Folk singers hailing Azhagar a fading tradition

Madurai: As Lord Kallazhagar's arrival in Madurai, entry into the Vaigai river and return continue to enthral thousands, a centuries-old oral tradition of welcoming him with folk songs has been struggling to keep pace with time. The songs are rendered by a group of people called ‘Varnipaalargal.' While very few are well-versed in this art, the number of people who sing this has been shrinking. The song has hymns that praise the Azhagar mountain, where Azhagar resides, and the way Kallazhagar dresses, with descriptive notes such as colour of the dress, the nature of the mountain, and the beauty of the horse he rides. One of the few who has been keeping the art alive is G Nakhul Balakrishna, a 13-year-old Class X boy, who has been singing the folk song since he was 4. "Tallakulam Saalaiyil Vedi Sattham Kekudhange..." (the sound of cracker explosions can be heard on Tallakulam Road).. he sings in a high-pitched note. "My son is the only person who sings this song in Tallakulam. My father and I taught him," said Nakhul's father Ganeshan. He said the new generation has been hesitating to follow the tradition. "I enjoy it immensely. I used to listen to my grandfather sing, and that is what sparked my interest," Nakhul said."The reason for the dwindling interest is that the song has not been properly documented as it was sung by our forefathers without any written notes," said Prasanna Dhanushkodi of Madurai, who has been rendering the songs for nearly 27 years. "Now I am teaching my son to sing and he is getting ready. Once Azhagar permits, he too will start singing. This is how it passes on to our generations," he added.He said his forefathers had the capacity to sing for around an hour; the song will have the lyrics of a series of events like Mohini Avataram, Poopallaku, and Ethir Sevai, between Kallazhagar's start of journey and return. "As a group of five people, we are collectively able to sing for only about 30 minutes now. Although there are only a few who can sing for up to an hour, their numbers are steadily declining," he added. He appealed to those who continue to sing the song to preserve the 300-year-old tradition.