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 |
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]
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]
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