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Exhibitions

Shadow Puppetry

Old or young, puppets always bring a smile on everyone's face. Even before the sixties, "High on a hill was a lonely goatherd, lay odl lay odl lay hee hoo" right up to this day, puppetry has fascinated all of us. It's not just the art or the voices alone that make us thirst for it, perhaps it is cavorting movements or the display of dominance (and mastery) of the puppeteer over his world. Art of puppetry has lived the test of time across the world. Kaapi @ Saarang brings you an enthralling opportunity to enjoy a puppetry show. Doll Puppetry is prevalent everywhere. What makes kaapi special is the fact that we bring you something that is rare and South Indian. Shadow puppetry is a rare art-form which Indians excel at, the closest rivals being the Russian theater groups. Having passed on from generation to generation, shadow puppetry is now performed by only a handful of people in the country. Indian Puppeteers is a group founded by M.V.Ramanamurthi, a famous shadow puppeteer at Chennai. S. Seethalaxmi, disciple of Ramanamurthi, is the current director. She has performed in Europe, USA, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. Staging traditional shadow shows like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Lord Ayyappa and Panchatantra stories, apart from contemporary puppet shows based on social issues. Seethalaxmi received Kalaimamani Award from government of Tamil Nadu in 1987 and is currently working in the Central Leather Institute (CLRI), Chennai The puppets are made of leather. Kaapi @ Saarang provides an insight into what goes into each puppetry show, how skillful one needs to be and a complete behind the scenes look. Learn more about the art of puppetry through men whose families have been in the business for over several generations now. You ought to make sure that you save up enough time for this. It is worth every second of it, and not a shadow of doubt about it.

FOLK ARTS

Kaapi 2006 presents some of the biggest crowd pulling south Indian folk dance performances, ranging from Karaagattam , Thappattam , Oyilattam to Devarattam, authentically South Indian and amazingly entertaining right here in Saarang ! These varied forms of group and individual dances will be performed with great enthusiasm and panache by dance troops who are still thriving in Tamil Nadu today.The following are the main dance form performances that you will witness in Saarang as a part of the folk arts @ Kaapi. Karagaattam A popular south Indian folk dance with musical accompaniment, performed by balancing a pot on the head. Traditionally, this dance was performed by the villagers in praise of the rain goddess Mari Amman and river goddess, Gangai Amman, performed with literature with water pots balanced on their heads. Kavadi attam This dance is performed only by men. It is done by balancing a pole with pots fixed on either end, filled with milk or cocunut water. Poikkal Kudirai Aattam This is the Dummy Horse Dance where the dancer bears the dummi figure of a horse's body on his/her hips. This is made of light-weighted materials and the cloth on the sides swings to and fro covering the legs of the dancer. This dance is accompanied by Naiyandi melam or Band music. Devarattam is a pure folk dance still preserved by the descendents of Veerapandiya Kattabomman dynasty at Kodangipatti of Madurai District in Tamil Nadu. The dancers hold a kerchief in each hand and swing them as they dance. The person leading the dance wears false beard and a mask decorated with shells to look like teeth. He dances the first step, which others follow. Oyilattam Oyil means beauty. This dance is hence the dance of beauty. This dance is prevalent in the south districts and Kongu Nadu in particular. To start the dance, a few people stand in a row and start dancing with rhythmic steps with musical accompaniment. Intricate steps are used in martial arts, such as Silambattam. The dancers wear ankle-bells, form long rows while dancing. Thappaattam Thappu is the name of a rhythmic beat instrument (hand held drums) and Thappattam is practiced among the suppressed classes of the people of the Tamil Nadu. The subtle form of dance accompanied by captivating music is an ancient rural folk art which is even now popular in urban slum areas in villages.

All of Kaapi folk arts is at Indraprastha on the 27^th of January from 10 AM onwards!