KANHANGAD: At a time when university students are opposing a Muslim assistant professor from teaching Sanskrit, a group of 300 schoolchildren gave a trailblazing performance of oppana -- a wedding dance of Malabar Muslims -- set to Sanskrit lyrics and tunes scored on temple instruments chenda and edakka. They performed the Oppana at the New Bus Stand at Alamipally on the sidelines of the 60th State School Arts Fest in Kanhangad on Thursday.
“We learnt the dance and Sanskrit lyrics in 12 days,” says an excited Prathana K B, a Class VIII student of Government High School, Thachangad near Bekal. The girls — from Class III to X — practised every night for the past 12 days, says Junaid Mettammal, the choreographer and expert in Mappila arts.
The lyrics were penned by Sunil Kumar Koroth, a PhD in Sanskrit, who teaches the language in the school. “Junaid and I have been toying with the idea for over a year and when the Kalolsavam came to Kanhangad, we thought of giving it a try,” Koroth said.
He named the show Brihat Oppana, or mega Oppana, in Sanskrit. The song starts with the words: ‘Kerala is known as the god’s own country because of its great cutlture and social harmony’. On the recent controversy at Banaras Hindu University, Koroth said: “Language and art are to unite people, not to divide (them).” The 12-minute performance touched on the contributions of the Chola and dynasties, the pre-Independence Kerala, the state’s communal harmony, the recent flood and the resilience shown by the state, said Swati, one of the eight girls who rendered the song in Sanskrit. She said only five of the eight singers were students of Sanskrit.
The students imbibed the meaning of the words and that was a big encouragement, said Sanskrit teacher Koroth.
Oppana songs adore, tease and wish the blushing bride well. “In Birhat Oppana, Kerala is the bride,” he said.