Every year in December we have a week long
concert fest which is iced with two tamil plays on weekends at Keyes school ground. We have
been regular to the plays if not on both days atleast one of the day.
This year
too we were seated in the makeshift auditorium of Keyes school to witness the play of Gurukulam’s ( original boys co. 95) troupe “Ammavin Aranmanai” (Mother’s palace).
Gurukulam to the best of our knowledge is not a popular troupe or atleast we
had not heard of it. So, we were skeptical about the play, but thankfully we
were not disappointed and I was happy my teens whom we had dragged with us, enjoyed
the play.
The play
dealt about the migration of people from joint families in smaller towns and villages
towards nuclear families in cities and
other continents. As they moved away some of them lost touch with their roots,
culture and some lost their identity or‘nativity’ too while adapting to their adopted culture.
The plays
deals with the above theme through a
family which lives in a village home with its traditional architecture of open
courtyard surrounded by garden of fresh
vegetables and flowers.
The sons,
daughter, uncles and their family who
live in a flat in a city congregate at the family home for their father’s 80th
birthday and relive the simple pleasures of growing up in a village home and
say such simple lifestyles are not possible any more and are no match to their automated lifestyle they lead in cities.
While the preparations are on for the 80th birthday, the patriarch falls unconscious due to exertion. The son’s and daughter decide to move the parents to the city after the function since the cities afford best medical facilities.Post the 80th birthday, when the discussion veers towards moving the parents, the father refuses saying there would be nothing called ‘Native culture’ any more if everybody migrates and adapts foreign cultures . The temples which are not just place of worship but treasure trove of culture would be neglected, familial and neighbor hood ties would be fractured in cities. He says it is wise for elders to stay in their native and await the arrival of children to their homes atleast once in a year to visit the family deity and visit the native temples. This will help pass the baton of culture for future generations rather than stay in time-share resorts and home-stays.
While the preparations are on for the 80th birthday, the patriarch falls unconscious due to exertion. The son’s and daughter decide to move the parents to the city after the function since the cities afford best medical facilities.Post the 80th birthday, when the discussion veers towards moving the parents, the father refuses saying there would be nothing called ‘Native culture’ any more if everybody migrates and adapts foreign cultures . The temples which are not just place of worship but treasure trove of culture would be neglected, familial and neighbor hood ties would be fractured in cities. He says it is wise for elders to stay in their native and await the arrival of children to their homes atleast once in a year to visit the family deity and visit the native temples. This will help pass the baton of culture for future generations rather than stay in time-share resorts and home-stays.
The play never sounded preachy although it had a strong social message. The
beautiful pleasures of growing up when life was not technologically connected was comically built through lovely dialogues
and versatile acting making it a memorable fare.
In short, i could identify with the play since the play's message were so similar to my thoughts which I had posted long ago in "Connecting to my roots"
In short, i could identify with the play since the play's message were so similar to my thoughts which I had posted long ago in "Connecting to my roots"
Looks like a wonderful play. Thanks for the narration.
ReplyDeleteYes SG, it was a wonderful play:) Thank you.
DeleteA wonderful and a very relevant social message. Glad you enjoyed the play! And thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure to share, Shilpa:)
DeleteThanks for sharing the beautiful event. In the present days it is difficult to see joint families anywhere and atleast some social gathering like this with meaningful social message give some recreation to those people who watched like these as atleast sometime they are in the mood of joint family system, human values, family sentiments etc. many things which we lost now in the present days due to our technological advancement.
ReplyDeleteJust now alongwith your blog i saw your son and duaghter's drawings blog. I am glad to know that your both kids are talented and i hope your love and care is the source of inspiration them to create such wonderful drawings. Best wishes for both kids and i hope in future also they draw many more.
Being a loving and responsible mother by yourself from my side a small request and suggestion to you. As your both children like the drawings and they also proved themselves as child prodigy's encourage both of them to draw paintings on several themes relating to Indian Heritage and Culture i.e. Indian monuments, Indian temples, Indian dances, Indian customs/traditions and other themes and also encourage them as sometimes to try madhubani, kalamkari, warli, keral mural etc. folk paintings themes of India. Why i am saying that because now-a-days people particularly school kids forget about our glorious heritage and it is not their fault. Due to the present hectic educational system and jobs people forget all these things. Hence atleast some responsible parents like you take some initiative to preserve our age old arts because your children already on the line of drawing. Also in your leisure time please try to encourage your children to prepared some school projects on traditional indian themes which mentioned above.
I hope you understand why i mentioned the above because children in their leisure time have such creative activities then they are becoming more brilliance in their studies and they also inspired from our culture etc. many benefits to the children being in touch with these creative things. But all these are my suggestions only.
Recently i am presented my Third Seminar on Indian Heritage and Culture to young children. In this seminar i am sharing my paintings and other collections relating to Indian Heritage and explaining children about various aspects of our Heritage and Culture through my collections. Children are eagerly participated in my seminar and they clarified their doubts about our glorious heritage.
http://indian-heritage-and-culture.blogspot.in/2014/12/my-third-seminar-on-indian-heritage-and.html
Please look into my Third Seminar on Indian Heritage post and share your valuable and inspirational comment for the same.
Thanks for the lovely comment and appreciation, Srinivasu. Thanks for the visit too. Will defintely check your link too soon.
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