Importantly, it is a place where women, the elderly, transgenders, the physically challenged come, participate, and relax.
After the elections, the Theruvorakoottam plans to approach the new government for further development of the street. “We want to hold activities every day,” Mr. Reghoothaman says. On Sunday, at 4 p.m., an art exhibition by P.S. Padmini and a photo expo on cycling by the Indus Cycling Embassy will kick off the 15th anniversary celebrations. Folk songs by the Theruvorakoottam; ‘Manappama,’ play by Abhinaya’s children theatre group; on-the-spot caricature session by artistes from Vismaya Max; music by the band ‘Ettilam;’ and dance by Benny will follow at 5 p.m. Other events too will be held as part of the celebrations that will go on till December.
Manaveeyam Veedhi, the city’s avowed cultural corridor, turns
15 today