With 2025's Panguni Utsavam just round the corner, will the Kapali temple authorities clear the pending payment of the Nadaswaram artistes from last year's Panguni Utsavam
Payment to over 50 artistes is still pending 12 months after they presented at the street procession in Panguni last year
The biggest utsavam of the year is just a couple of days away at the Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore. The official invitation of the Panguni Utsavam was out last week with details of the Nagaswaram artistes who will present over the ten days during the street procession on each evening.
Unfortunately, for such a financially rich temple, the outstation artistes who performed at the festival last year have still not been paid putting the temple’s Asthana Vidwan Mohan Dass (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/07/sembanar-koil-nagaswaram-mohan-dass.html) in a totally embarrassing situation. It is Mohan Dass who for many years now has been roping in artistes from remote locations in Tamil Nadu to perform at the street procession for a pre fixed Sambhavanai amount. After having waited a while, these artistes began following up with Mohan Dass but despite his best efforts in securing the money for the artistes, the amount remains unpaid todate.
Well over 50 artistes presented during the street processions last year and they are to be paid a total of around Rs. 2 Lakhs but though almost 12 months have passed the miniscule amount has still not been paid to these artistes. A few of the artistes had spoken to this writer last year expressing displeasure at the way they were treated by the Kapali temple authorities.
While Mohan Dass is in such a state not able to provide a decent response to the 2024 Panguni Utsavam artistes, he has been asked to rope in artistes for this year's utsavam putting him in an awkward situation. When the artistes of the previous year have not been paid, how can an asthana vidwan of such a big temple pitch with artistes from other remote locations to come and perform in this year's utsavam. How would he convince them that the payment would be made to them this year.
This section had featured a couple of stories on the pending amount to these artistes but the authorities remained unfazed and have thus far not paid the paid (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/10/kapali-panguni-utsavam-2024-nadaswaram.html).
While the list (attached below) for this year’s utsavam has been release in the official invitation, one wonders if these artistes will be paid or will they too face the same fate as the artistes of the Panguni Utsavam 2024.
The Kapaleeswarar temple is one of the richest in the state and this utsavam pulls in devotees from all over but the authorities continue to disrespect the artistes who present during the street processions.
It is hoped that the temple authorities will clear the dues of the artistes of Panguni Utsavam 2024 before this year’s utsavam commences.
Will the CM and the HR & CE minister look into this serious lapse on the part of the Kapaleeswarar temple and initiate immediate action.
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