Karna Moksham: Story of Karna’s Wife,Ponnuruvi

Karna Moksham is one of the most popular plays in the Kattaikkuttu repertoire. It is attributed to the author Pukalentippulavar.

Karna Moksham is performed on two important occasions. In the night preceding the sixteenth day of the funerary rites observed by rural, non-Brahmin communities, relatives of the deceased may arrange for the performance of the play.

They hope that the staging of Karna Moksham will facilitate the release of the deceased’s soul and allow it to ultimately reachmoksham, just like the hero Karna in the play.

If the deceased is a man leaving behind a wife, the play also marks the transition of the bereaved woman into widowhood.

The other important occasion for the performance of Karna Moksham is a Paratam(Mahabharata) festival.

story is one of the conventional themes in the festival’s cycle of plays.

This and more are part of the course.

The lectures attempt to educate, as well as be entertaining in its value.

The tragedy of Karna’s life and defeat on the battlefield is one of the most sensitive and expressive episodes of theMahabharata.

In the Tamil Kattaikkuttu tradition the classical story has undergone a thorough reworking and adaptation to the local context.

Karna’s wife, Ponnuruvi, does not find a place in the written traditions of the epic. However, she fulfils a pivotal role in this performed version of the story.

Because Karna’s decent remains hidden for so long makes him into a person of low (or unknown) caste, highlighting the importance of caste in the local village setting.