Vanakkam
அனைவருக்கும் இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்
Wish you all a very happy Tamil New Year. May this year be a healing one, filled with prosperity. I am delighted to start this conversation with you all through this blog page which will focus on various matters related to heritage and culture.
The past sixteen months have been very difficult for the entire world with thousands having lost their lives and millions of their livelihoods. Hope in the coming months, we all see a better future.
Our country is no exception and we have a long way to heal and get back on track. We have seen millions of artists, craftsmen, and artisans affected badly. The collective synergies of many, including the government, many cultural institutions, NGO’s, and individuals came forward to help the artist community.
As an organization that believes in keeping the musical traditions at the temples alive, we decided to focus on supporting the Nadaswaram artistes, the Tavil artistes, and the Odhuvars at the temples across Tamil Nadu. With the support of many individuals, we were able to raise funds and support many such artists in Temple in Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Vizhupuram, Cuddalore, and Nagapattinam in 2020. We hope to continue this endeavor in 2021.
This Tamil New Year, is a very special beginning for Prastara. As a step further in the impact value chain, we are in the process of appointing and engaging Nadaswaram and Tavil players and Odhuvars at temples in Tamil Nadu which currently are not in a position to engage such artistes. We are working along with temple authorities and senior Nadaswaram Vidwans to identify musicians who live in the village or nearby and are willing to take up this opportunity to do their music offering at the temple. The remuneration for their services will be provided by Prastara. We hope this will grow in the years to come with the support of many well-wishers, and we are able to bring back these musical traditions to many more temples in the future.
We seek your wishes and support in our endeavors.
Written by S Jayakumar (Founder Trustee)