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Down heritage lane
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A four-day cultural festival that revisits yesteryear Madras commences today
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The annual four-day Mylapore Festival, which has now become part of the festival calendar in Chennai, will commence today (on January 4). Over 300 artistes are expected to participate in the events. The festival, jointly organised by Sundaram Finance and Vincent D'Souza of Mylapore Times, attempts to showcase Madras of a bygone era. It is unique in the sense that its events are held in the spaces in and around Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple at the core of a heritage zone in Chennai.
Cultural programmes include classical music and dance recitals and art and folk shows. The special shows this year (held outside the Eastern gopuram of the Kapaleeswarar temple) include a Yakshagana performance by 20 young artistes from Agumbe, Karnataka (January 4, 7 p.m.), folk performances including Poikalkuthirai, Naiyandimelam and Kuyilattam by T. G. Raju and his artistes (January 5, 7 p.m.), street theatre by the Nalamdana troupe (January 6, 5 p.m.) and a concert of vintage Tamil cinema hits (1960s and 1970s) by visually handicapped musicians of St. Louis Orchestra, Pallavaram (7 p.m.).
On January 7, 4.30 p.m., there will be a show by stilt dancers (Kokkali kattai) from Walajahpet, street theatre by Pralayam and his Chennai Kazhi Kuzhu (5 p.m.) and a therukoothu performance by V. Dakshinamurthy and his troupe (7 p.m.) There will also be a Pinnal (plaits) Expo. Cookery contests will be held at Karpagam Hotel on South Mada Street in the afternoon.
There are three heritage walks — the Carnatic music walk (January 5, 6 a.m.), the Mylapore Mada Veedhis walk (January 7, 7.30 a.m.) and the Nature walk inside Nageswara Rao Park (January 7, 7 a.m.). Veteran commentator on cinema Randor Guy will give a talk on "75 years of South Indian cinema: Milestones" on January 7, 7 p.m.
The biggest attraction is the Kolam contest on January 6 and 7 afternoon which will take place on the North Mada Street around the Kapaleeswarar temple. Some streets will be converted into spaces for art, Tamil book exhibition, traditional game shows and sale of handicrafts. Two halls on the Mada Streets will host a food festival with a special Tanjore sapad (lunch) offered on January 7.
The Nageswara Rao Park will host events on all four days in the morning (kutcheris) as well as in the evening — art contests and creative workshops for kids and kutcheris and folk shows after dusk. All information about the fest is available at www.mylaporefestival.com or at 98410 49155.
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