Thread by @veejaysai

A day out with the nonagenarian Muthukannammal, the last of the traditional dancers of the Viralimalai Murugan temple. The original Kurathi of the famous Viralimalai Kuravanji!

Her name was announced for the Padma Shri award by the President of India, few weeks ago.

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I was visiting her and this place after close to two decades! And what a phenomenal memory she has!! She could recollect so much from the last time!

So much laughter,music,dance, history, raunchy jokes and her old world social graces!

Superbly exciting day! Lots to tell!
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I showed her the image of hers I had taken some nineteen years ago! A young Muthukannammal had performed Abhinayam to a Dikshitar's Nottuswaram for us, then. She could recollect everything from memory!

Even now she has a sharp memory and perfect eyesight!

What a woman! 🤩🙏

Last time I was here, I was hardly equipped with any fancy gadgets! I didn't own a camera! Had to borrow one from a friend who reluctantly gave it! But that's been the story with most of my research and travels to remote places! Sigh!

Glad I had saved this and other images.

She spoke so many fascinating things about her history. She was delighted that she got this recognition from the government in her ripe old age. She said this Gauravam wasn't for her personally but for her Parampara that she held on to all her life.

@BJP4India
@BJP4TamilNadu

An unknown sculptor fan of hers gifted her a beautiful bronze sculpture of her bust. She was flattered and accepted it but told him he was half a century too late in seeing her! 😂

She has an old world sense of raunchy humour!

The piece is fantastic!

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Lots of people are curious about Muthukannammal and her Parampara. Few years ago the Films Division released a documentary on her. You can watch it here. It will give you a brief idea about her and her art form.

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There seem to be too many false dates about her age on the internet. She was born in 1929. So now, you calculate!

She had her traditional "Bottu ceremony" when she was seven. Since then, she has been dancing all her life. In the service of Lord Shanmukhanatha of Viralimalai! 🙏

In 1947, when the Devadasi system got abolished, she stopped performances in the temple. She continued to receive patronage from the royal family of Pudukkottai and other Zamindars. She continued performing at private functions and salon parties and other auspicious occasions.

The Viralimalai Devadasi repertoire is very different from that of Thanjavur one. While a few of the Thanjavur Quartet compositions are performed, there are other things like Arunagirinathar's Thiruppugazh, the famous Kuravanji, Kolattam, and Notuswarams, etc here. 😀