THOOTHUKUDI: The urumi, which once graced Mari Selvaraj's film Pariyerum Perumal, was recovered from a banana plantation in a soaking wet condition by A Murugesan, an instrumentalist from Thoothukudi district. This was a few days after torrential rain battered four southern districts, in December 2023.
The 63-year-old is a musical folk artist from Marthandampatti near Srivaikuntam's Pudukudi area. While he was lucky to survive the floods, he lost his percussion instruments, including the urumi, after the floodwater flattened his house and swept away his belongings following rain on December 17. Father of six, he was visiting one of his daughters in Ambasamudram for Karthigai Deepam festival. Murugesan returned three days later, to find both his livelihood and legacy washed away.
Murugesan told TNIE that his tryst with Tamil folk music began in his childhood, and continues as his career spans over 40 years. The instruments, he added, outlived him and were passed down by his father A Alagappan, a renowned Nadaswaram vidwan in the Srivaikuntam and Tirunelveli music circle. "The urumi was gifted to me by my father when he died two decades ago. He had bought the urumi and pambai 20 years before I was born. I am 63 right now," Murugesan said, adding that he will not be able to find such an instrument in the present day markets.
He recalled recovering important documents and identity cards from the flooded bureau. "I found thavil, pambai, and urumi from the nearby banana plantation. The wood has sustained cracks and cannot be used anymore. I have now kept them as souvenirs," Murugesan rued.
He played the urumi for the song 'Engum Pugazh' in 'Pariyerum Perumal', five years ago. "The director had given me the chance to perform in the song for a traditional Kadhamba Nigatchi event sequence," he added. Folk artists find stages to perform only during Mariamman temple festivals, marriages, puberty and ear piercing functions, predominantly held during the months of panguni, chithirai, vaigasi, aani, adi, avani and puratasi. We are unemployed for the rest of the months, he said.
The loss of instruments have now deprived Murugesan of these alternatives. "A new thavil may cost Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, pambai would be Rs 10,000 at least, and urimai is over Rs 20,000, which I cannot afford," he laments.
Murugesan's nephew, M Kalidasan (52), a Nadaswaram artiste and his neighbour, met with a similar fate. Kalidasan's house came crashing down just five minutes after he left the house on December 17. His belongings along with his instruments were washed away. He had recovered his nadaswaram and thavil from the debris. Endearingly called Annavi, the head of a musical troupe consisting of eight members, Kalidasan lost his 38-year-old nadeswaram. "The nadeswaram is made of asa maram wood, which sinks in water," he said, adding, "I am not bothered by the loss of house, but the nadeswaram was my 'Thiruvodu' that uplifted my folk career."
Western and folk dance organiser Rathnam and an artiste Jayalalithaa told TNIE that the Tamil Nadu Folk Artistes Welfare Board should look into the plight of the artistes and provide them adequate funds to recover from their losses. Srivaikuntam and Alwarthirunagari, which bore the brunt of floods, have more traditional musical folk artists. The government has not contacted them so far, he added.