Exploring the traditions

By Soumya Bhat

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Aadi maasam plays a vital role in Tamil Nadu, because Aadi is a package of festivals and joy. The Aadi maasam starts from mid of July to mid of August. The festivals in Aadi maasam are

• Aadi Chevvai
• Aadi Velli
• Aadi Amavasai
• Aadi Pooram
• Varalakshmi Pooja
• Aadi Perukku
• Aadi Karthigai

Likewise August month is precious for Tata-Dhan Academy; because the Academy experiences the celebration of college festival called “Heritage”. This year by virtue TDA has celebrated Heritage on the day of “Aadi pooram” at Thenkarai village.

“Heritage” is an inter college event where the students from different colleges of Madurai come and participate in different events. It is a unique event, unlike other competition, it visions to sensitize the youth about the heritage of our ancestors.

The event “Heritage” has specialty in trying to build again the exterminating heritage and culture of India. It is an opportunity to look back, enjoy, conserve and safe transfer to next generation.

Heritage 2013 was an edition to the “Heritage-2012”. The focus of the HERITAGE-2013 was “Exploring Traditions”. There were 75 students representing 6 colleges of arts, science and management and village communities of “Thenkarai” near Sholavandan. It was a two-day event which was conducted on August 9 and 10, 2013. The “HERITAGE 2013” included the events in which both the students and the village communities would participate. The PDM students of Tata-Dhan Academy would design and conduct the “HERITAGE 2013”. The different events are Loksangeet, Chintan, Lekha, Vrattchitra, Medha, Sahyog, Netratv, Varnaleka, Bhumika, Marketing and Pradarshan.

This “Adi masam” plays important role in farming, the farmers who cultivate the paddy, start seedling of paddy in this month, like wise in TDA, PDM 11 planned for “Heriatge”, PDM 12 have sown the “Heritage” and PDM 13 were seedling the “HERITAGE”.

My best wishes for “Heritage-2014”, and PDM 14 who were also the part of “Heriatge-2013”.

Heritage 2012: In the Press

Here are a few articles from the Hindu and Times of India about the Heritage 2012 event. Pretty good coverage, even if they don’t all directly credit Tata-Dhan Academy:

• The Hindu: Where discipline is a way of life [Archive | PDF]
• The Hindu: Role reversal–Urban to rural [Archive | PDF]
• Times of India: Getting acquainted with a taste of rustic customs [Archive | PDF]

If anyone comes across any others, please share the links!

Heritage 2012: Video Overview

DHAN Foundation’s Centre for Development Communication was with us for both days of Heritage 2012, and were kind enough to quickly compile and share this seven-minute video overview of the events with us.

 

Marketing of Rural Products

The “Marketing of Rural Products” event at Heritage is a unique action-oriented event. The participants of this event were students from management, engineering, agriculture, and arts colleges in Madurai.

In the first phase of this event, the participnats went to Keelamattayan village and interacted with the villagers. They asked about their traditional products and the indigenous practices alive in their community. They also observed the village condition and tried to understand the problems the community faced.

Sanskriti: Traditional Dress

Sanskriti is about how Indian culture is evolving according to who we are today. It is not just keeping traditions as they are, but changing ways of doing things while upholding strong eminence. India state costumes are unique to the religion and the culture of the particular state and vary to a great extent. Each state of India has their own traditional costumes and attires that are deeply rooted in the state’s history, religion, tradition, customs, and culture.

Chitralekha: Drawing

The Chitralekha event started with a formal invitation by the villagers of Keelamattaiyan. The 14 participants observed the village closely, and took the opportunity to experience the tradition, culture, traditional games, folk dances, and traditional foods.

Manthan: Debate

The Manthan team event was conducted at Yamuna hall at Tata-Dhan Academy on 11 August 2012. The event was conducted in three stages (preliminary, semi-final, and final). From the preliminary round, four teams were selected; for the semi-final round, the teams from TSM and TCE qualified. The panel of judges comprised Mr. Madhan Kumar, Mr. Rajan, and Mr. Poonu Swami (NIC).

Heritage 2012: Inauguration

The inauguration function of Heritage started sharply at 10 AM and was anchored by TDA Faculty Mrs. Vijayabharati. On the stage were the chief guests Mr. Vasimalai, Dr. Venkataraman, Mr. Vedacharan, Mr. K. P. Bharthi, Mr. Ponnu Swami, and TDA Director, Mrs. A. Umarani. The function was started with a prayer from Somya, Smriti, and Shilpa, and readings by Vinay and Garima.

After the prayer Vinit delivered the welcome speech. Mrs. Vijyabharthi then invited the chief guests, participants and Anurag for lighting the lamp of knowledge.

Heritage: Spreading the Fragrance of Culture and Development to Youth

The two-day inter-college Heritage event is currently under way at Tata-Dhan Academy. We thought it would be appropriate to share some of the background to how this event evolved.