ORU KURUVI
ILLUSTRATION
The objective of this task was to create a project that embodies a family story, offering a glimpse into our culture.
I aimed to narrate a cherished story passed down by my grandmother to both my brother and me. Through this piece, my intention was to vividly capture the essence of how this story unfolded over three generations. I sought to encapsulate the unique environments each generation inhabited, detailing what they wore, observed, heard, and even smelled while engrossed in the narrative. My creative approach involved crafting an artwork influenced by the intricate style of narrative prints.
Once upon a time in a big forest lived a little sparrow on a tree in a nest. During the rainy season one day a big storm raged on for a long time. Winds blew at high speeds and the sparrow along with its nest got thrown down from its tree on the ground. Its leg broke and due to its wings being wet and the storm the sparrow could not fly and sit on any other tree.
The sparrow became sad and hopped on to the next tree which was a coconut tree and again sang:
Thennai maram Thennai maram chinna kuruvi naan
(Coconut tree Coconut tree, I'm a little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharuvaya?
(Will you give me a place to stay in this rainy weather ?)
The coconut tree answered,
Nan tharamaten naan tharamaten chinna kuruviye
(I will not I will not, little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharamaten
(I will not give you a place to stay in this rainy weather)
It started limping on the ground and managed to find a banana tree.
It asked the tree for shelter in the following way:
Vaazha marame Vaazh marame chinna kuruvi naan
(Banana tree Banana tree, I'm a little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharuvaya?
(Will you give me a place to stay in this rainy weather ?)
The banana tree answered,
Nan tharamaten naan tharamaten chinna kuruviye
(I will not I will not, little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharamaten
(I will not give you a place to stay in this rainy weather)
The sparrow got saddened by the reply of the coconut tree. It then saw a palm tree at a distance, so, though it was very difficult it waded through the flood waters and struggled to keep itself afloat in the water and somehow managed to reach the palm tree and it sang:
By this time the sparrow was in a lot of pain but with determined effort to not give up, hopped on to the next ree which was a Banyan tree while feeling it was its last hope. It sang:
Aala marame Aala marame chinna kuruvi naan
(Banyan tree Banyan tree, I'm a little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharuvaya?
(Will you give me a place to stay in this rainy weather ?)
The Banyan felt very sorry for this little sparrow and it sang back,
Aala maram naan, aala maram naan chinna kuruviye
(I am a Banyan tree I am a Banyan tree, little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharuvene
(I will give you a place to stay in this rainy weather)
The delighted sparrow then hopped on to the lowest root and slowly hopping on each root reached a reasonable height and sat under a big banyan leaf to protect itself from the rain.
Pana marame Pana marame chinna kuruvi naan
(Palm tree Palm tree, I'm a little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharuvaya?
(Will you give me a place to stay in this rainy weather ?)
To which the palm tree answered,
Nan tharamaten naan tharamaten chinna kuruviye
(I will not I will not, little sparrow)
Mazhai kalathil thanguvadarkku idam tharamaten
(I will not give you a place to stay in this rainy weather)
In the central frame, I depicted how the story unfolded for me and my brother, highlighting the unique dynamics of our experience. On the left, I portrayed the narrative being shared with my mom and her siblings, showcasing the evolution of the setting, garments, and environment over time within our family. Similarly, on the right, I illustrated my grandmother's mom narrating the story to her and her siblings, providing a glimpse into the changing cultural landscape and familial connections. Each frame serves as a window into the evolving tapestry of storytelling within a South Indian family, showcasing the shifts in settings, attire, and ambiance across generations.
