On the day of an enactment of the folk tale about Lord Krishna, his two wives, and the magical pārijāt tree, the Mallava Megeri Krishna Pārijāta Company poses outdoors on a dhurrie carpet, with actors Shrimati Mallava Megeri, troupe leader, holding a doll; Gudusab Nadat Khajidoni; and Mallakajappa Mallappa Gaddankeri (Krishna); and with musicians Krishnaji Varad Tulasigiri (tablā); Hanuman Mastar (harmonium); and Ramanna Sonshi (taal).
Nāiyāndī Mēḷam musicians play in front of TamilNadu Hotel. From the left: Om Periyaswamy watches, in white kurta and lunghi; a man in white shirt stands behind him; a younger drummer in light blue shirt and white shawl plays a small single-headed membranophone with two sticks; Arunachalam Pillai (?) stands behind him; Conai plays urumbi (urummi, uṟumi) double-headed variable tension membranophone with curving stick to his right; Mukkasāmi plays a sattakulai (cattak kuḻāy) multiple-reed aerophone; Kalidasa, seen from the back, plays a pambai double-headed membranophone pair with two slightly curving sticks; Venkatesan plays tavil double-headed membranophone; and Cuppiramaniyan with hand taḷām cymbals, in a dark blue shirt and lunghi. The jeep of the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology is visible behind the group.
Arunachalam Pillai, a hereditary musician, plays a nāgasvaram quadruple-reed aerophone artist (4th from left); Sankarayya Pillai, a nāgasvaram soloist, (center) plays an ottu drone nāgasvaram. Om Periyaswamy (2nd from left); Kalidasa (in profile) plays a pambai drum pair (3rd from left); Venkatesan plays a pambai double-headed membranophone pair with two slightly curving sticks (7th from left); Cuppiramaniyan with hand talām cymbals, in a dark blue shirt and lunghi (6th from left); Mukkasāmi watches, holding a sattakulai (cattak kuḻāy) multiple-reed aerophone (8th from left); and other musicians watch. The jeep of the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology stands behind the group.
Overhead shot of Nāiyāndī Mēḷam musicians. Mukkasāmi (center, seen from the back) plays a sattakulai (cattak kuḻāy) multiple-reed aerophone, and Conai plays urumbi (urummi, uṟumi) double-headed variable tension membranophone using a curved stick in his left hand. They interact facing each other. Behind them is a tamukku membranophone musician in a light blue shirt and white shawl. Kalidasa (left) plays a pambai membranophone pair, and a young musician (2nd from left) plays a small single-headed membranophone with two sticks. Om Periyaswamy (3rd from left) watches. Recorded outdoors near TamilNadu Hotel.
Application of face makeup on the younger male actor playing role of Krishna, Mallakajappa Mallappa Gaddankeri, by the troupe leader and actor, Shrimati Mallava Megeri. Incense billows in the air as part of puja ceremony. In preparation for an enactment of the folk tale about Lord Krishna, his two wives, and the magical pārijāt tree.
Gopibai Sivlal, a Kanjar Bhāṭ woman, dances in the Rajasthani ghumar style with head covered and right hand holding her pallo over her face, while children, women, and men watch. At Gangadhar Nagar.
Nair women perform a Thiruvathirakali circle and clapping dance (also called kaikottikali, "hand-clap-play"). They also performed a song in praise of Saraswathi, a princess’ marriage from the Mahabharata, and a Mangalacharanam concluding piece. The leading performers are L. Chinamma (age 70), Parukutti Amma, and Ammini Mussath. They performed the dance after identifying A. A. Bake's 1938 recording (Tefi 27.7, or 31) of a song with lyrics concerning the Nala Damayanti story. The Thiruvathirakali dance is named for one of the 28 stars of Shiva. It is a ritual performed at the annual Dhanu festival in December-January, as well as at the Onam festival. The genre is also known as Kaikottikali (hand-clapping dance).
Dancer B. C. Balachandar performs an episode from the Ottan Thullal solo dance drama Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”). Musicians are behind him: a musician playing a mṛdaṅgam, a barrel shaped double-headed membranophone (seated, left), a singer and shruti peti musician (seated, center), a singer playing kai mani/jālra / taḷām cymbals (seated, right), a musician with an uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum (standing, right). Village children begin to appear to watch. Blurry shot due to camera movement.
