Behind the scene: Getting ready for the colourful Udappu parade

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ~ Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)Spanish Painter, Draughtsman and Sculptor

It was a Sunny Sunday, August 2nd 2009.

As time ticked on turning into a scroching hot day, performers and the make-up artists began to make their way to Sri Veerapaththirakaali Amman temple, situated right near the ocean. Eleven Performing artists and four make-up artists gathered under one roof, to get ready for the elegant parade.

Make-up artists quickly started to apply different colours according to the casts. The colours mixed with margarine applied on the face, chest, ear, neck and hands. Wrists, arms, angles are decorated appropriately, while turbans and crowns are used differently.

Various colours of silk sarees, shawls, bead necklaces and ear rings are carefully chosen by the make-up artists to the casts. Four hours were spent to finish the make-up.

As the performers got ready, the men from Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam, came walking to the Sri Veerapaththirakaali Amman temple and invited them to join the colourful parade.

All of them joined after praying the Goddess in the sanctum of Sri Veerapaththirakaali Amman temple.

At dusk as the Sun began to disappear from the site, the performers started to walk through the streets of Udappu while reciting the particular section (Exile) of Mahabharatham. The entire show ended at night.

It was amazing to note that, among four make-up artists, there was a charming woman artist who was busy putting make-up, touching up, pleating the sarees, folding it, and help the men to wrap around and wear sarees for this occasion.

“I am pleased that, the male make-up artists invited me to be part of the process. It is a different experience for me. I experiment it for the first time, and I enjoy it very much. I like to continue” said Rapaackiyam Raajalingam with a broad smile.

The male colleagues of hers shared their experience as well. “We are happy to see her working along with us, and helping us to have a better performance. She adds colour to the preparation” said Muthukrishanan while hanging an ear ring to Subramaniam Pathmanathan (Veeman).

The performing artists shared their thoughts. “She is like my sister, but I am very shy” said Vairavamoorthy Chnadrahasan (Archchunan). “It is good to have a woman make-up artist because her style is different and special” said Kathiresan Nallasivam (Lord Krishna).