KOCHI: Around 100 children belonging to the Gouda Saraswatha Brahmin community joined together to stage a drama in Konkani language at Tirumala Devaswom temple in Ernakulam on Thursday.
The students from kindergarten to Post Graduate courses staged the play ‘Venkatakalyan’ on the occasion of the birth centenary of Sudheendra Theertha, the spiritual guru of the community. The play was about the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Srinivasa to establish dharma.
The play was written and directed by Srividya Mangesh Pai, a famous rangoli artist.
“I have never written any literary work in the past. We have a cultural organisation at the temple and the children demanded that we stage a drama during the summer vacation. As a former teacher and a person well versed in Puranas, I agreed to write the drama. Initially, we started rehearsing with 10 members. However, seeing the enthusiasm of the children, I expanded the canvas to ensure the participation of all children,” said Srividya.
“The theme was selected to imbibe the message of dharma among the children. Apart from scripting the play, I selected some devotional songs in Konkani and included them in the play. The rehearsal, which went on for months, helped create a rare unity among the new generation,” she said. Anagha, a degree student played the role of Lord Venkatesa in the drama.