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Chennai's urban village fest Sempozhil blends folk art, food, and native cattle displays
To commemorate the first year anniversary of the Jallikattu protests, a festival called Sempulam was held in 2018. It was helmed by Thondaimandalam Foundation — that works to sustain rural and peri-urban livelihoods in the Thondaimandalam region spanning from Tirupati to Tiruvannamalai — and Actor Karthi's Uzhavan Foundation that supports farmer livelihoods. The two-day event brought together farmers who promoted organic farming methods, and the fair showcased native cattle breeds of Tamil Nadu.
Last year, Sempulam was held on a much-larger scale as a three-day event with artiste performances, native food, and more. 'We wanted to organise a rural fest celebrating organic farming, sustainable living and showcasing native livestock as a mark of gratitude to people for supporting the campaign,' says Himakiran, managing trustee at Thondaimandalam Foundation.
This year, the festival returns for four days as Sempozil (meaning a flourishing grove in red soil, in tamil) in a far larger format. 'This year, we have content in the six themes of food, clothing, shelter, art, literature, and wellness. and will be presented as workshops, exhibits, and performances. The content is also tied to the ainthinais (five landscapes),' says Himakiran, who is also the executive producer of Sempozhil. 'Sempulam means 'fertile lands'. We wanted to create a larger canvas for the festival and hence changed the name to Sempozhil. 'Sem' is from semmai which means fertile, and 'pozhi'l means a garden, forest, or a large landscape,' he explains.
Aimed at spotlighting the various facets of Tamil heritage, Sempozhil will have daily performances by rural troupes from across Tamil Nadu including Therukoothu, Paraiattam, Oyilattam, Bommalattam, among others; a space dedicated to native seeds, heritage crops; thematic installations; play areas for children; among other features. The highlight, however, is the cattle expo that will bring together over 40 native animal breeds of Jallikattu bulls, sheep, goats, dogs, horses, and poultry.
For the event, Himakiran says the team has collaborated with Alliance Francaise of Madras for the workshops, Tamil Nadu Iyarkai Uzhavar Kootiyakkam for the food and seed displays, Anubavi for curating the arts performances, exhibits and workshops. First-time art forms at Sempozhil include Thiruvannamalai periyamelam, dabbakuthu, silambattam, to name a few. 'Over 1,000 farmers and 150 performing artistes, primarily from rural and tribal belts, are participating in the show,' he says, adding that 3,000+ school children will also be attending Sempozhil as part of organised educational and experiential tours.
Curating an event at such a scale has its own share of challenges. 'Someone who loves the arts might not necessarily like livestock. Someone who likes farming might not be interested in exhibits. These are perceptions and pre-conceived notions that are the hardest to deal with. The urban vs. rural divide is artificial and we truly believe that there is a child in every adult and a villager in every urbanite,' says Himakiran.
For someone attending the event for the first time, what does the team recommend they do? Himakiran says learning about seed diversity, and our livestock should be on their agenda, including savouring traditional millet and rice-based organic food. 'You could attend one of the many workshops happening as a run up to the event until August 22, and also witness one of the four livestock shows that will make people be amazed by the hard work needed in rearing livestock,' he says. A fashion show featuring 2,000 years of Tamil apparel will also be held and it will feature contemporary Madras streetwear.
From August 21-24 at YMCA, Nandanam. Tickets on
