Drumming up support for the voiceless

CHENNAI: Hidden within the quaint, dusty lanes of Kuruviagaram village is a treasure trove of untapped talent — bodies brimming with the energy of unsung dreams. Outside of the small library building, where students are tutored beyond school hours, reverberate the beats of the parai. The duo is among the many that are taught parai and silambam — two traditional art forms brought under one roof, thanks to the efforts of four aspiring souls. Kuruviagaram, a small village with a population of 1,000, now has a bunch of students who have taken to exploring painting and drawing and are also trying their hand at silambam and parai.