Display of traditional and martial arts, exhibition of minor millets and conventional food items, ‘Suzhalum sorpor’ (war of words) marked the day-long ‘Tamizhar Parambariya Thiruvizha’ held at the Periyar University here on Saturday.
The festival was organised jointly by the Rotary Club of Salem Mid Town and the Periyar University.
C. Swaminathan, Vice-Chancellor, in his inaugural address, underlined the importance of using minor millets extensively for maintaining good health.
Minor millets
“Our ancestors could maintain their health and keep fit as they consumed conventional minor millets such as varagu , cumbu , ragi , maize, kuthiravali , and thinai . These minor millets could withstand even severe drought conditions and hence their consumption would yield the desired results of keeping fit,” Mr. Swaminathan said.
The students should play a key role in creating awareness among the common people on the need for cultivating minor millets and using them in day to day life, he said.
G. Vinodh Babu, president of the Rotary Club of Salem Mid-town, and S. Ashok, project chairman, said that the objective of the programme is to popularise the traditional and cultural practices of the Tamils.
S. P. Balasubramanian, Rotary district governor, K. S. Hemalatha, secretary and others offered felicitations.
Exhibition
The highlight of the event was an exhibition of conventional food items and minor millets, put up by farmers, students and other private concerns. The student winners of the inter-collegiate cultural festival, held recently, presented dance and other folk performances.
R. Manimaran, a poet from Chennai, was the moderator for war of words programme held on the topic ‘literature’, ‘culture’ and ‘folk programmes’. While Prof. M. Tamizhmaran spoke on ‘literature', Poet R. Pacchippan spoke on ‘culture’ and R. Subramani on ‘folk arts’.
