By Tejeswini Chakraborty
2020 was the year the world turned upside down. The
busiest roads were deserted, vibrant faces were masked and the joy of sharing
became limited to sharing online. It made the world digital and suddenly
meeting your loved ones face to face became a crime. All this had a huge impact
on the community of artists. Even though we were quick enough to notice the
empty movie theatres, isolated stages and the lack of concerts, few people like
dancer Christopher Gurusamy and art administrator Shreya Nagarajan Singh
could see beyond the obvious. They saw the pain and helplessness of the
underprivileged folk artists of India. The pandemic hit them like a hurricane
which caused them to lose their means of income. They lost their gigs, the
events got cancelled and so did the temple festivals. Even now, it is a very
grim time for them as most of them are daily wage workers. This duo came up
with an idea which would not only provide folk artists with moral support but
also help them financially. They organised an online fundraising auction called
'6 Yards of Hope'.
For this auction, 18 well-known and sought after
musicians and dancers were approached with the idea to auction one of their
sarees; they agreed readily and were more than happy to extend their support.
The artists were requested to donate a Kanjivaram saree which would represent
their aesthetic. Artists who donated
their sarees include Rama Vaidyanathan, Leela Samson, Priyadarsini Govind,
Geetha Chandran, Malavika Sarrukai, Chitra Visweswaran and Bragha Bessel .
Christopher Gurusamy and Shreya Nagarajan Singh
collaborated with Panjavarnam Silks and the auction was held on their Instagram
page @panjavarnamsilks and the bidding was done in the comments section.
Shreya says that Christopher Gurusamy's involvement and support for this
initiative was extremely crucial. His keen eye for details, love for the saree
and dance, strategic mindset and a deep desire to raise funds for
disadvantaged artists truly inspired them to work hard on every aspect.
The plan was a success when it became clear that all the
beautiful sarees were very much in demand, and the highest bid of Rs. 25,500 was for a
saree owned by Bombay Jayashri. The buyers were from all over the world --
Australia, countries in Europe, America, and of course India. A total amount of
Rs. 2,54,000 lakhs was raised. Part of it would be given to the Funds for Folk
initiative which is the brainchild of Shreya Nagarajan Singh, Tenma and Gana
Muthu, where funds are raised for the folk artists of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and
Karnataka. Such initiatives in times of difficulty are a proof of unity;
and for folk artists, '6 Yards of Hope' is not only a great initiative but
a form of blessing in disguise.
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