TIRUCHY: It was a feat of a different kind and one with a message to all people. Twelve-year-old Moulish Dev recently drew the attention of city residents when he stood on a pot and demonstrated his silambattam skills for two hours in a public park on EB Road.
His goal was not merely entering any record book, but telling people who had gathered to go and vote without fail in the urban local body polls and ensure 100 per cent polling.
Son of Mahadevan and Niranjanadevi, the resident of Chinthamani Bazaar is a Class 7 student at a private school in Tiruverumbur. Dev, who excels in studies, has had a keen interest in Tamil culture and traditional skills since childhood. A student of silambattam for the last four years, he says he is actively training to go places in this martial art.
"I got inspired by silambattam at a young age after seeing my father practising. He told me that it is the traditional form of martial arts and a heroic mark of the Tamils. My parents encouraged me to pursue my interest in silambam, and I have been practising hard for the last four years. I desire to be a great achiever in this martial art and eventually earn a doctorate in it," Dev says.
"The government is now urging all people to go and vote, and I thought I could use my skill and all the tricks I learnt to draw the attention of people, and urge them to ensure 100 per cent voting. A lot of people appreciated me for the initiative, and this has made me very happy."
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18/02/22: Tiruchy, Tamil Nadu: A twelve-year-old boy playing Silambattam by standing on a pot in a public park near EB road in Tiruchy. Express