Writer Jeyamohan, who participated in the Arivukeni programme held on the 4th day of the 7th Book Festival at the Codissia campus in Coimbatore. On the topic of 'Sangam literature that will always be sweet', he spoke on cave paintings and the way of life of the Stone Age man.
Coimbatore: Writer Jayamohan delivered a lecture on the theme 'Sangam Literature' at the ongoing Book Festival at Codissia Ground in Coimbatore.
The "7th Book Fair – 2023", jointly organized by the Coimbatore District Administration, Kodisia and The South Indian Book Publishers Association, is being held at the Codissia Commercial Complex on the Coimbatore-Avinashi Road.
On the fourth day Monday (24.07.2023), Arivukeni programme was held from 10 am to 1 pm. Tamil and English speaking competitions were held for students of 8th, 9th and 10th standards.
Following this, at a special function held at 6.30 p.m., writer Jayamohan addressed the gathering on the theme "Sangam Literature".
Then he spoke,
There is a huge gap between the Megalithic age and the modern period. The cave paintings in India are about fifteen thousand years old to twenty thousand thousand years old.
These were painted by the ancient man. Bhimbetka cave paintings are found in India. It was the beginning of a quest for culture all over the world. The most important of those paintings.
Hunting animals. Deer and bulls are found in it. They would have painted the man like a matchstick. Many animals are being skinned, their bones visible, and grazing.
Would it really be like that? If not. It's a dream. Perhaps the animals they had killed and ate had appeared in his dream. Myths may mean that. The human dimension is one reality and the other is dream. This is what the literature indicates. It was only in the cave paintings that I saw dreams being shaped, touched and created.
Stone Age people in India, sophisticated people are there in India. Stone Age paintings can only be known through existing tribes. Priests are very important. They know the rainy season. The crop growing season is known. They will make paintings.
The priest is the one who mixes everything. These are seen in the paintings of Kerala. The priests will be seen as deities. Where this priest is in sangam literature is that Nataraja is in the form of an idol. In sangam literature there is a phenomenon of velan fanaticism.
He is the priest of the deity Muruga. If the leader gets a love sickness, Velan will go on a rampage to solve it. The event is still held at the temple festivals in Kasargod in Kerala. Sangam literature today is used only for research purposes. This is how he spoke.
Codissia President V Thirugnanam, Coimbatore Book Fair President K Ramesh and writers, poets, readers and general public participated in large numbers on the occasion.