‘Muthamizh Mandram’ to promote Tamil arts

T. Soundiah, District Collector, honouring an artiste at the inaugural of training for Music school students in Tiruchi on Thursday. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

The Tiruchi Welfare Committee has constituted an exclusive forum, ‘Muthamizh Mandram’ to promte the three branches of Tamil arts – ‘Iyal’, ‘Isai’ and ‘Natakam’, T. Soundiah, District Collector and ex-officio Chairman of the Committee said here.

Presiding over the inaugural of the three-day State-level practical training to the Headmasters and students of 17 Government Music Schools, jointly organised by the Department of Art and Culture and the Committee here on Thursday, the Collector said that the ‘Mandram’ would promote Tamil music and arts. Tiruchi, by virtue of its location in the Cauvery delta, will be the ideal seat for honouring Tamil musicians and artistes every year hereafter.

He appealed to the Tiruchiites to extend their patronage to this effort to encourage the budding Tamil artistes on a sustained basis.

So. Sathyaseelan, noted Tamil scholar, said that the ‘Mutamizh Mandram’ would act as a catalyst in promoting Tamil music and allied arts.

Revathy Muthuswamy, Director of Srirangam Bharatha Natyalaya, said that Tamil language was a rich treasure of ‘navarasam’ and traced the contribution made by a galaxy of 26 stalwarts for the growth of Tamil music in this regard. Music students should listen to the same song or composition handled by different vocalists and realise its ‘bhavam’ to be a successful singer. Rigorous rehearsal would be a ladder to their professional elevation.

T.T. Balsamy, Corporation Commissioner; B. Hemanathan, P. Jagadeesan and R.Muthu, all Assistant Directors of Art and Culture; S. Gopalakrishnan, Publisher of Agasthiar Publications and K. Govindaraj from the Committee offered felicitations.

As part of inaugural of the ‘Mutamizh Mandram’, the Collector honoured the Kalaimamani awardees - Injikudi E. P. Ganesan; T. D. Sivagurunathan; M. N. R. Govindasamy; A. Murugesan; Srinivasan and Manikandan.

R. Gunasekaran, Assistant Director of Art and Culture, Tiruchi, said that this was the fifth exposure-cum-training programme being imparted to the music school students. Leading artistes and vidwans would render performances and guide the students and Headmasters of Government Music School in handling the ‘ragam’ and ‘thalam’ with perfection. Till last year, it was confined to the central regional institutions.