For Dhanya Shyam, a dance teacher in Thiruvananthapuram, Navaratri is a busy time. The nine-day festival, which began on September 22, is an ethereal period for the city — a perfect time to soak in the artistic fervour thanks to the performances that will add to the celebrations.
She is preparing her students for various performances before the rush begins at Sri Ganesha Vidyapeetam, her dance school.
Dhanya is not alone. Preparation is almost over everywhere in the capital — from temples, art forums and to the streets, where stages have been set up for ‘bomma golu’ displays.
Rising festival fervour
The celebrations have increased manifold now, says Sasikumar K, president of the Janakeeya Samithi of Poojappura Sri Saraswathi Temple.
The shrine, at the heart of a ground where people come for tranquil walks and visits, turns into a hub of activity during the Navaratri days.
“Over 7-8 lakh people come during the festival season. And the dance and music programmes start from 6am, unlike evenings in the past, and go on till late evenings,” he says.
There are two stages for the programmes here — the 200-year-old Kalmandapam (stone-made stage), where traditional rituals will be held, and the Swati Stage, where regular programmes will be staged. “But the applications for performances in the last five to six years have increased so much that we are planning another stage, near the park beside the SBI office. This stage is for anyone who wants to perform and requires no registration. It is termed ‘Aarkum Padaam’ and aims to encourage young talents even as young as five years,” he explains.
Fresh talents
Fresh talents is being encouraged this year too at the famed Navarathri Sangeetholsavam, says Rama Varma, veteran musician and member of the erstwhile Travancore royal family. The music festival has witnessed several changes since its inception during Swati Thirunal’s period.
Women were not allowed to sing at the festival, a norm that changed just two decades ago when veteran Carnatic vocalist Parassala Ponnammal performed there. In recent times, instrumental music was also introduced.
“This time, we have a mix of veterans and youngsters, including T V Gopalakrishnan, who arguably might be the oldest to perform here at 94 years, and Charulatha Chandrasekhar, who is just 14. She will perform a veena recital along with her grandmother. Once, this used to be a ‘Vidwat sadas’ where the audience would also be learned in music like the performer and may join in during renditions. We had a similar spectacle some years ago when my students sang along. Wish this year too, we get to witness such a spectacle,” says Rama Varma, one of the regular performers at the festival along with Chennai-based Sanjay Subramanian.
"The core tradition of the festival will not change. The ragas explored during the festival are as per the schedule drawn up by Swathi Thirunal, and the songs rendered will be Swathi krithis as usual,” he says, even while admitting that the festival will continue to encourage a cross-section of talents.
One such veteran, Parthivapuram Padmanabha Iyer, is preparing for his debut at Sangeetholsavam. The veteran music teacher was busy with his work, performances, and classes. Post-retirement, he took classes at his home in Karamana and engaged in other art-related activities. That was when the chance came for him to perform at the Sangeetholsavam.
“It is nothing less than a blessing for me,” says the 70-year-old veteran, who is also a member of Mullammoodu Bhagavathars’ family.
Another artist looking forward to the festival is G Babu, a Bahrain-based mridangam artist who religiously comes to the city every year for the Sangeetholsavam. “I am getting to play mridangam on the ninth day of the festival, dedicated to Arabhi ragam as per schedule,” he proudly exclaims.
Bomma golu days
The performance stage at the Lalithambika Sangeeta Natya Koodam is also gearing up for its Navaratri extravaganza. “We have received applications from across the country, and have no slots vacant now,” says Unnikrishnan L P, who has turned his house into an art commune. The venue also houses one of Thiruvananthapuram’s biggest ‘bomma golu’ displays.
“We have been doing this for the past five to six years. Our preparations began a month ago. We have been dusting off the dolls we collected from places like Manamadurai, Madurai, Kanchipuram, etc. The display often spills over to the sides of the main hall,” he says.
Unlike before, when it was just a private Navaratri ritual restricted to certain communities, ‘bomma golus’ are now on public display in several city junctions and many temples in the capital. “You must visit the ‘golu’ display at Gandhari Amman temple at Thampanoor; it is truly exquisite,” says Ramakrishnan V, secretary of the Ayodhya Nagar Seetharama Bhaktha Sabha.
The organisation has prepared its ‘golu’ display for this year. “It does require some effort to keep ‘golu’ at home. But it is the effort that makes it colourful,” he observes, adding that the art performances notch up the excitement further.
The Sabha is also hosting several performances this year. “We are also planning to include a Dandiya night,” he says.
As the number of golus rises, so does the business, says Saju N, who runs Kamakshi Enterprises at Karamana. “My family came here over 100 years ago from Thanjavur as artisans and were housed at the Chettiar Theruvu in Karamana. We have been running the ‘golu’ business for decades. Nowadays, due to added demand, we have to procure dolls in addition to the ones we make,” he says.
While earlier dolls of mythological figures were the favourites, now, demand is high for figurines that depict everyday life. “There are people who come asking for specific images based on what they saw on social media,” he says, adding the customer base has also grown from Thiruvananthapuram to the rest of the state.
Social media is also behind the splashy displays during the Navaratri, Dhanya says. “There are positives to this, especially the renewed interest in learning. However, the intent also matters. It should not be social media popularity or the applause that drives the performances. It should be about understanding the essence of the festival and perfecting their craft,” she says.
She recalls her performance last year at a temple in East Fort in front of a small crowd. “It was my most fulfilling Navaratri experience,” she smiles.
The stage is set
One of the main stages for the festival is the Navaratri Mandapam at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, where the activity expands to dance and music performances throughout the day. Traditionally, it was a venue for an elite evening performance, coordinated by the erstwhile Travancore royal family and their court musicians, the Mullammoodu Bhagavathars. It was these bhagavathars who had the onus to open each day’s concert.
The age-old Mandapam is also the venue where the traditional idol of Goddess Saraswathy, said to be worshipped by Tamil poet Kambar, will be kept. Otherwise, it is kept at the Padmanabhapuram Palace and is annually brought to the capital along with the idols of Kumaraswamy and Munnootti Manga (Kundani Manga), as the Goddess’s aides.
The Kumaraswamy’s idol is taken to the Aryasala Temple, and the Munnootti Manga idol to the Sree Chenthitta Devi Temple to be worshipped for the next nine days, when the capital erupts into a festive mood with the colours of Navaratri.