Tamil Nadu - Others   

Tourists' patience tested by speeches

Staff Reporter

Endless speeches during the Mamallapuram dance fete leave them bored

MAMALLAPURAM: The Mamallapuram Dance Festival might be an opportunity to showcase to the visiting foreign tourists the beauty and grace in the various Indian dance forms.

But the inauguration tested the patience of the foreign tourists to the core, leaving them frustrated. Some of them, who had purchased tickets left in a huff, as the endless speeches during the inaugural function delayed the start of the Bharatanatyam recital.

As the inaugural function was scheduled to be held at 6.30 p.m, the tourists started arriving from 6 p.m. onwards. They listened to a Nadaswaram recital until 7.15 p.m., when the speakers got on to the stage.

The proceedings got off to a bad start with the cassette playing `thamizh thaai vaazhthu' getting stuck in the player. It took five minutes to set it right. And once the speakers began to speak, most of them in Tamil, the tourists became restless.

While the officials kept their speeches brief, the elected representatives took a long time. They spoke about their respective governments' achievements in the tourism sector. And when they left the podium, the tourists thanked them in their languages. As the performances did not commence even after 9 p.m., a section of the tourists who had purchased tickets, left in a huff. Some of the performers even pleaded to the officials: "The tourists do not understand Tamil. They are leaving. Ask them [the speakers] to finish it fast," but in vain.

And even after Kanaga Srinivasan and her disciplines got on to the stage, they had to wait as the mike arrangements were not right . The tourists said they had come all the way to Mamallapuram to witness dance performances and not to listen to speeches.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Bridge widens gap between parties at Karur council meet
Helping the tsunami affected
Mamallapuram festival begins
Tourists' patience tested by speeches
Incense stick production units opened
Access the Net... at 10 paise a minute
Stolen articles recovered
`Increase police strength in Tirupur'

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu