The Hindu : Kerala News : Preserving the traditions of coastal people

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Friday, Nov 24, 2006
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Kerala

Kerala

Preserving the traditions of coastal people

A Coastal Folk Arts Academic Museum, inaugurated last Tuesday at Kalavoor in Alappuzha under the aegis of Kreupasanam Pauranika Rangakalapeedam, is a major step towards preserving the cultural traditions of people in coastal areas of the State.

The new facility was born out of concern to regenerate a community that is constantly being alienated from its traditions. It is also the realisation of a dream by Kreupasanam, which is spearheading the efforts to preserve and interpret for the new generation the customs, traditions and cultural practices of the coastal population.

The museum will also provide home-stay research facilities in Chavittunatakam, a performing art that has borrowed heavily from the classical performing arts of Kerala as well as European traditions of the opera.

The research centre has documentary films that deal with the costumes, steps and methods of Chavittunatakam. Besides, there is also an exhaustive collection of recent performances, giving the researcher a first-hand opportunity to get into the spirit and mood of the performing art.

Bishop Thomas Chakiath, chairman of the Media Commission of Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, has described the art forms as the wake up call to the coastal community.

The museum was blessed by Stephen Athipozhiyil, Bishop of Alappuzha.

The establishment of the new research centre and museum for coastal folk arts is the result of unstained efforts by V.P. Joseph Valiayaveettil.

C.L. Jose, former chairman of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, and writer Sippy Pallippuram were among those who participated in the inauguration of the centre.

K.A. Martin

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