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Gleanings:
Chola Empire: Religion, Philosophy, Literature, Temples and the Arts
K.S. Sivakumaran
Last week we learnt briefly about the three day research-seminar
organized by the Department of Hindu Culture held at the Ramakrishna
Seminar Hall at Wellawatta on August 22 to 24. Like reported last week,
this week too I wish to give only the titles of topics presented and
briefly discussed for want of space to comment on the different subjects
that were very interesting from an academic point of view.
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Chola Temple |
On the 23rd and the 24th there were in all 16 sittings covering
Religion and Philosophy. Listed topics and speakers were:
01. Saiva Siddantham in Sanskrit (Kalaivaani Ramanathan)
02. Vichidathuvaithi Kamban (S. Muhundan)
03. Devotees Worship: Origin and Growth (K. Raghuparan)
04. Saiva Siddhantham as perceived by Cheakkilar
05. Vaishnava Paasura Anthology (A. Sanmugadas)
06. Saiva Thirumurai Anthology (N. Muthumohan)
07. Bhakthi Songs (Vasnatha Vaiyhianathan)
08. Kalingathuparani; Kali Worship (S. Maunaguru)
09. Saiva Siddantha Literature (N. Muthumohan)
10. Thiruthondar Puranam (Sethu Murgapoopathy)
11. Minor Literature and Chola Dynasty (V. Maheswaran)
12. Thamil Grammar Books during Chola Period (Manonmani Sanmugadas)
13. Aesthetics referred in Chola Period Grammar Books (Krishnaveani
Norbert)
14. Kamba Ramayanam (Thurai Manoharan)
15. Formation of Chola Period grammar (Selvaranjitham Sivasubramaniam)
16. Chola Period
17. Thamil Uusage (Ammankili Murugadas)
18. Kamba Ramayanam in Linguistics Terms (Subadhini Ramesh)
19. Paintings in the Chola Period (Ira. Rajavelu)
20. Statue Making the Saints (P. Ahilan)
21. Chola Temples in the Pandiya Land (K. Sethuraman)
22. Temples during the Chola Period (Ira Rajavelu)
23. Sculpture in Early Chola Period (V. Vedasalam)
Professors S. Pathmanathan, A. Subrayalu, S. Thillainathan, A.
Sanmugadas, S. Sethuraman and Dr. N. Muthumohan chaired the sittings.
Dhesiya Kalai Ilakkiyap Peravai Function
On August 23rd and the 24th the Dhesiya Kalai Ilakkiya Peravai
celebrated its 35th Annual Function at the Colombo Thamil Sangam in
Wellawatta.
On the first day the Forum's 35th Annual 'Vasantham' was released.
Two skits from a Drama Group in Bogawantalawa were also staged. They
were:
'Thaaham' and 'Kangalil Eeram'. Colombo audiences had the opportunity
to see the provincial talents.
On Sunday (24) erudite papers were read by important people
subscribing to the ideals of the Forum which advocates Equality,
Multiplicity and Social Change. Key writers of similar interests that
passed away were honoured by having the stages named after them.
The names were: K. Kailasapathy, K. Daniel, C.V. Velupillai, Subair
Ilankeeran and Subadran.
Prof. S. Thillainatahan, K. Thanikasalam, S. Thevarajah, J.
Satkunanathan and Prof S. Sivasegeram chaired the sittings. Here too, I
give below the topics and the names of the speakers especially for the
readers who do not know Thamil so that they could know what's happening
in the Thamil Literary World in Lanka.
01. People's Art and Literature in a Changing World ( S. Sivasegeram)
02. The World that we should know better (T.G. Meenilango )
03. Thamil Novels in the Growth of Lankan Literature (A. Iqbal)
04. Lankan Poems from a Social Perspective (C. Vanniakulam)
05. Today's Direction of Lankan Short Stories (Dickwella Kamal)
06. Education in Social Mobility (N. Ravindran)
07. Folk Verses in Hillcountry Social Mobility (Lenin Mathivaanam)
08. A Sociological Perspective of Lankan Songs (Bhavani Muhunthan)
09. Lankan magazines from Anti-Culture Perspective (Memon Kavi)
10. Literary Criticism and Young Creators (S. Suthagar)
11. Drama and Social Change (S. Thillainathan)
12. Thamil-Sinhala relations and Drama (Parakrama Niriella) who spoke
in Sinhala. His speech was translated by S. Sivagurunathan.
'Vaalkai' - a play by Mobile Artistes, Songs by Sunanda Pushpakumara
and Song and Drama by Friends of the Future were the other cultural
events. Since I spent most of the time at the Chola Period Seminar, I
could witness only a few items of the above. Despite the tension around
because of the uneasiness prevailing in the country these cultural
events were concludes successfully and the people were a little relieved
of the agonies around.
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