Keeping Jada Kolatam alive

Ongole: Residents of Parvathipuram village in Prakasam district, who are traditionally handloom weavers, are putting their ancestral know-how and knowledge of Kolatam performance to good use at gramotsav demonstrations, during their spare time. It is just like learning the art for giving demos. Although it looks as simple as a woman doing her hairdo, it is not so. As these practitioners of the traditional art of Kolatam do while tying ropes to their hands.

Usually Kolatam is performed by elderly persons, particularly women. One or two persons hold sticks and beat them in a rhythmic fashion, while moving in circles or any other form. They also dance while participating in such events witnessed during ‘tirunallu’(village fairs) and ‘utsavalu’(festivals).

But the Kolatam performance by Parvathipuram residents is different. Here 32 persons, both young and elderly, tie 60-foot-long ropes hanging from a wooden block around their hands and sing the song rendered by their guru. Even while singing, they knit the ropes into a jada (hair decoration) and play Kolatam along with dancing, without seeing the shape the ropes are taking. With the same practice they untie the ‘jada’ even while repeating the song sung by the guru.

Such Kolatam performances were given in the past in Chirala, bagging the second prize at the State-level Kolatam Kala Pradarshana. This performance brought special recognition to Chirala, guru Rambabu told The Hans India. The Parvathipuram villagers are invited every year to perform in Tirumala during the Brahmotsavam celebration and in Vijayawada Dasara Utsavalu, said Latasri, a Kolatam performe, and Ravi, a resident of the village.

The villagers express confidence of devising new forms of Kolatam and bring glory to the art if the state government comes forward with steps to encourage them. They are also confident of creating new records during such performances.