CHENNAI: ‘’Moral values can be conveyed through folklore. It can also be a powerful tool in promoting literacy and curbing alcohol and tobacco addiction,’’ said P Duraisamy, vice-chancellor, University of Madras.
Delivering the inaugural address at an event titled ‘Facades of Folklore’, Duraisamy said Tamil Nadu is rich in folklore but little has been done to document it. ‘’Academicians need to document what is happening and it has to be disseminated,’’ said Duraisamy. He pointed out that Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchatantra and Jataka tales have kept the oral tradition alive.
The two-day event, which began on Thursday, was organised by the University’s Department of Anthropology and Vanamaa Art Education and Cultural Trust. It consists of workshops and discussions about folklore, culture, art such as Therukuthu and Thappattai Attam. ‘’We are seeing the limitations of modernity and there’s a need to relook into our history,’’ said S Sumathi, professor and head of Department of Anthropology, University of Madras. Speaking about rituals that take place in the country, she said that positivism has been a basis of our culture.
“Our culture has a patterned living. Psychology believes all individuals are unique but anthropology believes every individual has a similar pattern,’’ she said.