Singaporean Tamil children connect to roots via arts

A group of young students from Singapore is here for a week-long programme to learn ancient Tamil dance forms, games, martial arts and the nuances in studying the Tamil language. The group of 15 Tamil students comprising boys and girls of Classes 9 and 10 were from the Bartley School of the City State. 

They learnt Silambattam, an ancient Tamil martial art and also underwent a crash course in Karagattam and Kummi , the dance forms in vogue in Tamil Nadu for well over a millennium. The students were delighted to learn to balance pot on their heads for Karagattam and swing swiftly for Kummi with equipoise.

“Not only martial arts and dances, they also learnt traditional games, including Pallanguzhi , and the programme was a way to connect to their roots,” said GJ Manohar, Correspondent, Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School and K Muthumony, programme coordinator. 

They said there was a renewed interest in learning ancient martial art and dance forms and games native to Tamil Nadu among the Tamil diaspora. Children were quite happy and were joyous to learn games like Kilithattu, Sangili Bungili Kathava Thora, and Poo Parikka Vaarigala,  the games that were in vogue for a very long time, Muthumony said. 

Also, the students had a primer on folk songs from noted Tamil folk singer Anitha Kuppusamy, he added. The Singapore students, whose mother tongue is Tamil, attended lectures on learning the nuances of Tamil language in a holistic manner. 

“We arranged a special exhibition of Tamil literature in our library starting from the Sangam age to give a glimpse of the growth of the language and literature and their significance,” Muthmony, who is also a Tamil teacher said. The students, who also interacted with the students of Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School left for Singapore on October 28 on completion of the programme.