Parai, important instrument of humankind, confined to a caste: Padma Shri awardee Velu Aasan

The Hindu

03-05-2025

'Parai, which was the most important communication tool of humankind, over the years, was restricted to a particular caste,' said Parai artiste and Padma Shri awardee Velu Aasan.
He spoke at the prize distribution event of 'Madurai Kramiya Olympic,' conducted by Department of Museums here on Saturday.
He said that the instrument which was given various names like 'seithi,' (news) parai, 'por,' (war) parai, 'vaithiya,' (medicinal) parai, among others, was used for different purposes starting from mourning to celebrating.
When parai was performed at a person's demise, it was to communicate with the people about the death of a beloved person, he noted.
'Donning the role of 'vaithiya,' parai, it was also played with a belief that the reverberance of the instrument would wake up the dead person,' he said.
The instrument, which would be seen in almost all ceremonies, was celebrated as part of the lifestyle until the stigma that got attached to it owing to several reasons, Mr. Velu Aasan added.
Carnatic music which got introduced in between could not be used for mourning purposes, as people could not accept the way it was played, he stated.
J. Balasubramaniam, writer, said that the traditional sports like 'pallanguzhi,' and 'goli,' gave life experiences that could not be gained through any formal education.
'The games which were played in villages were mostly played by people who toiled the entire day under scorching sun in fields and construction sites,' he added.
When it is understood that the games were not played just for entertainment, it was for getting together and the games gave them a reason to sit together, he said.
Those games, unlike the ones played digitally, demanded physical and mental coordination from the player, he said.
'Though I knew I could not win in games like 'kuchi kambu' and 'pambaram' during my schooldays, the games still drove me to be just part of it,' he said.
Sportsmanship, the important quality to accept win and loss equally, was the first and foremost thing the games develop in the players, he added.
'Games can be played only when we learn to lose. This applies even to life experiences,' he stated.
'Through keen thinking, we learn that human relationships are the main reason for all the important problems we face in the world,' he said.
As the practice of playing games lost its value among the younger generation, the complex human relationship has become difficult to handle, he noted.
'Even parents think that raising a child is growing them alone. But they should learn to allow students to mingle with fellow children to fight and grow. Giving them independence will help them face the ever-changing nature of the world,' Mr. Balasubramaniam said.
Winners of traditional games like pallanguzhi, thayam, thattangal, kittipul, pambaram, goli, among others, which were conducted over a week, were given prizes and certificates.