Female artistes from Kerala storm male bastion

LUDHIANA: The Malayalee community living in the city celebrated Makar Sankranti with complete zeal and gusto. The day was marked by the event of Makaravilakku Maholsavam at the Ayyappa Temple at Focal Point on Friday.
While the celebrations began right in the morning, the evening saw Shobha Yatra being performed for the first time by as many as 50 artistes who had come all the way from Kerala to present traditional art forms like Theyyam and Shingari Melam by male and female groups.All the art forms mesmerized the spectators, but the piece de resistance was Shingari Melam, being performed by female artistes for the very first time, as the art form has traditionally been a male preserve so far.
Talking to ToI, Subhash from Mundiaa Kalan, who had brought in the Kerala artistes to the city, said: "The reason for calling in the female artistes was to encourage them in every field and aspect. Though earlier, due to the heavy weight of the drum, male artists used to perform the Shingari Melam, but now with an aim to empower women, we have encouraged and planned their trip for this act here. To be in their purest form, women fast for three consecutive days before the actual performance."
Out of the 18-member group of Stree Shakti Vanita Vadya Sangam - with members ranging from 19 to 58 years - 11 came down to the city to perform. Adorning a beautiful set 'mundu', which is the dress code for performing the act, Sangam president Shantha (58) said: "The prime reason to perform is the festive spirit, which we want to live up through our act. Basically, we are all housewives who get nominal charges to perform here, but that hardly bothers our spirit, as the aim is just to perform."
Shivering in the chilly Friday afternoon, 43-year-old Savitri added: "The major difference between Punjab and Kerala is the climate, which has forced us to wear pullovers and caps while performing." The youngest member of the Sangam was 19-year-old Divya, who shared her experience: "Though I am studying fashion designing, being an ardent follower of culture and rituals, I have been a part of the group for the past three years."
The members looked highly excited about their two-day visit to the state, to which the team co-ordinator Ajai added: "Once the celebrations are complete, we will head our way towards the Golden Temple and Wagah Border tomorrow, before returning to Kerala on Sunday."
The Malayalee festive spirit
Marked by the sitting of Lord Ayyapa at Sabrimala temple in Kerala, the members of Malayalee community celebrated Makar Sankranti with 'Makaravilakku Maholsavam' - literally meaning 'lighting the lamp'.
As the prayers began early in the morning with rituals of Makarsankrama Abhishekam, Nirmalya Darshanam, Ashtdravya Ganpati Homam, and Bhagvata Prayanam, the evening prayers commenced with a Shobha Yatra, where as many as 101 women and children adorning traditional Kerala dresses performed Thalapoli. In the procession, the southern artistes perform Theyyam and Shingari Melam by male and female groups.
Highlighting the rich heritage of Kerala, the red-painted Kerala artistes performed Theyyam, which is a complete devotion to the festival. While the performance of Shingari Melam by male members adorning 'mundu' had put in their best efforts in striking the beats, the female group was the main highlight of the event.
The procession which commenced from the temple, made its way to Vishwanath Temple and back, through Metro Road and Gole Market, back to the temple. The procession was followed by 'aarti', 'athazhapuja', and 'harivarasanam', to complete the festival. The prayers even had a special 'prasad', made of rice, jaggery, milk and sugar.
KERALITES IN CITY
The Malayalee community in the city dates back to the past 40 years. Residing mainly in areas near CMC Hospital, Brown Road, Dugri, Haibowal Kalan, Jamalpur, and Mundiaa Kalan, the major reason for the shift here was the bicycle export business. However, changing times have observed a declining trend in the population, with nearly 30% of the population moving back to their home state. While as many as 4-5 families are going back every year to Kerala, the reason for their return is the booming export opportunities springing up in their hometowns. Dealing in the export of cycle parts, as many as 100 families reside near Mundiaa Kalan in the city.