Dhan Foundation holds heritage festival at Mannadimangalam

 Dhan Foundation in Madurai organised a two-day heritage festival for college students and villagers at Mannadimangalam in Madurai.  

K.P. Bharathi, advisor, Centre for Development Tourism, DHAN, said the festival was being conducted for the 12^th consecutive year.  

“The event focuses on imparting social education responsibility among the villagers and youngsters,” he added.  

The villages selected for the event were mostly situated along the Vaigai river. “The choice of villages was deliberate as the Vaigai river traversing through these villages has provided a rich cultural value to the location and people,” he noted.  

Previously, villages like Thenur, Thenkarai, Thiruvegadam, Kodimangalam, Keelamathur among others where the heritage festivals were conducted carried a historical value, Mr. Bharathi stated.  

Also, the heritage walk organised for the villagers in their own locality, had enlightened them by shedding lights on the historical evidence and culturally significant structures in their habitations, he added.  

Epigraphist and Archaeologist V. Vedachalam addressing the villagers at the event said, “The antiquity of Mannadimangalam could be traced back to Sangam age. It is attested by the presence of megalithic urn burials found on the northern bank of the irrigation tank of the village.” 

Another significance of the village was the presence of an irrigation tank which is one of the largest water sources in the district, he said.  

“As around 252.26 hectares of land gets benefitted by this irrigation source, agriculture is the primary occupation of the villagers. Paddy, sugarcane, plantain, coconut palm and vegetables are largely cultivated here,” he added. 

Pointing out to the heritage festival which witnesses participation of students from different colleges in the district, Mr. Vedachalam said such events were essential to introduce the city-grown children to art forms like oyilattam, sendai, sinfarimelam, silambam, mallar kambam among others.

To record more footfall of students during the two-days event, competitions like debate, quiz, photography, antique exhibitions, vellum sol, rangoli, short film, etc., were conducted for the students and prizes were also distributed to them at the end of the day.