Jaffna Music Festival memories:

In sync with the rhythmic beat

Anuradha ABEYSEKARA

Veerapaththirar worship is an old tradition among Tamils which originated in Kadduvan Village in Jaffna and has been practising since times immemorial. Veerapaththirar is considered to be an avatar of Lord Shiva. According to the legend, about two hundred years ago, a poet who was known as Visuva composed a koothu (dance) at the Veerapaththirar kovil to felicitate the god.

From then on it has popularized as the Veerapaththirar Vasanthan Koothu and became a part of the Tamil culture in Jaffna. The koothu more often performs in kovils during the night, but in other places too as an extension of kovil worship.

They perform in an open area with the audience sits in a circle around the performers. The koothu illustrates the farming village lifestyle as the songs describe people work in the fields, planting, harvesting and cropping. The blue summer sky decorated by the colourful birds flying above and beauty of the village life were also nicely explained in the songs.

The dancers perform in a circle as pairs with each dancer tapping two sticks to make a rhythmical beat, synchronizing with their movement. The rhythms and tunes are determined by the meaning of the songs. Each dance begins in a low tempo and gradually ascends with the singing to a speedy end.

Varied dances to different beats display a range of dance formations, entertaining the crowd in a graceful and forceful performance.

The singing usually accompanied by harmonium, mruthangam and thalam.

The musicians and singers sit beside or behind the performers while the dancers dance to the simple tunes dressed in their traditional casual village dresses.

The villagers praise god for providing them their crops and pray Veerapaththirar to protect them from all evil.

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