P. R. Thilagam (born 1926), popularly known as Thiruvarur Thilagam, is an Indian composer, vocalist and exponent of Kuravanji, a traditional form of dance drama popular in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.[1][2] She hails from Kondi parampara (Kondi heritage) of the Isai Vellalar community, a sect of women dedicated to the worship at Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur.[3][4]
P. R. Thilagam | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1926 (age 97–98) Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation | Dance drama performer |
| Known for | Kuravanji dance drama |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |
Thilagam was born in 1926 at Thiruvarur, a town in Tamil Nadu famous for the Thyagaraja Temple, as one of the last among the Kondi Devadasis, in a family of dancers.[5] Learning Kuravanji from her grandmother, Kamalambal, who was a notable performer of the dance drama,[6] she started public performances and has performed on many stages in India and abroad.[7] She is a recipient of the 1997 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.[8][9] The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for her contributions to Arts.[10] Her performance has been video-documented by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)[6] while her life story is the main feature of a journal, Madras Season: Its Genesis, published by Sruti, a magazine dedicated for performing arts.[11]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Ananda Lal, ed. (2004). The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195644463.
- ^ Saṅgīt Mahābhāratī (2011). The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195650983.
- ^ Davesh Soneji (2012). Unfinished Gestures: Devadasis, Memory, and Modernity in South India. University of Chicago Press. p. 313. ISBN 9780226768090.
- ^ "Before the music stopped". The Hindu. 13 December 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2016.[dead link]
- ^ "Padma Shri Awardees for Arts". Kutcheri Buzz. 28 January 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Major IGNCA Documentation". Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. 2016. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Kalakshetra Annual Art Festival" (PDF). Ragashankara. 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Overview in Oxford Index". Oxford University Press. 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ "SNA Awardees". Sangeet Natak Akademi. 2016. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ "Madras Season: Its Genesis". Sruti. December 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
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