Around 1,000 artists to perform at temple fest

Tripunithura: This year’s Vrischikolsavam, the annual festival at Sree Poornathrayeesha temple, will provide an opportunity

to

a variety of percussion artists who will perform at the melams here. The eight-day festival will

begin

on Wednesday. Many percussion artists were forced to do other jobs like driving autos, selling masks and masonry works during the pandemic and most of them now want to get back to drumming, their real occupation.

So, instead of scheduling the melam with only chenda artist Peruvanam Kuttan Marar and his 120-member team for the eight-day performance, the temple authorities have decided to provide a chance for eight different teams which will enable at least

1

,000 percussionists from all over the state to get a chance to perform here.

“Unlike the previous years, this time many groups, headed by eight prominent artists will drum the Panchari Melam, a major percussion ensemble that has been performed here for many years,” said Prakash Iyer, president of Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple advisory committee.

“We feel so happy to know about the new melam schedule in Vrischikolsavam,’’ said Cheranelloor Sankaran Kutti Marar, who will lead the melam on Wednesday.

Peruvanam Kuttan Marar will lead the melam on

December

4.

“While scheduling other folk artforms like Kurathiyattam, Kolkali and Ottanthullal, we have given prominence to artists who suffered much during the pandemic,’’ said Krishnadasan Thampuran, a member of the temple advisory committee said.

As a curtain raiser of the festival, ‘Anachamaya Pradarshanam’ was held at the ‘Aanakkottil’ of the temple on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, there will be traffic curbs in Tripunithura from Wednesday. Vehicles coming from the municipal bus stand should enter the Layam Road instead of taking a left turn. No vehicles from the North Fort gate will be allowed to take a left turn. Three and four-wheelers will not be allowed through Kalikotta Road.